@cori - the fascinating linguistic point is that native speakers will have subconsciously inferred a rule like this without it ever being stated. The “rule” is really an observation of what they do. All languages and dialects consist of such unconscious rules. –
Nathan Long
Commented Apr 16, 2013 at 15:25
This one is correct but sounds wrong because we usually say it the other way.
Well they’re all “correct”. They just don’t sound right. Like saying “the red, big apple” instead of “the big, red apple”.
Wait, I remember learning in primary school about the correct order for adjectives. Is that not a thing?
There’s not a rule, it’s just a “sounds correct”. Because English doesn’t have rules, it has exceptions.
Cambridge even uses the word “normally” lol. https://dictionary.cambridge.org/grammar/british-grammar/adjectives-order
And here’s a fun stackexchange link where people argue about the order (since there isn’t a rule, it’s all made up). https://english.stackexchange.com/questions/1155/what-is-the-rule-for-adjective-order
One good quote from that link: