ADJECTIVES AND THEIR
POSITIONS
Definition: Adjectives describe nouns. In fact, we say that adjectives
modify nouns. Adjectives give us more information about a noun.
For example:
Mark and Jane are carrying a heavy chair.
Mark and Jane are carrying a heavy chair.
(The adjective “heavy”
is describing the noun “chair”. It
gives us more information about the chair by indicating its weight.)
The form of the
adjective is the same for singular nouns and plural nouns. In English, there is
no “agreement” between a noun and an adjective.
For
example:
Jane is holding a red apple.
There are some red apples on the plate.
There are some reds apples on the plate.
Jane is holding a red apple.
There are some red apples on the plate.
POSITION
OF ADJECTIVES
There are two kinds of
position in a sentence for adjectives:
1: Before a
noun (attributive position):
For examples:
There is a small dog in the garden.
I have some new shoes.
There is a small dog in the garden.
I have some new shoes.
2: After link
verbs (predicative position):
Examples
of link verb:
appear, be, become, feel, get, look, seem, smell, taste.
For example
sentences:
The car is old.
Jane is feeling cold.
The flower smells nice.
The car is old.
Jane is feeling cold.
The flower smells nice.
Adjectives after a link
verb function as a subject complement. This means that
the adjective after the linking verb is
giving us more information about the subject of
the sentence.
Most
adjectives are used in both positions.
Certain adjectives are used only in the attributive position.
Certain adjectives are used only in the predicative position.
Certain adjectives are used only in the attributive position.
Certain adjectives are used only in the predicative position.
Adjectives that
are used only before the noun such as:
elder, eldest, live, main
These adjectives are used only before the noun (attributive position):
For examples:
My elder sister is a teacher.
There is a live fish in the aquarium.
I crossed the main road.
My elder sister is a teacher.
There is a live fish in the aquarium.
I crossed the main road.
These adjectives are not used
after a link verb (predicative
position):
My sister is elder.
The fish seems live.
The fish seems live.
Adjectives used
only after a link verb such as:
afraid, alone, ashamed, asleep, awake
These adjectives are used only after a link verb (predicative position):
For examples:
He seems afraid.
She is alone for Christmas.
He feels ashamed.
The baby is asleep.
She is awake.
He seems afraid.
She is alone for Christmas.
He feels ashamed.
The baby is asleep.
She is awake.
These adjectives are not used
before the noun (attributive
position)
The afraid man….
The alone woman….
The ashamed man…
The asleep baby…..
The awake girl…..
The alone woman….
The ashamed man…
The asleep baby…..
The awake girl…..
After
“find” / “make” / “keep” + object:
The adjective is placed at
the end of the following structure as shown:
“find” or “make”
or “keep” + object + adjective
For examples:
He found the article interesting.
Alcohol makes him tired.
He found the article interesting.
Alcohol makes him tired.
Coffee keeps me awake.
The adjective functions as
an object complement. This means that the adjective is giving us more
information about the object of
the sentence.
Adjectives are
always placed after certain words
Adjectives always go after (not before)
these words:
anything, everything, nothing, something
anywhere, everywhere, nowhere, somewhere
anybody, everybody, nobody, somebody
anywhere, everywhere, nowhere, somewhere
anybody, everybody, nobody, somebody
For examples:
Did you do anything exciting yesterday?
I want to go somewhere quiet.
There wasn’t anybody famous at the party.
Did you do anything exciting yesterday?
I want to go somewhere quiet.
There wasn’t anybody famous at the party.
Adjectives
without nouns:
“THE” + ADJECTIVE
We use the expression “the”
+ adjective to describe
certain groups of people.
The meaning is general. We are generalizing.
The expression is always plural in meaning. We are referring to all members of the group.
The meaning is general. We are generalizing.
The expression is always plural in meaning. We are referring to all members of the group.
Example: The unemployed
The unemployed think that the government is ignoring them.
The unemployed think that the government is ignoring them.
“the unemployed” is referring to all
unemployed people. Notice the form of the verb “think” – It is in the third
person plural form because “the unemployed”
is considered to be plural.
More
examples:
the blind
the dead
the deaf
the disabled
the old
the poor
the rich
the unemployed
the blind
the dead
the deaf
the disabled
the old
the poor
the rich
the unemployed
Example:
Mark often gives money to the poor.
Mark often gives money to the poor.
For related information about the adjectives:
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