夸克《大全》对名词的前置定语的顺序做了较为详细的介绍。即一个名词词组的前置修饰语除了限定词以外，分为四个区域（zone)

(I) Zone I : PRECENTRAL
In the precentral zone we find peripheral non-gradable adjectives (cf 7.42), in
particular intensifying adjectives (cf 7.33f ):
(i) emphasizers, eg: certain, definite, plain, pure, sheer
(ii) amplifiers, eg: absolute, entire, extreme, perfect, tolal
(iii) downtoners, eg: feeble, slight

(II) Zone II : CENTRAL
The central zone includes the central, gradable adjectives, ie the 'most
adjectival items', which satisfy all four criteria of adjectival status (cf 7.3f),
eg: big, funny, intelligent, keen, powerful, slow, thick. Central adjectives admit
intensifiers (a very cold clay), comparison (It's colder than yesterday), and
alternative predicative position (Last summer was very cold). Their function
is to describe or characterize and, consequently, they often form contrastive
pairs like big/small, good/bad, hot/cold. They are typically inherent (cf 7.43)
and include both nonderived adjectives (like those just mentioned) and
derived adjectives, which are either deverbal (like interesting, interested,
hesitant) or denominal (like angry, rainy, peaceful).
This morphological classification has a bearing on the internal structure of
the zone of central adjectives in that the usual order is NONDERIVED +
DEVERBAL + DENOMINAL:

a fall attraclivc woman
this green hilly slope
a satisfied sleepy look
Within thc class of nonderived adjectives, thc order is largely arbitrary, but
adjectives denoting SIZE, LENGTH, and HEIGHT normally procede other
nonderived adjectives. Thus we usually prefer:
a small round table to a round small table;
long straight hair to straight long hair; and
a tall angry man to an angry tall man.
Among adjectives in zone II, we may further distinguish a group of
emotive, evaluative, or subjective adjectivcs (Iovely, nice, wonderful, terrible
horribIe, nusty, etc), which usually precede other central adjectivcs. Thus we
prefer beautiful long hair to long beautiful hair. Such emotionally tinged
adjectives often have an adverbial, subordinatced relation as indicated by
their notional similarity with adverbs:
beautiful warm weather - beautifully warm weather
The statements made about the relative order of zone II premodifiers should
however be understood to be tendencies rather than absolute rules.
The relation of premodifiers in 'unbroken' sequences, ie without commas
or coordinators, tends to be one of hypotaxis (cf 17.116).

(III) Zone III: POSTCENTRAL
This zone includes, in particular, participles and colour adjectives, eg:
a retired colonel, a working theory
a deserted village, blue skies
(IV) Zone IV : PREHEAD
This zone includes the 'least adjectival and most nominal' premodifiers:
(i) Adjectives with a proper noun basis denoting nationality (cf5.57),
provenance, and style: American, Gothic
(ii) Other denominal adjectives with a relation to nouns (cf 7.37), often
with the meaning 'consisting of', 'involving', or 'relating to': annual,
econoomic, medical, social, political, rural
(iii) Nouns: tourist (attraction), Yorkshire (women), college (student)
 

这四个区域的顺序是不能颠倒的。即属于二区的形容词不能用于一区的形容词前。但同属于二区的形容词的顺序并不是绝对的，而是武断的，虽然通常有上述黑体部分表示的一些习惯顺序。