Unit 1.2
Attributive and Predicative Adjectives
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Introduction
Adjectives are determiners that can be placed in two different positions within a sentence to modify or describe a person or a thing.
They can be attributive or predicative, depending on their position.
Form
We use adjectives in two positions to modify or describe a person or a thing and we distinguish between:
- attributive adjectives, that come before the noun;
- predicative adjectives, that come after the verb.
NOTE: In literary language it is possible to find adjectives after nouns.
Example
Attributive adjectives:
- I saw a black cat on the way home.
- I watched a sad movie the day before yesterday.
- I bought a large suitcase for my trip.
Predicative adjectives:
- The cat I saw on the way home was black.
- The movie I watched the day before yesterday was sad.
- The suitcase I bought for my trip is large.
Use
We use some adjectives in attributive position and other adjectives in predicative position to modify or describe a person or a thing.
Summary
Adjectives are determiners used to describe or modify a person or a thing, and depending on their position in a sentence, they can be attributive or predicative.
In the attributive position, the adjective is followed by a noun; in the predicative position, the adjective is placed after a verb.
For example:
— “A blue umbrella.” = The adjective blue is placed before the noun umbrella, therefore this is an attributive adjective.
— “The umbrella is blue.” = The adjective blue is placed after the noun umbrella and after the linking verb to be, therefore this is a predicative adjective.
Let’s revise this content within the {Form} section. Take a look at the {Example} section that shows its use within a context.
Exercises
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