这里所指的修饰语包括限定词和形容词。近年来考查限定词和形容词作定语是高考的热点，同时也是难点。笔者现对此作些探就：
一、属于同一层次的修饰语的顺序：
1、中心名词前多个限定词的排列顺序：
首先要弄清楚什么叫限定词。限定词是在名词词组中对名词中心词起特指、类指以及表示确定数量和非确定数量等限定作用的词类。限定词包括：
① 冠词a, an, the
② 物主代词my, your, his, her, our, your, their, one’s, its
③ 名词所有格John’s, my friend’s
④ 指示代词this, that, these, those, such
⑤ 关系代词whose, which
⑥ 疑问代词what, which, whose
⑦ 不定代词no, some, any, each, every, enough, either, neither, all, both, half, several, many, much, (a) few, (a) little, other, another
⑧ 基数词和序数词
⑨ 倍数词和分数词
⑩ 量词a lot of, lots of, plenty of, a great / good deal of, a large / small amount / quantity of, a great / large / good number of等
有时我们会碰到有好多个限定词来修饰同一个名词或词组，试选择：
例1：Tony is going camping with ___ boys.(MET1993)
A.little two other B.two little other C.two other little D.little other two
例2： -How was your recent visit to Qingdao?
-It was great. We visited some friends and spent the ___ days at the seaside.(NMET1995)
A.few last sunny B.last few sunny C.last sunny few D.few sunny last
显然，要对以上两道题目作出正确选择，我们必须搞清多个限定词的先后排列顺序问题。按其不同的搭配位置，限定词可分为：
① 中位限定词：冠词a, an, the； 指示代词this, that, those； 物主代词my, your, etc.；名词所有格Mary’s, my friend’s； 不定代词 some, any, no, every, each, either, neither, enough； 疑问代词或关系代词what(ever), which(ever), whose 等
② 前位限定词：不定代词all, both, half； 倍数词double, twice, three times, etc.； 疑问代词what, 指示代词such (a / an)等
③ 后位限定词：基数词one, two, three, etc.；序数词 first, second, third, etc.； next, last, other, another, etc.；不定代词 many, much, (a) few, (a) little, fewer, (the) fewest, less, (the ) least, more, most； 量词several, plenty of, a lot of, lots of, a great / large / good number of, a great/good deal of, a large/ small amount of； such等
以上三类限定词的搭配关系总是按照“前位--中位--后位”的顺序排列。如：１）all the four teachers
前 中 后
２）all your three books
前 中 后
３）all these last few days
前 中 后 后
４）all other students
前 后
５）such a misfortune
前 中
６）some such alloy
中 后
由上述诸例可以看出，中位限定词之间和前位限定词之间是互相排斥的，即一个名词中心词之前不可并用两个中位限定词或两个前位限定词。因此，“我的那本书”不是my that book 而是that book of mine,因为my和that 都是中位限定词，不可同时并列。但后位限定词的使用却不受此限制，多个后位限定词可以连用，其排序前后要根据其与中心名词的紧密程度来确定。因此上述两题的答案为：例1选C， 例2选B
个别限定词有跨类现象，如such既属于前位限定词，又可归入后位限定词。当与冠词a, an连用时属于前位限定词如上述５），当与some, any, no, all, few, another, other, many, one, two, etc.搭配时属于后位限定词，即such 要放在这些词的后面如上述６）。
２、中心名词前多个形容词的排列顺序：
作为前置修饰语，形容词在名词词组中的位置总是在限定词之后。如：It was a rainy day.如果有几个属于同一层次的形容词出现在名词中心词之前，通常要用逗号隔开，一般的词序是较长的形容词，列于最后。如：It was a rainy, windy, freezing day. 在这样的结构中，如果出现程度副词，可根据说话人的意图放置。如：
1) It was a rather rainy, windy, freezing day.
2) It was a windy, rainy, thoroughly freezing day.
二、属于不同层次的修饰语的顺序：
当名词中心词之前出现几个属于不同层次的修饰语时，一般按照下列词序排列：限定词→表示说话人评价的形容词→表示大小、形状(长短 、高低)、新旧的形容词→表示颜色的形容词→表示国别、来源、材料的形容词→表示用途或目的的形容词或分词、名词等类别的词→名词中心词。如：
the English church
中 国别
the old English church
中 旧 国别
the charming old English church
中 评价 旧 国别
the town’s charming old English church
中 评价 旧 国别
a well-known German medical school
中 评价 国别 类别
the man’s first two interesting little red French oil paintings
中 后 后 评价 小 颜色 国别 类别
巩固练习：
1.What a ___ watch she wears!
A.small golden splendid B. small splendid golden
C.golden small splendid D. splendid small golden
2.A ___ girl showed the visitors around the factory.
A.tall pretty well-mannered B.pretty well-mannered tall
C.tall well-mannered pretty D.well-mannered pretty tall
3. -Are you free today?
－No. I have ___ to write this morning.
A.two another letters B.two more letters
C.other two letters D.the two other letters
4.I own $ 1,000 while the furniture is worth $ 2,000. That is, it will cost ___.
A.half my money B.my half money
C.double my money D.my double money
5.Mr Brown has just bought___necklace.
A.a new beautiful and very expensive B.a beautiful new and very expensive
C.a new very expensive and beautiful D.a very new and beautiful expensive
6.What __ girl Rose is!
A.an English lovely little B.an English little lovely
C.a lovely little English D.a little lovely English
7.That is the first ___ bridge
A.beautiful white little Chinese stone
B.beautiful little white Chinese stone
C. beautiful white little stone Chinese
D. beautiful little white Chinese stone
Key：1-7 DBBCACB
（小周）