adjectives: position
adjectives: position
{adjective + noun
subject + copula verb (be. seem, look etc) + adjective}
Most adjectives can go in two places in a sentence:
a. before a noun
The new secretary doesn't like me.
She married a rich businessman
b. after a 'copula verb' (be, seem, look, appear, feel and some other verbs
That dress is new,isn't it? He looks rich
A few adjectives can go before a noun, but not usually after a verb. Examples are elder, eldest and little . After a verb we use older, oldest and small.
My elder brother lives in Newcastle. (Compare: He's three years
older than me.)
He's a funny little boy. (Compare: He looks very small.)
Some adjectives can go after a verb, but not usually before a noun. The most common are ill (see 169), well (see 359) and afraid, alive, alone, asleep. Before nouns we use sick, healthy, frightened, living, lone, sleeping.
He looks ill (Compare: He's a sick man.)
Your mother's very well (Compare: She's a very healthy woman.)
She's asleep (Compare: a sleeping baby)
In expressions of measurement, the adjective comes after the measurement-noun,
two metres high(N0t high two metres)
ten years old two miles long
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