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