Adjective order: Opinion before fact

English speakers like to share their feelings early in a sentence. We want to know if you like something before we know what it is. An opinion is something that not everyone agrees on. For example, you might think a dog is cute. I might think the same dog is scary. That is an opinion. A fact is something everyone can see and agree on. If the dog is brown, we both see the color brown. That is a fact. The logic is simple: Emotion first, details later. This helps the listener understand your perspective immediately. It is like a movie trailer. The trailer tells you if the movie is exciting (opinion) before it shows you it is animated (fact). If you swap them, the sentence feels "heavy" and awkward to an English ear. It is a subtle rhythm that you will start to hear everywhere.

1. 1To build a perfect description, follow these simple steps:
2. 2Choose your Opinion adjective: Words like lovely, horrible, cool, or strange.
3. 3Choose your Fact adjective: Words like big, old, blue, or plastic.
4. 4Put the Opinion first: This word stays furthest from the noun.
5. 5Put the Fact second: This word stays closest to the noun.
6. 6Add your Noun: The thing you are actually talking about.
7. 7Here is the basic math: [Opinion] + [Fact] + [Noun].
8. 8For example: A beautiful (opinion) + sunny (fact) + day (noun).
9. 9Another one: An expensive (opinion) + new (fact) + phone (noun).

You should use this rule every single time you use more than one adjective. It is very common when you are ordering food. You might ask for a delicious hot soup. It is essential when you are shopping for clothes. You look for a pretty silk dress. In a job interview, you might describe yourself as a creative young professional. Even when you are giving directions, you might tell someone to look for the ugly grey building. It is a universal rule for all descriptions. Whether you are talking to a boss or a best friend, the order stays the same. It makes your English feel polished and organized. It shows you have control over the language's natural flow.

You don't need to worry about this if you only have one adjective. The car is red is perfectly fine. You also don't use this if you are listing facts only. If you say a big blue box, both words are facts. That follows a different, more complex list (Size, then Color). This specific "Opinion vs Fact" rule only applies when you are mixing your personal feelings with objective details. Also, avoid overusing it. Using five adjectives in a row is usually too much. Even for native speakers, three is often the limit. "A wonderful large old house" is great. Adding two more adjectives makes the sentence hard to breathe through. Keep it simple and stick to the "Opinion First" rule for the best results.

The most common mistake is putting the color or size before the opinion. Students often say a blue beautiful sky. This sounds like the sky's color is "blue-beautiful," which isn't a real thing! Another mistake is using two opinions that fight each other. Don't say an ugly pretty cat unless you are being funny. Many learners also forget to use a or an correctly. Remember, the article a/an looks at the word right next to it. So, it is a beautiful apple but an ugly apple. A funny mistake is when people try to be too formal and lose the natural order. Don't think too hard! Just remember: how do I feel about this thing? Put that word first. It is like a grammar safety net.

Sometimes people confuse this with the "Size-Age-Color" rule. While those are all facts, opinion always sits at the very front of that line. Think of Opinion as the VIP at a club. It gets to go to the front of the queue every time. If you have big (size) and old (age), you say big old. But if you add nice (opinion), it becomes nice big old. Opinion beats Size. Opinion beats Age. Opinion beats everything. It is the king of the adjective world. Another pattern is using and. We usually don't use and between an opinion and a fact. We don't say a beautiful and red car. We just say a beautiful red car. Save and for when you have two colors, like a red and white car.