Grade 10 Grammar Lesson 19 Adjectives: position

Can all adjectives be used in front of the nouns they describe?
Can all adjectives be used as complements?
How do we place the adjectives if we are using more than one of them before a noun?

•  Many adjectives can be used either before the nouns they describe or as complements of linking verbs.
•  Some adjectives can only be used as complements. They include some ‘a‘ adjectives like afraid, alight, alike, alive, alone, ashamed, asleep, awake, aware.
•  We may use other related adjectives before nouns instead of such ‘a‘ adjectives.
•  Some adjectives when they describe health and feelings: content, fine, glad, ill, poorly, sorry, (un) sure, upset, (un) well.
• Some classifying adjectives are never used as complements; they are used only before nouns.
• Some adjectives such as concerned, involved, opposite, present and responsible have different meanings when used before and after a noun.
•  When we use more than one adjective before a noun, there is a preferred order for this:opinion + size/physical quality/shape/age + colour + participle adjective + origin + material + type + purpose

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