What Are Adjectives?
An adjective is a word like clever, beautiful, green, hungry, brave, which is used when we describe people, things, events etc. Adjectives are used in connection with nouns and pronouns.
- He wore a red shirt.
- We need some square tables.
- Each hand has five fingers.
- You are naughty.
- She is a beautiful girl.
- He is an honest boy.
- This is a wooden chair.
- She wore a gold necklace.
- It was an earthen pot.
- Sugar is sweet.
Position of adjectives
Most adjectives can go in two main positions in a sentence:
a) before a noun (attributive position)
- Our new principal is an old lady.
- He is a clever boy.
b) after be, seem, look and other copular verbs (predicative position)
- I am glad to meet you.
- You don’t look happy to see me.
- The milk turned sour.
- She felt bad.
When two or more adjectives come together, we sometimes put and before the last one and sometimes not. The rules are as follows.
After a verb
When adjectives come in predicative position (after be, seem and similar verbs), we usually put and before the last one.
He was tall, dark and handsome.
She was like a winter’s day: short, dark and dirty.
In a very literary style, and is sometimes left out.
Before a noun
In attributive position (before a noun), and is less common.
A tall, dark, handsome cowboy
Note that and has to be used when two or more adjectives refer to different parts of something.
A yellow and black sports car
A concrete and glass factory
