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B Communicative grammar

B1 You probably 'know' three or four thousand English adjectives. but do you use morę than one of them confidently with any given noun?

A ^__n£200	1}	Wf f
J§Pq		%ll fy
a magnificent 19th-century hand-carved mahogany easy chair	a pair of superb 13-inch French solid brass candlesticks	a set of 6 fine amber cut-glass German champagne glasses

a Victorian rosewood chiming grandfather clock

Here is a summary of principles (not rules) aoverning the ordering of adjectives:

at my fantastic nasty		(determiner) {subjective comment)
large	little	{size)
Edwardian	modern	(age)
round	triangular	{shape)
dark brown	white	(colour)
English	Korean	(nationality/ origin)
oak	plastic	{materia!)
kitchen	dining-	{compound element)
table	table	{noun)

(Though. of course, only two or three would normally be used at one time.)

The 'compound element' includes many nouns and verbs acting adjectivaliy - car door, Christmas present. running shoes. frozen food - and a few adjectives which are so close to their noun that in many languages they produce a single word: old woman. young man. double bed-

Another principle is that generał descriptive adjectives precede morę specific or morę powerful ones - ieaving the best till last, as it were. For examp!e: a loud, piercing. ear-splitting scream.

B2 On the basis of the above. how would you move the adjectives below to find a home in front of their respective noun?

1    I want some apples. (green / nice / eating / big)

2    She was wearing a scarf. (beautiful / Japanese / silk / r@d)

3    I met a lady. {old / little / good- natured)

4    We need a pot. {iron / cooking / large / round)

5    I had an experience last night. {frightening / almost supernatural / strange)

6    He bought a pair of boots. {riding / size 9 / Spanish / brown / leather)

7    We saw a film. (sentimental / deeply moving / sad)

8    We stayed in a cottage. {200-year-old / picturesgue / lovely / thatched)

B3 Gamę! 'Add a word’ (see Teacher's Guide Unit 4)