Read the following sentence:

• John is a clever boy.

Here the word clever shows what kind of boy John is. In other words, clever describes the noun John.

An adjective is a word used to describe or point out a noun. Adjectives tell us more about a temporary or permanent quality associated with the noun.
Examples are: intelligent, brave, clever, lazy, hardworking, beautiful, foolish, ignorant etc.

• I don’t like that boy. (Here the adjective that points out which boy is meant.)
• The teacher punished the lazy boy. (Here the adjective lazy shows a certain quality – laziness – associated with the noun boy.)

When an adjective goes before the noun it qualifies, it is said to be used attributively.

Examples are given below:

• I met a beautiful girl. (Here the adjective beautiful is used attributively because it comes before the noun girl.)
• It was an interesting story. (Here the adjective interesting is used attributively because it comes before the noun story.)

When an adjective goes after the verb be (is/am/are/was/were) and forms part of the predicate, it is said to be used predicatively.

• She is cute. (Here the adjective cute is used predicatively because it goes after the verb be (is) and forms part of the predicate.)

Most adjectives can be used both attributively and predicatively. There are, nevertheless, a few adjectives that can only be used predicatively. Most of these adjectives begin with the letter a. Examples are: asleep, afraid, awake, alive, afloat, alight, alone, alike etc.

• The ship is still afloat.
• The baby is asleep.

In the attributive position (before the noun), we use other words of similar meanings.

• A floating ship (NOT an afloat ship)
• A sleeping baby (NOT an asleep baby)

Related posts:

1. Parts of Speech I