Adjective normal position: Tow positions

Most adjective can go in two main places in a sentence.

Adjectiv e
Attributiv e Predicativ e

Adjective + Noun = Attributive

The new secretary doesnt like me.

Verb + Adjective = Predicative

She looks rich.

Adjective used only before nouns:

Adjective

Elder

Older

Adjective + N (order and elder)

My elder sister is a pilot. Shes three years older than me.

Adjectives used only after verbs: Some adjectives beginning with a, and a few others, are used mainly after link verbs, especially be.

Link verb

Adjective

The babys asleep.

Another possible position for adjectives is after the object, in the structure:

Verb

Object

adjective

Ill get the car ready.

After nouns and pronouns:

Adjective
Nouns Fixed phrase: Secretary General Pronoun s

Noun

Adjective

Available, possible etc.

Adjective
Available Possible

Some adjective can be used after nouns in a similar way to relative clause. This is common with adjective ending in able/- ible. Send all the tickets available / available tickets. Its the only solution possible / possible solution.

Present, proper

Adjective
Present Proper

Before a noun, present refers to time; after a noun it means here/there, not absent The present members (= those who are members now) The members present (= those who are/were at the meeting) Before a noun, proper means real, genuine. After a noun it refers to the central or main part of something. Snowdons a proper mountain, not a hill. After two days crossing the foothills, they reached the mountain proper.

Expressions of measurement

Expressions of measurement

Adjective

Adjective usually follow measurement nouns. tow meter high ten year older tow miles long six feet deep

Exception: worth (e.g worth 100 euros.)

Adjectives with complements Adjective Complement

When an adjective has its own complement (e.g. skilled in design), the whole expression normally comes after a noun. We are looking for people skilled in design. A relative clause is often more natural. We are looking for people who are skilled in design. In some cases an adjective can be put before a noun and its complement after it.

Adjective

Noun

This happen whit different, similar, the same, next, last, first, second etc; comparatives and superlatives; and a few other adjectives like difficult and easy. a different life from this one the second train from this platform the next house to the Royal Hotel the best mother in the world

Something, everything ect Something Everything Adjective

Adjective come after something, everything, anything, nothing, somebody, anywhere and similar words. Have you read anything interesting lately? Lets go somewhere quiet.

Adjective: position after as, how, so, too

After as, how, so, too, and this/that meaning so, adjectives go before a/an. This structure is common in a formal style.

as

how

so

too

This

That + Adjective

a/an

noun

I have as good a voice as you.

She is too polite a person to refuse.

The structure is not possible without a/an. I like your country its so beautiful. (Not I like your so beautiful country.) Those girls are too kind to refuse. (Not They are too kind girls to refuse.)

Adjective: order before nouns:

Adjective order

Noun

Description before classification: an old political idea

descriptio classifica

noun

an the

old latest

political educational

idea reform

(Not a political old idea) (Not the educational latest reform)

Opinion before description: a wonderful old house

opinion description noun

a a

lovely wonderful

cool old

drink house

(Not a cool lovely drink) (Not an old wonderful house)

order of descriptive words

Size a a fat big age age new a small an enormous a little round modern square black brown shap colour white grey Italian German leather glass brick origin material noun house sweater boots handbag mug house

woolen

Numbers
Number six large eggs Adjective the second big shock

First, next and last most often go before one, tow, three etc. the first three days my last two jobs

Noun modifiers after adjectives

Noun modifier Adjective

a big new car factory

enormous black iron gates

Commas
Adjective Comma Noun

Before nouns, we generally use commas between adjectives (especially in longer sequences) which give similar kinds of information, for example in physical descriptions. a lovely, long, cool, refreshing drink an expensive, ill-planned, wasteful project But commas can be dropped before short common adjectives. a tall (,) dark(,) handsome cowboy

Adjective with and After verb Verb + and + Adjective

He was tall, dark and handsome.

and

And is possible when the adjective give similar kinds of information, especially when we are piling up favorable or unfavorable descriptions. a cruel (and) vicious tyrant a warm (and) generous personality

and

And is necessary when two or more adjectives (or other modifiers) refer to different parts of something, or different types of thing. a yellow and black sport car a concrete and glass factory

and

We also use and when we say that something belongs to two or more different classes. Its a social and political problem shes a musical and artistic genius

Nice and
Before another adjective or an adverb

Nice and
Pleasantly or suitably Its nice and warm in front of the fire. The work was nice and easy. Now just put you gun down nice and slow.

Adjective without nouns

We cannot usually leave out a noun after an adjective. Without nouns Poor little boy! (Not poor little!) The most important thing is to be happy. (Not the most important is to be happy.) But there are some exceptions.

Well known groups

The + adjective is used to talk about certain well-known groups of people who are in a particular physical or social condition.

The + adjective

the blind

the handicapped

the unemployed

Hes collecting money for the blind. The unemployed are losing hope. The meaning is usually general; occasionally a limited group is referred to. After the accident, the injured were taken to hospital. These expressions are normally plural: the dead means all dead people or the dead people, but not the dead person. Note that these expressions cannot be used with a possessives. the problems of the poor or poor peoples problems (NOT the poors problems) Adjectives are normally only used in this way with the or a determiner like many or more. This government doesnt care about the poor. (Not .about poor.) There are more unemployed than ever before. However, adjectives without than are sometimes used in paired structures with both..and opportunities for both rich and poor

Adjectives of nationality
Adjectives of nationality

Irish

Welsh

English

British

Spanish

Dutch

french

A few adjectives of nationality ending in - sh or ch are used after the without nouns. The Irish are very proud of their sense of humor. These expressions are plural; singular equivalents are for example an Irishwoman, a Welshman (NOT a Welsh) Where nouns exist, these are preferred to expressions with theish: we say the Danes or the Turks (NOT the Danish or the Turkish).

Singular examples The + adjective

The accused

The undersigned

The deceased

The former

The latter

In a few formal fixed phrases, the + adjective can have a singular meaning. The accused was released on bail. Mr Gray and Mrs Cook; the latter is a well-known designer.

Abstract ideas
Abstract ideas

The

Adjective

the beautiful

the supernatural

the unreal

Adjective are sometimes used after the to refer to general abstract ideas, especially in philosophical writing. These expressions are singular. Shes interested in the supernatural.

Choices
Leave out a noun that has already been mentioned

Choices
When thinking about a choice between two or more different kinds of thing

We sometimes leave out a noun that has already been mentioned, or which does not need to be mentioned, when thinking about a choice between two or more different kinds of thing. Have you got any bread? Do you want white or brown? Id like two large packets and one small. Color adjectives can sometimes have a plural s in this situation. Wash the reds and blues separately. (=red and blue clothes)

Superlatives Nouns are often left out after superlative adjective. Im the tallest in my family. We bought the cheapest.

Adjective: pronunciation of aged, naked etc

Adjective pronunciation

Aged

Naked

A few adjective ending in ed have a special pronunciation: the last syllable is pronounced /id/instead of /d/ or /t/ aged blessed beloved dogged crooked learned cursed sacred naked wicked ragged wretched rugged one/ there/ four-legged Note that aged is pronounced /edd/ when it means years old (as in he has a daughter aged ten), or when it is a verb.

Adjective: what can follow an adjective?

Adjective

Complement

Pre + noun

Pre + noun/-ing

Many adjectives can be followed by complements- words and expressions that complete their meaning. Not all adjectives are followed by the same kind of complement. Some can be followed by preposition + noun/ -ing. Im interested in cookery. Some can be followed by infinitives. You dont look happy to see me. Im interested in learning to cook. The soup is ready to eat.

An infinitive may have its own subject, introduced by for Im anxious for her to get a good education. (= Im anxious that she should get) Some adjectives can be followed by clauses. Im glad that you were able to come. Its important that everybody should feel comfortable. And many adjectives can have more than one kind of complement. Im pleased about her promotion. Im pleased to see you here. Im pleased that we seem to agree. We rarely put adjective + complement before a noun Hes a difficult person to understand.
(NOT Hes a difficult to understand person.)