French Adjective Placement Chart — Editable Excel Reference Worksheet

A one-page decision chart that makes French adjective placement predictable — replacing “it just sounds right” with a clear, top-down rule hierarchy.

Part of a wider French grammar reference collection, available separately.

Why this exists
French adjective position isn’t random, and it isn’t purely about memorising a list of “adjectives that go before the noun.” Position can be fixed, can change meaning entirely, or can depend on adjective type - and these rules override each other in a set order. Most resources present them as separate facts. This chart shows the hierarchy.

What it is
A structural reference chart, provided as a print-ready PDF and as an editable Excel worksheet, so you can adapt wording, colours, or layout for your own classroom or printing setup.

What it does well
Replaces memorisation with a top-down decision system - start at Level 1, stop as soon as a rule applies
Separates fixed pre-noun adjectives, meaning-changing adjectives, BAGS-type descriptive adjectives, and default post-noun placement
Shows clearly where position changes meaning (un ancien professeur vs un professeur ancien)
Covers agreement (gender/number) alongside placement, without treating them as separate topics
Includes adjectives functioning adverbially, where normal agreement and placement rules don’t apply

How to use it
Start at Level 1 - is the adjective one of the fixed pre-noun exceptions (beau, bon, grand, jeune, etc.)? If yes, it goes before the noun, stop there
If not, check Level 2 - does position change the meaning?
If not, check Level 3 - is it a short, high-frequency descriptive adjective (beauty, age, goodness, size)?
If nothing above applies, use the default: after the noun (colours, shapes, nationalities, technical descriptions)
Separately, check whether the adjective is functioning as an adverb - if so, none of the above applies

What’s included
1-page PDF (colour)
1-page PDF (black and white)
A3 poster PDF
High-resolution PNG
Editable Excel worksheet (colour) - adapt wording, formatting, and layout for your own printing
Teacher instructions and guidance document (PDF)
Read-me file (PDF)
Licensing and editing notes (PDF)

Who this is for
KS4 French teachers (Years 10-11, GCSE)
Sixth-form and post-16 French programmes
Independent language teachers and tutors
Language centres and private providers

What this chart doesn’t try to do
This isn’t a full adjective list or a substitute for graded teaching and practice. It covers the core placement and agreement decision system, using the highest-frequency rules and override points, not every possible adjective or stylistic exception.

Licence
Single-teacher licence, lifetime.
Classroom use permitted for one teacher
Printing and projection allowed for that teacher’s own classes
Not for redistribution, sharing, or resale
Institutional or multi-teacher use is not included - contact support@swiftfrench.com for those enquiries

Part of the SwiftFrench rule-driven grammar reference series