Order of Adjectives and When to Use Commas Between Them — Answers
Answer sheet with model answers and success criteria for the Year 8 adjectives & adverbs worksheet.
Success TutoringWorksheetsAnswer sheetYear 8 · English · Adjectives & AdverbsOrder of Adjectives and When to Use Commas Between Them — Answers
Part A: Does it sound right?
English speakers usually put adjectives in this order: opinion, size, age, shape, shade (red, blue, green and so on), origin, material, purpose, then the noun. Most people follow it without knowing the rule. Circle the version that sounds natural.
- Aa red big balloon
- Ba big red balloon
Answer: a big red balloon
Size comes before shade (red is a shade word).
- Aan old wooden chair
- Ba wooden old chair
Answer: an old wooden chair
Age comes before material.
- Aa lovely little cottage
- Ba little lovely cottage
Answer: a lovely little cottage
Opinion comes first, before size.
- Aa leather black jacket
- Ba black leather jacket
Answer: a black leather jacket
Shade (black) comes before material (leather).
- Aa round small table
- Ba small round table
Answer: a small round table
Size comes before shape.
- Aa Japanese new car
- Ba new Japanese car
Answer: a new Japanese car
Age comes before origin.
Part B: Put them in order
Write the adjectives in the natural order.
Answer: soft white cotton
Opinion (soft) → shade (white) → material (cotton).
Answer: tiny ancient silver
Size (tiny) → age (ancient) → material (silver).
Answer: new blue running
Age (new) → shade (blue) → purpose (running). Purpose words sit right next to the noun.
Answer: delicious homemade Italian
Opinion (delicious) → age or process (homemade) → origin (Italian). Many writers also accept delicious Italian homemade, but the given order is the most natural.
Answer: large square glass
Size (large) → shape (square) → material (glass).
Answer: old green sleeping
Age (old) → shade (green) → purpose (sleeping). Note that the article changes to an before a vowel sound.
Part C: Comma or no comma?
Coordinate adjectives describe the noun equally, so they take a comma. Test: can you swap them, or put and between them? If yes, use a comma. Cumulative adjectives build on each other in the natural order, so they do not take a comma.
- AYes, they are coordinate
- BNo, they are cumulative
Answer: Yes, they are coordinate
You can say a tiring, long journey or a long and tiring journey, so they are coordinate adjectives and take a comma.
- AYes, they are coordinate
- BNo, they are cumulative
Answer: No, they are cumulative
Bright describes red, not the kite on its own. You would not say a red and bright kite to mean the same thing, so no comma.
- AYes, they are coordinate
- BNo, they are cumulative
Answer: Yes, they are coordinate
A dark, cold night and a cold and dark night both work, so the comma is correct.
- AYes, they are coordinate
- BNo, they are cumulative
Answer: No, they are cumulative
Number, size and shade are different kinds of description that build on each other, so no commas.
- AYes, they are coordinate
- BNo, they are cumulative
Answer: Yes, they are coordinate
Both are opinion adjectives that can swap places or be joined with and, so they take a comma.
- AYes, they are coordinate
- BNo, they are cumulative
Answer: No, they are cumulative
Age and material are different categories; a stone old bridge sounds wrong, so no comma.
Part D: Less is more
Answer: Model: The enormous old dog lay down. (Big, huge, enormous and gigantic all mean the same thing, so one precise word is enough.)
Answer: Model: She wore an elegant yellow dress. (Nice, pretty and lovely are vague and repeat the same idea; one precise opinion adjective works better.)
Answer: A precise noun carries the description by itself, which makes writing tighter. For example, mansion says more than a very big, grand, expensive house, and puppy says more than a small young dog.
Part E: Your turn
Model answer: My grandfather's toolbox sits on the bottom shelf of the shed. It is a battered old metal box with a rusty handle that squeaks when I lift it. Inside are dozens of worn, familiar tools, each one wrapped in a scrap of cloth. The one I treasure most is a small wooden spirit level with a bubble that still floats perfectly in the middle. Whenever I hold it, I can almost hear him humming while he worked.
Success criteria:
- At least one pair of coordinate adjectives correctly separated by a comma
- At least one group of cumulative adjectives in the natural order with no comma
- No more than three adjectives stacked before a noun
- Precise adjectives and nouns rather than vague ones
- Four to six complete, well-punctuated sentences
Marking tips
- Give credit for correct method even when the final answer slips — the working shows where the thinking went right.
- For open-ended tasks, use the success criteria as a checklist rather than looking for one "right" answer.
- Celebrate what went well first, then pick one thing to work on next.
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