@Alex Kononenko That's wonderful! I like to see you put the rules into practice. Many use "hardcover" or "hardback" as one word. They can function as nouns, so let's consider them noun modifiers (also called qualifiers by some). Yes, those are interesting modern Russian hardcover books. -- That's a mouthful! I'd prefer to say, "Those are interesting contemporary novels. My husband brought all those Russian hardcover books back from Moscow." And yes, books are less expensive in Russia, at least they used to be. A hardback novel in the U.S. can be around $18 dollars. My husband reads those hardcover books. I read the cheaper paperback novels! I used to buy romance novels because they were so readily available in the metro stations in Moscow when I lived there.
Merewetherful Hello! I don't see your comment here, but I did receive email notification about it. Thanks for watching the lesson. Are you teaching in the classroom? If so, I hope you also check the links to my ELT blog. I post the links in the video descriptions. Have a great week!
Ha ha! It's so nice for you to reply! Yeah, I teach in the classroom. There's so much pressure from the industry to get a celta, but it's so nice that you've done so well without one!
Merewetherful Well, don't get me wrong. I think formal training is important. Students deserve qualified teachers, and different programs require different teaching skills (online teaching, higher ed, K-12, etc.). I just feel that there are different paths we teachers can take. :) Without particular certifications or degrees, certain doors will close. Then you need to decide if you want those door to open, or if you're willing to seek or construct other doors. Best wishes to you!
Merewetherful Good wishes to you! And may no one pressure you to take a path in your professional development or teaching practice that you don't want to take. :)
Jennifer, I used this video in my Grammar class today. I like to expose my students to different voices and presentations. They really enjoyed your explanations and demonstrations. They thought it was very clear and at a good pace for them. I love this topic. Most native American speakers just "hear" these rules but probably have never had to articulate them. Your explanations augmented and reinforced our text. I am really grateful for this resource! CJ
Hello. That's really wonderful to hear! Thank you for writing to me and telling me about your class. Kind regards to you and your students. Please invite them to try out the interactive exercise on my website for review. The link is in the video description :)
Thanks a lot!! I was wondering if someday, some english teacher in some english school would be able to teach me the real and natural order of adjectives...and I´ve finally found you! Thanks again.
I really enjoyed your video on the position of adjectives as I am working on translating a long list of parts for a metallic faucet company and I have to fit in the descriptive words in the right position, so your video was just perfect for me. For example: Square Acrylic Soap Dish
How timely! I'm happy the information was so relevant. Feel free to post any questions you might have. Your work likely has many examples for others to study. One other viewer nicely pointed out that the movement is generally from abstract to specific. You could also see it as a movement from opinion and general observation to specific details.
I'm happy to support your instruction, Ali. You might benefit from the exchange below with Daniel Francis. Please also check out the links to WordPress. I posted them in the video description. Thank you. Regards!
when ever I watch your useful videos lessons then i'm very pleaseD and euphoric because your incrdible help and support for teaching me and people around the globe .Thank you so much
Hi. The order of adjectives given by me and other sources should be a guideline, nothing fully set in stone, so to speak. There will be variations in speaking and in writing. However, some sequences are quite firm. For example, I'd definitely place "heavy" or "light" before a reference to material: a heavy stone bookend, a heavy ceramic coffee mug vs. a light porcelain teacup.
In nearly all cases, the noun that acts as the modifier is in the singular form": could you explain why We found plural noun modifiers such as in "kids farm" or "sports day", or “funny playing categories description and range”. Thanks a lot!
Most likely it's a possessive noun: Kids' Farm. Look how the Smithsonian names their attraction: Kids' Farm nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/exhibits/kids-farm A handful of nouns always end in an -s: A sports agent The physics lab A news channel
i've been enjoying your tutorials ever since i came across it on youtube. i must say you are one of the finest, most brilliant and wonderful teacher out there. You seem so happy and passionate in your tutorials. i think you are the happiest person in the whole wild world. (i know i can be quite exaggerative sometimes) i wish i had a teacher like you, here in India , in my school days. I'm happy though we ve internet and youtube and magnanimous souls like you who share their knowledge to the world. thankyou so much for all your efforts . Keep making videos and sharing insightful stuff about english. ps i'd like to ask how can a non native speaker of english develop his formal english? are there any good books out there to help with this stuff?
I love the bookcase, Jennifer. Excellent advice there. Coming to You Tube three years after your one, this is my next lesson. I've been working on my notes for some time. We are developing a picture with adjectives with each word adding more detail. Examples I've came up with are: It's a long hard road ahead. I own a great big yellow car. Tomorrow will be a freezing cold day. I have a beautiful old oil painting hidden away in the attic. Using serial commas would be okay when listing adjectives when they don't act as modifying adjectives. The hardware shop only has green, blue, orange and yellow paint left. Using 'and' is okay when the adjectives don't develop each other either: The freeway is scary and dangerous. He is big and menacing but gentle at the same time.
That's a very good expression to learn: a long hard road ahead. It shows how sometimes the order changes because the speaker wants to emphasize a quality, like "long." "Freezing cold" is another useful collocation to learn. I also like how you show use of "and" and "but" in a descriptive sentence.
Thank you for that. I have also been working on compiling a lesson all about hyphenated adjectives. Are these good examples, Jennifer: Jennifer delivered the lesson in a record-fast time. Quick-thinking people are vital for occupations where time is of the essence, We like old-fashioned buildings. Ray operates a zero-tolerance policy on his channel. The paint-splattered blanket is now used to cover furniture. We tend to be happy-go-lucky people most of the time.
That's a good topic. You can sort them into three groups: with present participles (quick-thinking), with past participles (old-fashioned), and with mixed parts of speech (record-fast, zero-tolerance, happy-go-lucky). Looks like you have a good handle on high frequency modifiers!
Good advice there. With hyphenated words joined together to create one idea or description, the words don't have to be adjectives: We have a never-say-die attitude, We are well-liked people. She is a softly-spoken tutor. I think we can have some fun with this one. I am struggling to come up with more three worded hyphenated examples, but I'll keep searching.
I'm glad you liked the video. Yes, I reply to comments pretty much every day. If you don't see a response posted in the comment section, it may be directly posted on someone's channel. I like to spread out my greetings. :) Regards!
Ohh my gosh. You're sophisticated. This is the most incredible English channel I've ever seen. Thumbs up for her initiative. By the way, can you please tell me the correct use of all types of determiners ??? Mainly Quantifiers , Distrubutive and 2 3 example of correct way to use possessive & interrogative. You're so helpful. I hope you'll help me soon .
I'm happy you found my channel. You may like my other videos in the grammar playlist. You'll find it here: www.englishwithjennifer.com/students/yt-videos/ See if you find the lessons on the parts of speech helpful. I talk about syntax there. Good luck in your studies!
Indeed it is a very interesting helpful unforgettable and useful great lesson :) A teacher used to told us that the order of adjectives is from the most abstract to the more concret one. But, hum, in practice that wasn't that easy. And I did love how you insist about "opinion" becoming first. Opinion is an abstract suggestive word. Abstract being a generic, suggestive reducing the span of abstract. That great video, as usual, will help me a lot, thanks!
Hi Daniel. Yes, I considered mentioning the point about moving from general to specific, but it doesn't always hold true. The British Council gives nice examples. learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/english-grammar/adjectives/order-adjectives But must we put "strange" before "clever"? And is "clever" truly more specific than "strange"? I think the idea of nouns sticking together is easier to grasp. For example, materials are often nouns as well, so adjectives like "gold" or "cotton" will be close to the head noun. Also, I should clarify that "opinion" also includes "observations." So "intricate" may be more based on observation rather than pure opinion. In any case, I hope it all is clearer now. Please try the exercise on my website for more practice. Regards!
Oh, and you reminded me that if many "opinion" adjectives are used, then treat is like a series with commas. The comma before "and" is optional: "A very great, interesting, helpful, unforgettable, and useful lesson"
JenniferESL Thanks for your answer, helpful insights, and useful links :) In my feeling I'd say that strange is more generic than clever for one must be equipped of the faculty of thinking to be told "clever", while any kind of events may be considered as strange, which in the degree of opinion is more suggestive than clever. But you're right, English natives people have an instinctive sens of what is natural or not :)
Mame If there are two same adjective( from same group like opinion )then we must have to use comma between them or can we also use "And " ,too? Exam: she is beautiful,pretty girl. She is beautiful and pretty girl. also Mam if we have two predicate adjectives still we follow the same pattern? She is intelligent and hardworking. She is intelligent , hardworking.
Before the head noun, use a comma or "and" to separate two opinion adjectives as you did. In the predicate after a linking verb (with no following head noun), use "and."
Hello Jennifer! As always very interesting your exposition about order of adjectives in English. It would be also interesting to consider the combination of adverbs and adjectives in a suitable order of these words describing a noun. For example, regarding your bookcase which is lovely, new and white. If I want to add more information about these characteristics using adverbs such as really lovely, completely new and absolutely white. In this case, the expression "a really lovely, completely new and absolutely white bookcase" would be admissible in a good English?. I think, in relation to this topic the rules for constructing compound adjectives and adjective phrases would be also very interesting. Many thanks! Regards!
Hello Joseph. Thank you for watching this lesson. Yes, it would be easy to follow up with a lesson on adverbs. The ones you listed are often referred to as intensifiers: really, very, extremely, etc. Compound words and, in particular, compound modifiers are another interesting topic to cover. Thank you for the suggestions. Have a truly wonderful weekend!
Hellow, Jennifer. Your video lessons are always interesting. It is very thoughtful of you to comment on all person's point of view. If didn't use the right words forgive me for i'am just an english staunch learner (is the adjectives order correct?). God bless you!
Hello. Thank you for the feedback and support. Please also try the exercise on my website for more practice. See the link in the video description. Remember to put noun modifiers directly before the noun and put opinion adjectives first. I think instead of "staunch" you might mean "determined." You could use "English student" or "English learner," but it could also be misunderstood - as if you're from the UK. Suggestion >> I am a determined English language learner. Have a great day!
How did you do on that exam? If you're on a desktop computer, you can try this exercise on my website to review. www.englishwithjennifer.com/c/order_of_adjectives.htm Good luck with your studies!
Not all sources agree, and truthfully with age and shape, it's not a big deal to flip them around. Other adjectives don't switch as easily. Opinion adjectives almost always come first. Noun modifiers like to appear immediately before the head noun.
hi jennifer, can I make a question? sometimes a verb does not conjugate in an sentences, for example: "she go" so the correct way should be "she goes" I think it has to do with the intransitive and transitive verbs. Do you know something about this one? many tanks beforehand :)
I was hoping 12 minutes wouldn't be too long! Thank you for the support, Luci. Other possible working you could use: "an excellent short class" "an excellent short class that met its objectives"
Good question. "Old bald man" got 189K hits on Google. "Bald old man" got 984K hits on Google. However, "old bald" showed up in more than 70% of the results on Ludwig.guru. ludwig.guru/s/old+bald+VS+bald+old In the end, I think both will be understood and accepted. If you substitute another hair color/type, that helps: a young red-haired girl.
I love the sounds in every english word and the accent..I think those sounds are beautiful I love for example how you pronounce the word lovely I feel amazed when I listen to those words. By the way which is the appropriate word in my last sentence "amazed" "marveled" to express my feeling???
"Amazed" is more natural in that sense. "Marvel" is mostly used as an intransitive verb, I think. "Mavel" + at. You can use "marvel" + that" + noun clause, too, but unlike "amaze," we don't have as much flexibility: amaze > amazing, amazed marvel > ??? (marvelous)
Hi Jenifer . thanks a million for your useful videos. please please make some videos of slangs or daily conversation. we do need them please thanks in advance
Ghazaleh N I'm glad you saw the old ones. I hope to address conversation more in the future. You might like listening resources, like www.esl-lab.com and www.elllo.org. Regards!
Hello Jennifer ! i'm a big fan of your lessons.i have a question : if I write in a sentence two ADJECTIVES of OPINION should i put a "comma" or "and" between them. Thank you.
There are only patterns, not really rules. There will always be some variation. Very rarely will you use several adjectives before a single noun. We usually only use one or two modifiers before a head noun, and then we make additional sentences for further description.
The topic has been explained in a very lucid and understandable manner. Are there more examples or exercises for practice ? Can you give a list of topics you have discussed on your site? Thanks and waiting favor of response
Thank you for the positive feedback. Here are some useful links. ru-vid.com/group/PLfQSN9FlyB6TT9yUCjC6QLTMphzLq2Ay0 www.englishwithjennifer.com/exercises.php www.englishwithjennifer.com/youtube_videos.html
mam how to identify which verb will be changed in adjective and which one will not changed. like tire changes into tired and become adjective. but with some words it is not happend like come this verb doesn't change in adjective so how to identify it.
First, often active, dynamic verbs about emotions form adjectives: EXCITE > exciting, excited. But there are non-action verbs that do this, too: LIVE > Are there any other living relatives we can contact? (still alive) / HAPPEN > This is happening place! (an exciting place with lots of activity) There isn't a clear rule I'm able to give you, just advice. Read and listen a lot. Through exposure you'll learn which forms are commonly used and worth learning. If you wish to create a form yourself and have doubts, you can check a dictionary.
Dear Prof, Jennifer. Topic: weak, strong adjectives and intensifying adverbs. Are the clauses below correct ? 1. She is beautiful (standard or week/gradable adjective) 2. She is very, extremely, intensely, immensely, and hugely beautiful (intensifying adverbs weak adjectives) 3. She is gorgeus ( strong or extreme non gradable adjective) 4. She is absolutely/utterly/completely gorgeus (intensifying adverbs strong or non gradable adjectives) 5. She is really/pretty beautiful/gorgeus (intensifying adverbs strong and weak adjectives) I was wondering whether I might ask you a query? Would you know where I could find a list of weak and strong adjectives put together ? Thank you kindly. Always love. A
+Andrea Giraldo Hi Andrea. You might do a search online for intensifiers and downtoners (or diminishers). You'll find a few pages on that grammar topic. Here's one. learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/english-grammar/adjectives/intensifiers It sounds like you might also want a list of opposites (strong-weak, beautiful-ugly), but I don't know any site that's compiled one. Combinations I'd use: 2. She is very (extremely, amazingly, incredibly, unusually, remarkably) beautiful. 4. She is absolutely (really, utterly, completely, absolutely) gorgeous.
The older videos are still on RU-vid. Please forgive the lack of video and audio quality! I was just learning how to make videos in 2007. :) ru-vid.com/group/PLEEA0D5FA42DB4C58
Hello again! This is for upper level students. The explanation is rather complex. Sometimes you can learn from trying and getting correction and feedback. Try this exercise and see if the grammar becomes clearer. www.englishwithjennifer.com/order_of_adjectives.htm Good luck!
Hi, Hope you would be having great time in your life. I need to ask a question. Actually, I have been learning English myself for a couple of years. But I am having problem understanding modal verbs and specially the "WOULD AND COULD" Could you suggest me some resources for this? Like books, videos etc. Thank you so much
Hello Farooq. Modal verbs are a big topic. I hope to make a playlist on this grammar point in the future. There are videos by other teachers here on YT. You can do a search. I think English Page does a nice job on its site. www.englishpage.com/modals/modalintro.html Also, a good learner's dictionary will give a concise explanation with examples. www.ldoceonline.com/dictionary/would www.learnersdictionary.com/definition/could
Hi Barbara. Yes, those adjectives express opinion. You can put any adjective that's more general in nature first. For example, "a nice, humble man." NICE is a little more general, and HUMBLE refers to a more specific quality. Other examples 1. an ambitious American politician 2. a shy little girl
Hi, I absolutely love the tone and pace of your explanation as well as the highlighting and circling things that happen while you talk. What software did you use for that? I'm using this video in my class :)
Hello Gabriel. I've offered group classes in the past. Currently, I'm only working with private students. You can write to me via my website for more information. There's a waiting list, but I'm happy to tell you how I help students meet their language goals. Why don't you join me on Facebook, Twitter, and Simor.org. I offer daily practice, and there's quite a lot of free help on Simor. See my Study Tips and the links to my social media pages here: englishwithjennifer.com/study-tips/
Hi! I'm so glad you think this is a great, interesting lesson. (A comma to separate the two adjectives is probably recommended since they're both "opinion" adjectives, though "great" could be considered more general and "interesting" more specific. Could we say it's a "great and interesting lesson"? Yes. So a comma can be used.) Hmm... You know I can't find any rule on sequencing adjectives when one is a compound modifier, but I the second phrase seems awkward, possibly because of the length. Alternatives: a beautifully decorated new house a beautiful new house that's well decorated a new house that's beautifully decorated Thank you for making me think even harder!
Sorry I didn't get any notification of your post. How did the test go? There's a review exercise here. www.englishwithjennifer.com/c/order_of_adjectives.htm A standard pattern is: opinion-size-age-shape-color-origin-material-noun modifier. Some place shape before age. The big points not to miss are placing opinion adjectives first and keeping noun modifiers right before the head noun.
Yap!! It is very good lecture, and it has given valuable information about adjective order in sentences!! Could you add more vedios. I got across it easily!! Thanks!!
You enlightened me, Thank you! I prepared this love confession speech for this girl which requires so many adjectives, I kind of got baffled by the order.
Oh, a confession of love! How romantic. Yes, I can see the need for many adjectives, but you'll likely be using many "opinion" adjectives. The one other guideline there is that you can move from general to specific. Examples: your lovely, expressive mouth your beautiful, soulful eyes
***** Do you see how "lovely" and "beautiful" are more general than "expressive" and "soulful"? We can use the first two adjectives to describe more things, but fewer things can be called "expressive" or "soulful." So another guideline is to put more general adjectives of opinion before more specific adjectives of opinion. Does that make sense?
Hi JenniferESL!How are you?I wish you are well.My name is SOKHA and i am Cambodian.I have some problem with my English,so i would like you to help me. i want to know how to write "noun order",for example:" Family Finance Developement Organization". i wait for your reply.
+Sokha Doung Hi Sokha. It can be awkward to have a long name or title like that, but it happens. You just have to ask yourself what's modifying what. For example, what kind of finances are we dealing with? Family finances. So you know those two must be paired together. "Organization: is the head noun, so that goes last, assuming that you're talking about a kind of organization. In that case, I wouldn't change the order: Family Finance Development Organization. However, if you're talking about a type of development and it concerns the development of organizations, then those last two could be switched. See what "Organization Development" refers to. www.odnetwork.org/?page=whatisod
JenniferESL Hello, thank you for the answer. I wotch the vedio again, it's clear and perfect. Yes I was asking about dolls (angel and Japanise), even they are gils /women but they are object, it's confusing to hear she, or her about object! In my mother tongue every object is a male or female. I'm afraid to say she about the door, table, cat... and to say he when talking about a lamp radio, dog... Okay I can formulate the question again, can we say "she" about an object only in case of dolls? Is there any other exceptions? Thanks again, Regards
superfluid10 Hi again. Animals can be IT, but when we know the sex, we use "she" or "he." For example, a female elephant is "she." The mother elephant watches over HER young. Does that make sense? This principle applies for inanimate objects that could have gender: dolls, puppets, statues, etc. Regards!
Yes, with stress on "not" the sentence could make sense. The speaker is surprised that the action was not done. There was the expectation that the action would be done. This is the kind of question I'd love to get at my Live Q&A on July 17 at 2:00 p.m (Boston time) on WizIQ. It's only $5 USD to join. :) www.englishwithjennifer.com/teaching_schedule.php Pre-class and post-class tests are included, as well as a handout to review the points we'll study in class. Regards!
Hi. You might like these videos. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-3bJo2t8_dic.html ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-HJsS7mjMkM8.html (2008!)
Yes. You can use "made of" for the material: A vase made of glass. But "a glass vase" is more concise. I'd use "made of" for something very specific: A vase made of hand-blown glass.
You are very kind, Bimal. Stay in touch, okay? I'm sorry the forum is closed now, but you can also join me on WizIQ now, too. The next live class is on July 17. :)
@ 9:45 Re the college lantern... I think it's awkward to call it a "college lantern", period--of the things most people would associate with a college or one's college years, a lantern isn't one of them. So I don't think it's the long string of adjectives that makes it awkward, but using "college" as a modifier here to begin with. It would have made more sense to say "old blue college yearbook" (though no owls in that case :) ). If "college" would have slotted in as an origin, it doesn't seem to work, at least for me. Not like e.g. "Japanese lantern" would have. For "college" it almost seems like it's always a noun modifier, at least to me. So you could have gone away with "old blue Japanese owl lantern", if it had actually been Japanese. It's even longer (in syllables) than "college" would have been there, but doesn't feel too awkward. So I guess I'm saying that I agree you were right, but for the wrong reason. :D
Hi Jason. Thank you for adding your perspective. I think reflecting on alternatives is a healthy practice when we study grammar. I agree that yearbook would have reflected a more common item. However, the funny thing is that I have no yearbook from my Bryn Mawr Days. The most treasured item of a Mawter is her owl lantern. :) Maybe it would have been better to mention the Lantern Night ceremony. www.brynmawr.edu/activities/traditions.shtml www.tumblr.com/tagged/lantern-night Even so, I think I presented enough alternatives and explained how long descriptions are usually broken up into phrases/sentences. I hope you agree. :) Thanks for joining the discussion. Regards!
JenniferESL honestly English is my second language, I learned it the old fashion way if I had had teachers like you my English would be way much better than it actually is, LOL Do you have a School where you teach?? Regards
Sylardf I don't teach at a school. I've offered private lessons in the past. I may open some group classes in the future. :) Have a great weekend! :) (Quick correction to help you, okay? "If I had had teachers like you..." = unreal condition in the past: had + past participle)
