Word order of adjectives and adverbs (A2 grammar)

Adjectives come before the noun

In English an adjective goes before the noun it describes (a red car) or after the verb be (The car is red). It never changes for singular or plural: a tall boy, two tall boys.

adeterminer

niceopinion

bigsize

oldage

redcolour

carnoun

Rule

Order of several adjectives: OSASCOMP

Opinion → Size → Age → Shape → Colour → Origin → Material → Purpose → noun.
a lovely small old round brown Italian wooden coffee table (we rarely use more than two or three).
Opinion adjectives (nice, beautiful, awful) come first.

Adverbs: where do they go?

Type	Position	Example
Manner (how): slowly, well, carefully	after the verb or object	She speaks slowly. He drives carefully.
Place (where): here, outside	after the verb / object	They live here.
Time (when): yesterday, now	end (or start) of the sentence	I called him yesterday.
Frequency: always, never, often	before the main verb, after be	She often reads. He is never late.
Degree: very, quite, really	before the adjective or adverb	It is very cold. She runs really fast.

Natural

a big red bag
She always drinks tea.
He is very tall.

Unnatural

a red big bag
She drinks always tea.
He is tall very.

Lots of examples

She has long black hair.Size/length → colour.
I bought a beautiful new dress.Opinion → age.
He drives a small blue car.Size → colour.
They live in a big old house.Size → age.
It was a delicious Italian meal.Opinion → origin.
She speaks English fluently.Manner after object.
The children are playing outside.Place.
We arrived late yesterday.Time.
I usually get up at seven.Frequency before verb.
He is always helpful.Frequency after be.
The soup is very hot.Degree before adjective.
He worked hard at school every day.Manner → place/time.

Don’t say / Say

Don’t saya car red
Saya red car
Why: Adjectives go before the noun.
Don’t saytwo beautifuls girls
Saytwo beautiful girls
Why: Adjectives never add -s.
Don’t sayShe drinks always coffee.
SayShe always drinks coffee.
Why: Frequency adverb before the main verb.
Don’t sayI like very much music.
SayI like music very much.
Why: Don’t split the verb and its object.
Don’t saya wooden old table
Sayan old wooden table
Why: Age before material.

Word order of adjectives and adverbs