Lesson 2: Adjective Order & Adverbs of Degree'

Welcome to B1 Intermediate! When students talk about their local tours, they want to give vivid details. Saying "a temple" is okay, but saying "an absolutely breathtaking ancient stone temple" makes the story come alive.

Today, we will learn exactly what order to put describing words in, and how to make them stronger using Adverbs of Degree.

warning The "Opinion Before Fact" Rule

In English, we stack adjectives before the noun using the OSASCOMP rule (Opinion, Size, Age, Shape, Color, Origin, Material, Purpose). The most important rule to remember: Opinion (beautiful, delicious) almost always comes before Fact (old, stone).

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Phrases in Context

Adjective Order

Beautiful old stone

Opinion (beautiful), Age (old), Material (stone).

Example: Angkor Wat is a beautiful old stone temple complex.

Adjective Order

Delicious hot Cambodian

Opinion (delicious), Temperature (hot), Origin (Cambodian).

Example: We sat down to eat a delicious hot Cambodian meal after the tour.

Adverb of Degree

Absolutely breathtaking

Using the strong adverb "absolutely" to emphasize an extreme adjective. Extremely beautiful or amazing.

Example: The view of the sunrise over the towers was absolutely breathtaking.

Adverb of Degree

Slightly expensive

Using the weak adverb "slightly" to soften an adjective. A little bit high in price.

Example: The boutique hotel downtown was slightly expensive, but very comfortable.

Adjective Order

Small wooden

Size (small) comes before Material (wooden).

Example: I bought a small wooden elephant at the night market as a souvenir.

Adverb of Degree

Incredibly friendly

Using "incredibly" to strongly boost a positive opinion. Very, very nice and welcoming.

Example: The local tour guides are incredibly friendly and helpful to visitors.

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Advanced Knowledge Check

storefront Souvenir Shopping

She bought a __________ scarf at the artisan market.

(Hint: Opinion, then Origin, then Material.)

hotel Hotel Review

Choose the correct adjective order for a hotel room:

(Hint: Opinion, then Size, then Age.)

restaurant Describing the Food

"The curry was ______ spicy, so the tourist couldn't finish it."

(Hint: We need an adverb that means 'very high intensity'.)

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B1 Lesson Complete!

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Study Resources

Lesson Summary & Review

Let's review the key concepts covered in the interactive module above to ensure you are ready to construct complex and fluent descriptions in English.

Adverbs of Degree

Adverbs of degree modify the intensity of an adjective. They tell us "how much" or "to what extent."

• Slightly: A little bit. (Example: "The ticket is slightly expensive.")
• Incredibly: Very, very much. (Example: "The people are incredibly friendly.")
• Absolutely: Used to emphasize an extreme adjective. (Example: "The view is absolutely breathtaking.")

Adjective Order: OSASCOMP

When you use multiple adjectives before a noun, you must place them in this order: Opinion, Size, Age, Shape, Color, Origin, Material, Purpose.

The most important part of this rule for everyday conversation is that your Opinion always comes first!