The characteristics of adjectives

Words which are used to modify nouns or pronouns are usually referred to as adjectives.

In a sentence the adjective can come after a verb or before a noun.

  • In the case the adjective precedes the noun it modifies, it is an attributive adjective.

Examples:

1. Drinkable water must always be properly stored.

2. Water-borne diseases develop in dirty environments.

In these examples,

- Drinkable is an attributive adjective modifying the noun water,

- water-borne is an attributive adjective modifying the noun diseases,

- dirty is an attributive adjective modifying the noun environments

There are a few general descriptive adjectives which are normally used only as attributive adjectives.

Examples of adjectives used only attributively

- chief

- main

- principal

- sheer

- utter

  • When the adjective is separated from the noun or the pronoun it modifies by a verb, it is often referred to as a predicate adjective

Examples

1. The water in this bucket is clean.

2. Washing one's hands is helpful in protecting against water-borne diseases.

3. The barrier measures are unheard in some areas.

In the examples above, the adjectives clean , helpful and unheard are used as predicates.

The following are examples of adjectives with the prefix a which can be used only as predicate adjectives, not as attributive adjectives.

Adjectives used only Predicatively

- afloat

- afraid

- aglow

- alive

- alone

- asleep

Unlike in French, most English adjectives have the same form for the singular as for the plural.

Examples :

A young boy

A hundred young boys.

For the demonstrative adjectives we have :

Unlike in French, English adjectives do not vary according to gender. They are invariable.

Examples

A kind woman

A kind man