Attributive adjectives after nouns
Most adjectives can go in two main places in a sentence: in attributive position and predicative position.
In attributive position, an adjective comes before the noun it modifies.
- She is a nice girl.
- She married a rich businessman.
In predicative position, an adjective goes after the verb.
- She is nice.
- He looked upset.
While attributive adjectives usually go before the nouns, a few can be used after nouns. This, for example, happens in some fixed phrases.
- Secretary General
- Poet Laureate
- Attorney General
- Court martial
Some adjectives ending in -able/-ible can also be used after nouns.
- It is the only solution possible.
- Book all the tickets available.
After something, everything etc.
Adjectives come after words like something, everything, anything, nothing, somebody, anywhere etc.
- I would like to go somewhere quiet. (NOT I would like to go quiet somewhere.)
- I heard something interesting today. (NOT I heard interesting something today.)
In most expressions of measurement adjectives come after the measurement noun.
- ten years older (NOT Older ten years) (NOT ten older years)
- six feet deep
- two miles long
Verb + object + adjective
Adjectives can be placed after the object.
- You make me happy.
- Can you get the children ready for school?
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