Topic 10: TYPES AND POSITIONS OF ADJECTIVES

An adjective is a word used to modify a noun. Stricly speaking, a typical adjective is descriptive in nature, used to show the quality of a person, animal or thing.

Example:

(1)   Samson is a brave man.

(2)   Are there any important event today?

(3)   All are impressed by our rapid development.

(4)   This is going to be a long journey.

(5)   The foolish crow sang.

Another type of adjective is interrogative.

Example:

(1)   Which way should we go now?

(2)   Whose doll is this?

(3)   What time is it now?

As for the positions of adjectives, there are the following two:

1.      In front of a noun, like all the example above.

2.      After a linking verb

Examples:

(1)   The food is tasty.

(2)   The weather turn cold

(3)   Tony looks funny today

(4)   Don’t be stupid.

(5)   Jenny seems unhappy.

(6)   The sky suddenly grows dark.

(7)   The book becomes boring towards the end.

The adjective in front of the noun is attributive; the adjective after the linking verb is predicative.

Many adjective can be used both atributively and predicatively

Example:

Jason is a famous writer./ He is famous.

But some adjectives can be used only attributively.

Example:

Many children are playing near the disused railway line.

Some others can only be used predicatively.

Example:

Bill is quite well today.

Exercise

Complete each of the following sentences with a suitable adjective from the list.

1.      Nancy bought a_____dress

2.      What a_____day!

3.      I found the sofa very_____.

4.      There is some_____furniture in the shop.

5.      This is really_____book to read.

Answer

1.      Red/pretty

2.      Windy/sunny

3.      Confortable/hard

4.      Wooden/old

5.      Interisting/difficult