-
Adjective order
I realize that there is a rule for adjective order, but I came across a tricky question.
Why do we say beautiful old-fashioned wood floors instead of old-fashioned beautiful wood floors
Is old-fashioned considered age or opinion? If it's age, that makes sense because age goes after opinion.
If old-fashioned is considered opinion also, then I heard we are supposed to just choose which one goes first according to what sounds good.
How am I supposed to teach my students what sounds good if this is the case?
Someone help!
-
Re: Adjective order
An old-fashioned something is not necessarily old. An old-fashioned, say, glass-fronted cabinet that was built last week is not old. Its distinctive mode of construction can be said to be not modern, i.e. showing features that were designed a long time ago. Old-fashioned is an opinion.
http://web2.uvcs.uvic.ca/elc/studyzo...mar/adjord.htm
beautiful old-fashioned wood floors 
old-fashioned beautiful wood floors 
Try to find the answer in the dactyls and anapests, in prosody, in the system of metrics in which I am hopelessly incompetent.
ladies and getlemen 
gentlemen and ladies 
The reason is one of prosody.
-
Re: Adjective order

Originally Posted by
lbski14
I realize that there is a rule for adjective order, but I came across a tricky question.
Why do we say beautiful old-fashioned wood floors instead of old-fashioned beautiful wood floors
Is old-fashioned considered age or opinion? To me it's style, wherever that fits in. If it's age, that makes sense because age goes after opinion.
If old-fashioned is considered opinion also, then I heard we are supposed to just choose which one goes first according to what sounds good.
I think "sounds good" is the key.
How am I supposed to teach my students what sounds good if this is the case? I think the most important word is "beautiful", so I would say it first. "beautiful" is also unlike "old fashioned" and "wood", so it would sound odd between the other two adjectives.
Someone help!
2006
Last edited by 2006; 19-May-2010 at 06:54.
-
Re: Adjective order
Hello Ibski14,
Your feeling is right; beautiful is your opinion and old-fashioned is 'style' and opinion always goes before style. And even if old-fashioned were 'age' ,opinion still goes before age and age goes before style.
Similar Threads
-
By sitifan in forum Ask a Teacher
Replies: 3
Last Post: 29-Oct-2008, 23:56
-
By sylvierhugenda@yahoo.fr in forum Ask a Teacher
Replies: 2
Last Post: 27-Feb-2008, 18:37
-
By serendipity in forum Ask a Teacher
Replies: 7
Last Post: 05-Mar-2007, 21:27
-
By Unregistered in forum Ask a Teacher
Replies: 1
Last Post: 20-Dec-2004, 06:14
-
By Anonymous in forum Ask a Teacher
Replies: 5
Last Post: 29-Apr-2004, 16:42
Posting Permissions
- You may not post new threads
- You may not post replies
- You may not post attachments
- You may not edit your posts
-
Forum Rules

Search Engine Optimization by
vBSEO 3.6.1