Most adjectives can appear before a noun as part of a noun phrase, placed after determiners or numbers if there are any, and immediately before the noun, e. Adjectives placed before a noun in this way are generally referred to as occurring in the attributive position. Most adjectives can also occur as complements of the verb be and other link verbs such as become , feel or seem , e. Adjectives placed after the verb in this way are generally referred to as occurring in the predicative position.
When the information contained in an adjective is not the main focus of a statement, then the adjective is usually placed before the noun in the attributive position.
However, when the main focus of a statement is to give the information contained in an adjective, the adjective is usually placed after the verb in the predicative position, compare:. I put my hand in the bucket, the water was very hot. Predicative position, emphasising hot. Though most adjectives can be used in both the attributive and predicative positions, there are a number of adjectives that can occur in one particular position only, as described below.
There are some adjectives which can only be used before a noun, in the attributive position. For instance, we talk about the main problem but cannot say, the problem was main. Adjectives which occur only in the attributive position are generally those which identify something as being of a particular type. For instance, we can talk about a financial decision where financial distinguishes this from other types of decision, e.
This group of adjectives are often referred to as classifying adjectives, and rarely occur in the predicative position unless we specifically want to emphasise a contrast, e. Other adjectives which generally appear in the attributive position are those which are used for emphasis, e. There are some adjectives which usually occur in the predicative position, as complements of be or other link verbs. Adjectives which usually occur in the predicative position include those which describe feelings, such as afraid , content , glad , ready , sure , sorry and upset , e.
They also include a group of adjectives with prefix a- , such as asleep , alive , alone , ashamed , awake , aware , e. Some adjectives that describe size or age can occur immediately after a noun that indicates a unit of measurement, e. There is a small group of adjectives, sometimes referred to as post nominal adjectives , which can only occur immediately after a noun. But not all dictionaries agree with each other. For example, some dictionaries list "tennis ball" as a noun and other dictionaries do not.
To understand headlines like these, try reading them backwards. EnglishClub : Learn English : Grammar : Nouns : Noun as Adjective Noun as Adjective As you know, a noun is a person, place or thing, and an adjective is a word that describes a noun: adjective noun clever teacher small office black horse Sometimes we use a noun to describe another noun. Right Wrong boat race boat races NOT boats race, boats races toothbrush toothbrushes NOT teethbrush, teethbrushes shoe-lace shoe-laces NOT shoes-lace, shoes-laces cigarette packet cigarette packets NOT cigarettes packet, cigarettes packets In other words, if there is a plural it is on the real noun only.
When we use these nouns "as adjectives" they are unchanged: a news reporter, three news reporters one billiards table, four billiards tables an athletics trainer, fifty athletics trainers Exceptions : When we use certain nouns "as adjectives" clothes, sports, customs, accounts, arms , we use them in the plural form: clothes shop, clothes shops sports club, sports clubs customs duty, customs duties accounts department, accounts departments arms production.
We can use degree adverbs such as absolutely, completely, entirely, totally and other similar words before these adjectives:. The garden is completely dry. The city centre is absolutely full of tourists at this time of year. Other degree adverbs which we can use before this type of gradable adjective include almost, barely, half, scarcely :. Brain cell regeneration is almost possible , say scientists.
The situation in my old job was quite different. It was a very small new company. Gradable and ungradable. We can use some adjectives before the noun or after the verb but the meaning differs. We can finish that job on Monday but this particular job needs to be done by today.
My boss is very particular. He checks all our work very carefully. His late wife came from a very rich family. The police are certain that the killer was known to the victim. A noun n is sometimes used before another noun to give more information about it. This is called a noun modifier. Adjectives adj come before noun modifiers:. When adjectives are used before the noun attributive function , there are also sometimes degree adverbs. Different degree adverbs require different positions for the adjective phrase.
Quite : quite a cold day The normal order with quite is quite a cold day. The normal order with rather is a rather cold day. Outsets and onsets! Adjective phrases: position. See also: Adjective phrases. Adjectives normally only used before a noun. Numbers and first, last. Some adjectives of degree. Some adjectives of time and order. Some adjectives that limit the following noun. Adjectives normally only used after a noun. Adjectives normally only used after a verb. Adjectives with the prefix a -.
S ome adjectives referring to states of health. Words and phrases that go before and after adjectives. See also: Enough. Gradable adjectives and words and phrases that go before them. The waves are fairly high in the winter.
The waves are quite high in the winter. The clock is over years old. How high are the waves? How high the waves are! These are called ungradable adjectives : The tree is dead. Not: The tree is fairly dead. My dog is female. Not: My dog is sort of female. Not: My working day is completely long. My house is so hot. Not: My house is absolutely hot. This office is extremely small. Not: This office is totally small. Maximum and minimum. Are you? See also: Quite Gradable and ungradable.
Different meanings of adjectives before the noun and after the verb. Adjectives before nouns that modify other nouns. See also: Nouns. Order of adjectives in noun phrases with articles and degree modifiers. Special cases. Quite : quite a cold day. Rather : a rather cold day. See also: Quite Rather. See also: Adverbs Enough Quite. Popular searches 01 Collocation 02 Adjectives 03 Comparison: adjectives bigger , biggest , more interesting 04 Future: will and shall 05 Say or tell?
Test your vocabulary with our fun image quizzes. Image credits. Word of the Day have a heart of gold. Blog Outsets and onsets! Read More. November 08, To top. Adjectives and adverbs Easily confused words Nouns, pronouns and determiners Prepositions and particles Using English Verbs Words, sentences and clauses Adjectives and adverbs Easily confused words Nouns, pronouns and determiners Prepositions and particles Using English Verbs Words, sentences and clauses Adjectives and adverbs Easily confused words Nouns, pronouns and determiners Prepositions and particles Using English Verbs Words, sentences and clauses Adjectives and adverbs Easily confused words Nouns, pronouns and determiners Prepositions and particles Using English Verbs Words, sentences and clauses.
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Word lists shared by our community of dictionary fans. Sign up now or Log in. You are in:. Roger Woodham replies:. Thus, we would normally say: Getting all the way round Brazil in five working days proved an impossible mission. He asked me a number of difficult questions. Then we would have: The mission was impossible. All the questions he asked were difficult. The window remained open. They include: be , seem , appear , look , sound , smell , taste , feel , get , become , stay , remain , keep , grow , go , turn : The policemen became angry.
The suspects remained calm although I could see that they were anxious. The soup looked , smelt and tasted good.
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