Choose the grammatically correct sentence.

The correct answer is Option (3) → The crystals were stored in a large, circular, old, metallic locker.

Note: The given answer is as per the official NTA Answer Key. However, more than one answer is possible here: Option (1) "large, old, circular, metallic" and Option (3) "large, circular, old, metallic" both make a correct sentence, as explained below.

Order of adjectives:

• When several adjectives come before a noun, they follow a fixed order: opinion → size → age / shape → colour → origin → material → purpose.
• Grammar books differ on one point: the order commonly taught in schools puts age before shape, while some standard grammars put shape before age.
• This sentence: large = size, old = age, circular = shape, metallic = material. Size must come first and material last.
  Example: She bought a beautiful small old wooden table.

Option 1: The crystals were stored in a large, old, circular, metallic locker. — Can also be considered as correct. It follows the school order size → age → shape → material.

Option 2: The crystals were stored in a circular, old, large, metallic locker. — Incorrect. The size adjective large must come before age and shape, not after them.
Corrected: The crystals were stored in a large, circular, old, metallic locker.

Option 3: The crystals were stored in a large, circular, old, metallic locker. — Correct (Answer as per NTA). It follows the order size → shape → age → material, with size first and material last.

Option 4: The crystals were stored in a metallic, old, circular, large locker. — Incorrect. The order is reversed: the material adjective metallic must stand next to the noun, and the size adjective large must come first.
Corrected: The crystals were stored in a large, circular, old, metallic locker.