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Using adjectives before nouns and after linking verbs.
Adjectives commonly appear before nouns or after linking verbs.
An adjective before a noun is attributive, while an adjective after a linking verb is predicative.
Most adjectives are placed immediately before the noun they modify.
Examples include a beautiful garden, an old house and a difficult question.
Adjectives follow linking verbs such as be, seem, become, feel and look.
In this position they describe the subject rather than the verb.
Certain adjectives commonly follow indefinite pronouns.
Examples include something interesting, nothing unusual and anybody available.
Some adjectives normally appear only after linking verbs.
Examples include afraid, asleep, alive, alone and aware.
Some adjectives usually appear only before nouns.
Examples include mere, main, former and principal in many contexts.
In certain expressions adjectives follow the noun they modify.
This occurs after some pronouns, in legal language and in fixed expressions such as attorney general.
Some adjectives are followed by infinitives, clauses or prepositional phrases.
Examples include easy to understand, proud of her work and certain that he is right.
Changing the position of an adjective can sometimes change its meaning.
Compare the concerned parents with the parents concerned.
Writers occasionally place adjectives after nouns for emphasis or literary effect.
This usage is uncommon in everyday English but appears in formal and creative writing.
Certain adjective positions are restricted by grammar, meaning or convention.
Recognizing these patterns improves both accuracy and naturalness.
Place adjectives in the position required by English grammar.
Common mistakes include using predicative-only adjectives before nouns, placing adjectives after nouns unnecessarily and confusing adjective position with adverb usage.