3 Positions of Adjective | Attributive, Predicative & PostPositive.

Positions of adjective, attributive & Pridicative

Positions of adjective.

We have studied Adjectives and their kinds, but not position so let’s study it today. Attributive & Predicative adjective. Adjectives are always used before nouns and pronouns to describe or modify them.

Indeed. We use them before the noun to tell the goodness and badness of nouns and pronouns. Sometimes they are used after the noun to modify them. Which we consider as the predicative position of the adjective. They are some specific adjectives that we use with certain words. And there are certain adjectives that, in combination with certain words, are always “post positive” (coming after the thing they modify):
Stage and individual level adjectives: Some adjectives in English exhibit a slight change in meaning when used post-positively. Consider the following examples.

  • All the visible light is turned off.
  • All the light visible is turned off. 
Position of adjective attributive & Pridicative

1. Attributive Adjective:

An adjective that usually comes before the noun modifies the noun without a linking verb.

Ex_

  • He is a kind man.
  • She is an intelligent girl.

Examples of Attributive Adjectives:

  1. A beautiful flower
  2. An old house
  3. A young child
  4. A large elephant
  5. A delicious meal
  6. A bright star
  7. A sharp knife
  8. A heavy book
  9. A quick response
  10. A red apple
  11. A brave soldier
  12. A small kitten
  13. A happy family
  14. A quiet room
  15. A tall building

In these examples, the adjectives “beautiful,” “old,” “young,” “large,” “delicious,” “bright,” “sharp,” “heavy,” “quick,” “red,” “brave,” “small,” “happy,” “quiet,” and “tall” are attributive adjectives because they come before and describe the nouns “flower,” “house,” “child,” “elephant,” “meal,” “star,” “knife,” “book,” “response,” “apple,” “soldier,” “kitten,” “family,” “room,” and “building.”

2. Predicate Adjective

Predicative adjectives are used after certain words (linking verbs). Like looks, seems, was

The clue was great. — Predicative adjective

He seems dangerous. — Predicative adjective

Bob is a gentleman. — Predicative nominal

In some cases, the predicative adjectives modify the subject.

E.g.

  • The king was cruel.
  • The battle was over.

In these two sentences, adjectives modify the subject of the sentence.

Like cruel describes the subject king.

The adjective over describes the subject’s battle.

Examples of Predicative Adjectives:

  1. She is happy.
  2. The weather was cold.
  3. They seem tired.
  4. The soup tastes delicious.
  5. His idea sounds interesting.
  6. The children are noisy.
  7. The cake looks perfect.
  8. The movie was boring.
  9. The flowers smell sweet.
  10. The dog appears friendly.
  11. He became angry.
  12. The sky turned gray.
  13. The students felt excited.
  14. Her voice grew soft.
  15. The task remains unfinished.

In these sentences, the adjectives “happy,” “cold,” “tired,” “delicious,” “interesting,” “noisy,” “perfect,” “boring,” “sweet,” “friendly,” “angry,” “gray,” “excited,” “soft,” and “unfinished” are predicative adjectives because they follow linking verbs (“is,” “was,” “seem,” “tastes,” “sounds,” “are,” “looks,” “was,” “smell,” “appears,” “became,” “turned,” “felt,” “grew,” and “remains”) and describe the subjects of the sentences.

3. Postpositive Adjective:

A postpositive adjective is an adjective that is placed after the noun it modifies, rather than before it. This placement is uncommon in English, where adjectives typically precede the nouns they describe. However, postpositive adjectives are often found in certain fixed expressions, legal or official terminology, poetic language, and in some phrases borrowed from other languages (particularly Romance Languages).

Examples of Postpositive Adjectives:

  1. Fixed expressions and idioms:
    • Attorney general (where “general” is the postpositive adjective modifying “attorney”)
    • Poet laureate (where “laureate” is the postpositive adjective modifying “poet”)
  2. Legal or official terms:
    • Court martial (where “martial” is the postpositive adjective modifying “court”)
    • Body politic (where “politic” is the postpositive adjective modifying “body”)
  3. Certain phrases with indefinite pronouns:
    • Someone special
    • Something different
  4. Phrases borrowed from other languages:
    • Heir apparent (from French)
    • Secretary general (inspired by French structure)
  5. Poetic or literary usage:
    • Time immemorial (where “immemorial” follows “time”)
    • God almighty (where “almighty” follows “God”)

Postpositive adjectives can add a formal, traditional, or poetic tone to the language. The examples above show that their usage is more common in specific contexts.

  • The painting looks beautiful. (beautiful)
  • The blanket feels soft. (soft)
  • The music sounds quiet. (quiet)
  • The pizza smells delicious. (delicious)
  • The weather appears nice. (nice)
  • The mood stayed relaxed all night.  (relaxed)
  • Kamran is hungry. (hungry)
  • You seem tired today. (tired)
  • The man grows older each day. (older)
  • The homework proves difficult for her. (difficult)
  • The exam was tough. (tough)

MORE RELATED GRAMMAR.

What is an adverb?

Parts of Speech.

Figure Of Speech.