9.3  Position of Adjectives

There are 2 basic, and 5 uniquely used positions for adjectives:

9.3.1  Before the noun, eg. 

• Philip likes pretty girls.

• Joanna loves sweet chocolate.

• 9.3.2  After certain verbs (such as be, become, get, seem, look, feel, sound, smell, taste, etc.), eg.  

• The girl is pretty.

• Chocolate tastes good.

• Because she had to wait, she became impatient.

• Is it getting dark?

• The examination did not seem difficult.

• Your friend looks nice.

• This towel feels damp.

• That new film doesn't sound very interesting.

• Dinner smells good tonight.

• This milk tastes sour.

Even when an adjective comes after the verb and not before a noun, it always refers to and qualifies the subject of the sentence, not the verb. And these verbs are “stative” verbs, which express a state or change of state, not “dynamic” verbs which express an action. Note that some verbs can be stative in one sense (she looks beautiful / it got hot), and dynamic in another (she looked at him / he got the money).

Note also that in the above examples, the adjective can qualify a pronoun since the subject may be a pronoun.

9.3.3  Adjectives are sometimes placed after nouns for the sake of emphasis, eg.

• There lived a young girl pretty and quick-witted.
  (There lived a young girl who is pretty and quick-witted.—“who is” is hidden for the sake of emphasis.)

• He was a great man, truthful, and fearless.
  (He was a great man, who is truthful, and fearless.-- “who is” is hidden for the sake of emphasis.)

9.3.4  Some adjectives can be placed before or after a noun, such as responsible, present, involved, concerned, available, etc. But the meanings of the adjectives are often different when they are placed before or after a noun. Eg.

• He is a responsible journalist.  (before the noun) -- 他是個負責任的記者。

• Who is the journalist responsible for the investigation?  (after the noun) -- 負責調查的記者是誰？

• The present committee members will be replaced soon.  (before the noun) -- 目前的委員不久就會被取代。

• The committee members present supported the proposal.  (after the noun) --在場的委員支持建議。

• I failed to follow his involved argument.  (before the noun) -- 他的議論很複雜，我無法明白。

• We discussed the problems involved.  (after the noun) -- 我們討論所涉及的問題。

• The concerned villagers protested against the government's land requisition.  (before the noun) -- 憂心的村民抗議政府徵地。

• The villagers concerned were arrested.  (after the noun) -- 涉事的村民被捕。

But, the meanings of the adjectives available and the best possible are the same whether they are placed before or after a noun. Eg.

• The available manpower is limited.  (before the noun) -- 可動用的人力有限。

• The manpower available is limited.  (after the noun) -- 可動用的人力有限。

• That is the best possible solution.  (before the noun) --那是最好的解決辦法。

• That is the best solution possible.  (after the noun) -- 那是最好的解決辦法。

• 9.3.5  With some verbs, the adjective follows the object, eg.

• My sister keeps her room tidy.

• Philip makes me happy.

• I don’t have any hamburgers left.

• 9.3.6  In certain phrases, the adjective always follows the noun:

• time immemorial

• heir apparent

• Alexander the Great

• God Almighty

• President elect

• notary public

• the people present

• court martial

• poet laureate

9.3.7  When an infinitive is used as adjective, it is (sometimes?) placed after the noun:  (see also 5.3.4 Infinitive as adjective & 5.3.6.4 Infinitive phrase as adjective)

• He lacked the strength to resist. (adjective)

• Show me the page to read. (adjective)

• I have a paper to write before class.
  〔to write (infinitive) before class (prepositional phrase as adverb) is the
    infinitive phrase functioning as the adjective modifying the noun paper〕.

• The step to achieve the best result may not be easy to follow.
  〔to achieve (infinitive) the best result (direct object of the infinitive) is the
    infinitive phrase functioning as the adjective modifying the noun step〕.

9.4  Order of Adjectives

9.4.1  When using more than one adjectives before the noun, place opinion before fact, eg.

• I like big black dogs. (NOT black big dogs)

• She was wearing a beautiful long red dress. (NOT a long red beautiful dress)

• a nice French car (NOT a French nice car)

9.4.2  When two adjectives come after a verb, they are separated by and. When more than two adjectives come after a verb, the last two are separated by and. Eg.

• It was hot and sultry.

• The clouds appeared white and fluffy.

• She looked smart and charming.

• The boy was handsome, polite and lovable.

9.4.3  When two or more adjectives come before a noun, they are not usually separated by and.

• A large, round vase (NOT A large and round vase)

• A fat old lady (NOT A fat and old lady)

Note that when the last two are adjectives of color they are usually separated by and.

• A black and white photo.

• A blue and red sparrow.

• 9.4.4  Place numbers before adjectives, eg.

• Six large tables (NOT Large six tables)

• Five beautiful women (NOT Beautiful five women)
  Note that commas are sometimes used to separate adjectives used before a noun. This is common in long sequences. Commas are, however, dropped before short common adjectives.

• 9.4.5  Possessive adjectives come before any (genuine) adjectives, eg.

• Your big blue eyes (NOT Big blue your eyes)