Rules for word order

This message points out the problems with OPSHACOM:

As useful as it is, the "OPSHACOM" rule for adjective order is not going to work for a lot of cases. I think the problem begins by classifying "leather" as an adjective, rather than a noun in adjectival position. In fact, most (if not all) nouns can function as adjectives. For example, you will not see the words "jug", "water" "cannon" or "cover" listed in the dictionary as adjectives, but they all can function as such: "water jug cover", "water cannon", "cannon cover" , "cover salesman" , "water cannon cover salesman", etc.
This failure to distinguish between adjectives, on the one hand, and nouns operating as adjectives (i.e. in adjective position), on the other, leads the Professor to propose a category of "adjective" whch he refers to as "material", in this case "leather".
Nouns in this position will not always refer to a kind of material. ".....leather shoes" are shoes made out of the material "leather", but "baby shoes" are, let us hope, not shoes made out of babies. There are countless other examples. "Oil wells" are not wells made out of oil, "engine oil" is not oil made out of engines, and "pretty large round gold ear rings" are not made out of ears.
To further complicate the problem, noun strings can be quite long: "bronze garbage can cover hinge". His OPSHACOM rule completely falls apart with this example. (For one thing, note that the so-called adjective of material, bronze, comes first in the string.)
Hope this adds to the fun (and confusion) of understanding English word order.

Stanley Munsat
Professor of Philosophy Emeritus
UNC Chapel Hill

Posted by Pam Nelson

Triangle Grammar Guide