The Order of Adjectives

Posted on July 27, 2015September 26, 2017 by Joy

Who knew that adjectives in front of a noun actually have a preferred order?

Here it is. The preferred order of adjectives:

Number – opinion – size – shape – age – condition – colour – pattern – origin – material – purpose, and then the NOUN.

For example, if you were describing a bag as “black, old, and cloth”, which is correct?

The old, black cloth bag, or
The cloth, old, black bag.

Somehow, the second one just doesn’t sound right, does it?

Another example:

The blue, clean mountain water
The clean, blue mountain water

This time the second one is correct.

Here are some examples of a few of the less obvious categories:

Opinion: beautiful, exciting, clever, wonderful

Condition: clean, grubby, worn

Pattern: striped, spotted

Origin: Swedish, German

Material: leather, silk

Purpose: what is it for? These adjectives often end in -ing. Wedding, camping, shopping, etc. However, there are others, such as protective, birthday (cake/party), prom (dress).

When you have two adjectives that are both opinions, such as ‘nice’ and ‘spicy’, the more general opinion (nice) goes before the more specific one. It’s unusual to find more than three adjectives before a noun.

“Tall, dark, handsome man” is a common phrase that goes right against the preferred order, with “handsome” being an opinion and supposedly best earlier in the order. Although all the adjective orders I’ve been able to find seem to follow the rule, I think I’d have to conclude that they are a ‘preferred’ order, rather than a ‘rule which must be followed’. I’d say, when in doubt, it’s reasonably safe—and helpful—to use the preferred order as a useful guide.

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Your or You’re

Posted on July 12, 2015September 27, 2017 by Joy

I was reading about the most common grammar mistakes last week, and although the correct usage of “your” and “you’re” wasn’t listed, it seems to be an error I often see. So here is a quick response to that—if this is a pair of words that causes you confusion, I hope it will be helpful.

“Your” indicates possession. As with “my”, “his”, “her”, “their” and “our”.

“You’re” is a contraction of “you are”. It has an apostrophe in the middle of the word, indicting a missing letter or letters—in this case, the letter “a”.

How to decide which to use

Ask yourself the question:

Can I write “you are” instead? If the sentence would still say what you want it to say, then “you’re” is the correct choice.
Is this about possession—something belonging to a person? Then “your” is correct.

Examples of correct usage

You’re not wearing that, are you?
You’re coming with me.
Your glass needs refilling.
Give me your hand.
When you’re ready, I’ll take you to your car.

Test Yourself

Bring me _______ papers.
When do you think _______ going to be ready?
Is that _______ child over there?
Are _______ parents coming to the party?
If _______ buying _______ first home, _______ probably going to need a mortgage.
When _______ alarm clock rings, _______ meant to get out of bed.

Answers

your
you’re
your
your
you’re – your – you’re
your – you’re

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Writing Your Story

Posted on July 6, 2015September 27, 2017 by Joy

Have you ever aspired to write—perhaps you’re already writing? Susan Rushmore said, “I think there’s a story inside every one of us.” The challenging part is getting that out onto paper, creating something that others will enjoy reading, and then finding a publisher who will accept your work.

Self-Publishing

You also have an opportunity to self-publish. This means you don’t necessarily need to find a publisher who agrees your manuscript is worth investing in—you can do it all by yourself!

Printabook is a company in New Zealand that helps authors prepare their manuscript for printing. They have a free book you can order off their website: Print a Book – a Guide to Self Publishing. It’s a small book, easy to read and full of useful information. A variety of topics are covered, including launching and selling your book, e-books, paper choices, etc. If you’re even considering going down this path, I recommend you get one for yourself. No doubt there are other, similar options available that you could find with a Google search.

So tell me, have you ever wanted to write a book? Have you ever dreamed that maybe, one day, you would sit down and put all those memories onto paper. Or perhaps your dream has been more along the lines of a “how-to” e-book, or maybe a biography or a children’s story. The success of Harry Potter 18 years ago no doubt sent many people racing to their keyboards, wondering if that story inside their head could be just as successful. Well, it could!

Just Write

The only way you will ever find out is to write it. Procrastination has killed many a vision, and waiting for the perfect opportunity could mean that your dream will never be realised. There will always be a reason why you should not start today—why you should wait until after this happens, or that happens. You’re too busy, or too broke, or too young … or too old! None of these are valid excuses, of course. If you have a story inside you, the best place for it is on paper. Just write. If you’re thinking you don’t know how to write, learn! NZ Institute of Business Studies provides writing courses that train you in the skills of writing. I recommend them as an organisation that seriously wants you to succeed. Set yourself some goals and make the decision that it’s going to happen. Make sure you set a date by which you intend to start—and finish. A goal without a deadline is just a dream.

What Next?

So now you’ve written your story and you’re not sure what to do next. It’s your baby. Freshly born. Fragile. You’re feeling very protective. All this is quite normal. You don’t want anyone to read it just yet. Perhaps you feel any suggestions for changes would be critical of you and your writing style, and you’re not quite ready for that possibility. So your story sits in the drawer.

Find a Good Proofreader

Know this: It is YOUR story. You are the author. You have the final say. Proofreaders do not change your story. They work with you to help you express yourself more clearly, to ensure there are no spelling mistakes or grammatical errors in your writing. Your story is no better off in the drawer than it is in your head. Why did you write it? Didn’t you want someone to eventually read that baby? Who’s going to read it while it’s hiding in the cupboard? Take a deep breath. Decide what outcome you want for your writing: to be published and read? Or hidden away—never even given a chance—languishing in a drawer for the sake of . . .? Identify what the problem is here: Is it pride? Fear? When you have the courage to name whatever it is that’s holding you back, you can more easily meet it head-on. Giving birth is not generally a painless process. Is the birth of your baby worth any struggle you may face? Is it worth the fight? I would think, “yes”.

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