Understanding the position of adjectives in sentences is crucial for mastering English grammar. Adjectives, which describe or modify nouns, can be placed in different positions within a sentence. Knowing where to place these descriptive words will make your speech and writing more fluent and comprehensible. This article will delve into the various positions adjectives can occupy, providing examples and explanations to help you grasp this fundamental aspect of English grammar.
Attributive Adjectives
Attributive adjectives are those that come before the noun they are modifying. This is the most common position for adjectives in English. For example, in the phrase “a beautiful garden,” the adjective “beautiful” comes directly before the noun “garden.”
Order of Adjectives
When using multiple adjectives to describe a single noun, there is a specific order that native English speakers typically follow. This order is often summarized as:
1. Quantity or number
2. Quality or opinion
3. Size
4. Age
5. Shape
6. Color
7. Proper adjective (often nationality, other place of origin, or material)
8. Purpose or qualifier
For example: “Three large old round wooden dining tables.”
– “Three” indicates the number.
– “Large” describes the size.
– “Old” indicates the age.
– “Round” describes the shape.
– “Wooden” tells us the material.
– “Dining” indicates the purpose.
Following this order makes the description sound natural to native speakers. Deviating from this order can make your sentence sound awkward or confusing.
Predicative Adjectives
Predicative adjectives come after a linking verb and modify the subject of the sentence. Linking verbs include forms of “to be” (am, is, are, was, were), “become,” and “seem.” For example, in the sentence “The garden is beautiful,” the adjective “beautiful” follows the linking verb “is” and describes the subject “garden.”
Common Linking Verbs
Here is a list of common linking verbs that are often followed by predicative adjectives:
– To be (am, is, are, was, were, etc.)
– Become
– Seem
– Appear
– Feel
– Look
– Smell
– Sound
– Taste
For example:
– “The soup tastes delicious.”
– “She seems happy.”
– “The sky appears clear.”
Postpositive Adjectives
Postpositive adjectives come directly after the noun they modify. This position is less common in English and is often found in certain fixed expressions, legal or official language, or when the adjective is part of a phrase. For example:
– In certain fixed expressions: “The President elect will take office next year.”
– In legal or official language: “The Attorney General will make a statement.”
– When part of a phrase: “We need someone capable of handling this task.”
Postpositive Adjectives in Literary and Poetic Usage
In literature and poetry, authors sometimes use postpositive adjectives for stylistic reasons. This can create a more formal or poetic tone. For example:
– “A knight bold and true.”
– “A land unknown and mysterious.”
Adjectives in Comparative and Superlative Forms
Adjectives can also take comparative and superlative forms to compare two or more nouns. The position of these adjectives depends on the structure of the sentence.
Comparative Adjectives
Comparative adjectives are used to compare two things and usually end in “-er” or are preceded by the word “more.” For example:
– “She is taller than her brother.”
– “This book is more interesting than the last one.”
In these sentences, the comparative adjectives “taller” and “more interesting” come before the nouns “brother” and “book,” respectively.
Superlative Adjectives
Superlative adjectives are used to compare three or more things and usually end in “-est” or are preceded by the word “most.” For example:
– “She is the tallest in her class.”
– “This is the most interesting book I have ever read.”
In these sentences, the superlative adjectives “tallest” and “most interesting” come before the nouns “class” and “book,” respectively.
Adjectives in Noun Phrases
Adjectives can also appear within noun phrases, either before or after the noun they modify. Understanding how to place adjectives in noun phrases can enhance your descriptive language skills.
Adjectives Before Nouns
When adjectives appear before nouns in noun phrases, they follow the typical attributive position. For example:
– “A red apple”
– “A happy child”
In these examples, the adjectives “red” and “happy” come before the nouns “apple” and “child.”
Adjectives After Nouns
Adjectives can also appear after nouns in noun phrases, particularly in certain idiomatic expressions or when the adjective is part of a longer descriptive phrase. For example:
– “The best actor available”
– “The only option left”
In these examples, the adjectives “available” and “left” come after the nouns “actor” and “option.”
Adjectives with Indefinite Pronouns
When adjectives modify indefinite pronouns such as “someone,” “something,” “anyone,” “anything,” etc., they typically come after the pronoun. For example:
– “Is there anything interesting to do?”
– “I need someone reliable for this job.”
In these sentences, the adjectives “interesting” and “reliable” come after the indefinite pronouns “anything” and “someone.”
Adjectives in Exclamations
In exclamatory sentences, adjectives often come before the noun they modify, especially when expressing strong emotions. For example:
– “What a beautiful day!”
– “Such a wonderful surprise!”
In these examples, the adjectives “beautiful” and “wonderful” come before the nouns “day” and “surprise.”
Adjectives in Coordinate Series
When using multiple adjectives of equal importance to describe a noun, they are separated by commas and can be reordered without changing the meaning. For example:
– “A cold, rainy day”
– “A happy, healthy baby”
In these examples, the adjectives “cold” and “rainy” are of equal importance and describe the noun “day.” Similarly, “happy” and “healthy” describe the noun “baby.”
Adjectives in Cumulative Series
When using multiple adjectives that build upon each other to describe a noun, they are not separated by commas and follow a specific order. For example:
– “A big blue truck”
– “An old wooden table”
In these examples, the adjectives “big” and “blue” build upon each other to describe the noun “truck.” Similarly, “old” and “wooden” build upon each other to describe the noun “table.”
Adjectives with Articles and Demonstratives
Adjectives can also appear with articles (a, an, the) and demonstratives (this, that, these, those). Understanding how to position adjectives in these contexts will improve your sentence structure.
Adjectives with Definite and Indefinite Articles
When adjectives are used with definite or indefinite articles, the article typically comes first, followed by the adjective and then the noun. For example:
– “A red apple”
– “The blue sky”
In these examples, the articles “a” and “the” come before the adjectives “red” and “blue,” which in turn come before the nouns “apple” and “sky.”
Adjectives with Demonstratives
When adjectives are used with demonstratives, the demonstrative typically comes first, followed by the adjective and then the noun. For example:
– “This delicious cake”
– “Those tall buildings”
In these examples, the demonstratives “this” and “those” come before the adjectives “delicious” and “tall,” which in turn come before the nouns “cake” and “buildings.”
Adjectives in Questions
When forming questions, adjectives usually come before the noun they modify. For example:
– “What color is the sky?”
– “Which book do you want?”
In these examples, the adjectives “color” and “book” come before the nouns “sky” and “book.”
Adjectives in Relative Clauses
Adjectives can also appear in relative clauses, where they modify the noun that the relative pronoun refers to. For example:
– “The book that is interesting”
– “The person who is kind”
In these examples, the adjectives “interesting” and “kind” are part of the relative clauses “that is interesting” and “who is kind,” modifying the nouns “book” and “person.”
Adjectives in Appositive Phrases
Appositive phrases are noun phrases that rename or provide additional information about a noun. Adjectives in appositive phrases can appear before or after the noun they modify. For example:
– “My friend, kind and generous, helped me.”
– “A skilled musician, John plays the piano.”
In these examples, the adjectives “kind” and “generous” appear in an appositive phrase after the noun “friend,” while the adjective “skilled” appears before the noun “musician.”
Conclusion
The position of adjectives in sentences is a fundamental aspect of English grammar that can significantly impact the clarity and fluidity of your speech and writing. By understanding the various positions adjectives can occupy—attributive, predicative, postpositive, and within noun phrases—you can enhance your descriptive language skills and convey your messages more effectively. Remember to pay attention to the order of adjectives when using multiple descriptors and practice placing adjectives correctly in different sentence structures. With these guidelines in mind, you’ll be well on your way to mastering the use of adjectives in English sentences.
