The placement of adjectives in a sentence is the way we position them in relation to the nouns they describe. There are two main positions for adjectives: before the noun (attributive position) and after a linking verb (predicative position).
Attributive Position
When an adjective is in the attributive position, it sits right before the noun it describes. It’s like a close friend who stands next to the noun to tell us more about it.
For example, a blue sky,” “a tall building,” “delicious pizza.” Here, “blue,” “tall,” and “delicious” are attributive adjectives because they come before the nouns they modify.
More examples:
- “a cute puppy”: Here, “cute” is the attributive adjective because it comes right before the noun “puppy” and tells us what kind of puppy it is.
- “the big house”: In this sentence, “big” is the attributive adjective because it comes before the noun “house” and gives us information about its size.
Predicative Position
When an adjective comes after a linking verb (such as “is,” “am,” “are,” “was,” “were,” etc.), it describes the subject of the sentence. For example: “The sky is blue,” “She is happy,” “They are excited.” In these cases, “blue,” “happy,” and “excited” are predicative adjectives because they come after the linking verbs and modify the subjects.
More examples:
- “She is happy”: In this sentence, “happy” is the predicative adjective because it comes after the linking verb “is” and describes the subject “she.” It tells us how she feels.
- “The cake tastes delicious”: Here, “delicious” is the predicative adjective because it follows the linking verb “tastes” and describes the cake’s taste.
FAQs about the placement of adjectives
Attributive adjectives come before the noun they describe, providing more information about the noun itself. Predicative adjectives come after a linking verb and describe the subject of the sentence.
Yes, some adjectives can function in both positions depending on the context. For example: “The cat is playful” (predicative) and “The playful cat” (attributive).
Yes, you can use multiple adjectives before a noun. When using more than one adjective, they usually follow a specific order: opinion, size, age, shape, color, origin, material, and purpose (OSASCOMP).
Linking verbs, such as “is,” “am,” “are,” “was,” “were,” etc., are used with predicative adjectives. These verbs connect the adjective to the subject and show a state or condition.
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