In English, adjectives usually come before the noun they describe. This is called an attributive adjective. The typical order is adjective plus noun. This pattern covers most everyday descriptions.

Rule
In English, adjectives usually come before the noun they describe.
The typical order is adjective plus noun.

Adjectives also appear after linking verbs like be, seem, and become. In this position, the adjective describes the subject, not a noun inside a noun phrase. This is called a predicative adjective. The structure is subject plus be plus adjective.

Rule
Adjectives appear after be to describe the subject.
This is called a predicative adjective.
The structure is subject plus be plus adjective.
Predicative adjectives do not directly modify a following noun.

Some expressions use adjectives after the noun as part of a fixed phrase. These are set combinations, often from older or formal English. They are exceptions and are memorized as phrases, not general rules.

Word/Phrase	Definition
attorney general	This is a fixed title with the adjective after the noun.
court martial	This is a fixed phrase with post-nominal adjective order.
poet laureate	This is a formal title with the adjective after the noun.

When using more than one adjective before a noun, English follows a preferred order. The most common sequence is opinion, size, age, shape, color, origin, material, purpose, noun. Native speakers often follow this order intuitively, and changing it can sound unnatural.

Rule
Multiple adjectives before a noun follow a preferred order in English.
The common sequence is opinion, size, age, shape, color, origin, material, purpose, noun.

Nouns can also modify other nouns, forming compound nouns or noun phrases. In these cases, the first noun acts as a modifier and comes before the main noun. This is not an adjective but functions similarly in placement.

Rule
A noun used as a modifier comes before the main noun.
This construction is called a compound noun or noun phrase, not an adjective.