- Adjectives can be attributive or predicative depending on whether they come before or after a noun or verb. Common attributive adjectives include classifying, emphatic, and adjectives that take on an emphatic meaning before a noun. Predicative adjectives include those that only follow verbs like be, seem, feel. - Some adjectives have comparative and superlative forms and can be modified by very or too, while others like unique and dead are absolute. Nouns can also function as adjectives to describe substances, places, seasons, or parts of a whole. - Participles can act as adjectives to describe something that is currently happening or

2. adjective position
- attribute adjectives
an old building a heavy suitcase
- predicative adjectives
These come after be, become, seem, look, appear, feel, and can be used without a noun.
This vase looks old.It is heavy too.
- the following adjectives are usually attributive (before a noun):
classifiying: chief, entire, local, main, national, only, particular, sole, whole, etc.
This is the main problem. I have a particular reason for asking.
Emphatic: mere, shere, utter
This is utter nonsense!
The mere thought of losing depresses me.
Other adjectives take on an emphatic meaining when attributive(before a noun):
complete, perfect, total, pure.
This is pure nonsense!

3. - Some adjectives are only predicative:
afloat, afraid, alight, alive, alone, ashamed, asleep, awake, ill, well.
Are you awake? Luckliy they were both alive.
ı feel ill. You look well.
- others are usually predicative: glad, pleased, sorry, upset.
You should be pleased. I don’t feel sory.
-something, anyone etc and adverbials somewhere etc can be followed by adjectives.
Do you want to know something interesting? I need somewhere quit.
- when looking up adjectives in a dictionary, check whether the meaning you want is
attributive or predicative.
Helen is a responsible pupil. (attributive – sensible, reliable)
Who was responsible for the accident? (predicative – who caused it?)

4. Verbs of sensation
- appear, feel, look, seem, smell, sound, taste, are followed by adjectives not adverbs.
This smells bad. It tastes awful too.
Grable and ungrable
- grable adjectives have degrees od meaning. They can be used with very, too, enough,
and have comparative and superlative forms.
It’s very heavy. This one is heavier.
Ungrable adjectives are absolute. They don’t have comparative or superlative forms and
cannot be used with very etc.
This tree is dead. This vase is unique.
Nouns as adjectives
- nouns that refer to substances, places, seasons, and parts of a whole can be used as
adjectives. Some substance words have adjectives ending –en: wooden, wollen, golden.
These are cotton trausers. They are my summer clothes.

5. Participle adjectives
- we can use participles as adjectives.
a dripping tap (it’s dripping now)
a broken promise (a promise that has been broken)
an accepted idea (an idea that is accepted)
-we can make compound adjectives by putting an adjective, adverb or noun before the
participle.
a fast-flowing river a freshly-made footprint
a life-saving operation a tree-lined street
- some –ing adjectives and –ed adjectives which refer to feelings are easily confused.
This news article is rather worrying. (It worries me)
-ed adjectives describe the person and the way feel because of the effect.
Helen looks worried. (something has worried her)
Other adjectives like this include amazed/amazing,bored/boring, excited/exciting,
exhaused/exhausting.

6. Adjective + adjective
In the following three expressions, the first adjective funtions as an adverb to say how wet
etc. Something is.
boiling hot, freezing cold, soaking wet
Compound adjectives
Compound adjectives can be formed in the following ways:
- from adjectives +noun.
A cheap-rate phone-call
- with numbers (plural s in never used).
a four-year-old child a two-hour meeting
a fifty euro ticket a three-hour jurney
- with a noun + adjective
a tax-free car an air-tight box

7. Meaning
As many adjectives have wide range of meaning, and may be used
metaphorically.
Janet is a heavy smoker. (=she smokes a lot)
I walked away with heavy heart. (=idiom: ı felt sad or
depressed)
This is a heavy resposibility. (=serious)
Heavy fighting continued all day. (=involving many people and
weapons)
The lecture was a bit heavy going.(=hard to understand)

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