In three experiments undergraduates were presented with eight adjective-noun phrases within a paired-associate list context in the orders adjective-noun and noun-adjective and instructed that either word would be given as a cue for recall. The same phrases were presented within a prose context where recall was tested by the cloze procedure. In the first experiment adjectives were better cues, while in the second experiment nouns were. There was no cueing effect in the third experiment. The pattern of retrieval asymmetry shown for the adjective-noun order in the paired-associate context for experiments 1 and 2 corresponded to that occurring within prose. Experiment 4 suggested that the reversal in cueing effect between experiments 1 and 2 may be a result of imagery levels of adjectives and nouns. Alternative reasons for superior adjective cueing within prose were discussed. (Author/LL)