#POSTPOSITIVE MODIFIERS
Postmodifying attributes are generally expressed by adjectivies, cardinal numerals, participles, infinitives, participial and infinitive phrases and complexes, gerundial phrases and complexes, prepositional phrases and clauses.
Prepositional phrases are by far the most common postmodifiers: ….documets in his ossession…
There are a few adjectives which are usually or always used after a noun:
- The adjectives galore, incarnate and manqué are only used immediately after a noun: flowers/ presents galore;
- Some adjectives are used in fixed phrases, in several institutionalized expressions: the President elect, the Prime Minister designate.
- The adjectives broad, deep, high, long, old, tall, thick and wide are used immediately after measurement nouns when giving the size, duration, or age of a thing or personal.
……six feet tall…
- Some adjectives can be used before and after nouns, but a change in position involves a change in meating:
the present circumstance (now)
the people present (who are here)
- Adjectives ending in –able and –ible come after noun that they are with, especially when the noun is modified by another adjective in the superlative degree.
……the best tickets available…
- Adjectives come after something, everything, anything, nothing, somebody, anywhere and similar words:
….Have you read anything interesting today?...
- When an adjective has its own complement (skilled at design) the whole expression normally comes after the noun:
…..We are looking for people skilled at design (a relative clause is often more natural: We are looking for people who are skilled at design)
In some cases an adjective can be put before a noun and its complement after it. This is possible with different, similar; next, last,fitst; difficult, impossible; comparatives and superlatives; the same; enough. ….a difficult problem too solve
Prepositional phrases are by far the most common postmodifiers: ….documets in his ossession…
There are a few adjectives which are usually or always used after a noun:
- The adjectives galore, incarnate and manqué are only used immediately after a noun: flowers/ presents galore;
- Some adjectives are used in fixed phrases, in several institutionalized expressions: the President elect, the Prime Minister designate.
- The adjectives broad, deep, high, long, old, tall, thick and wide are used immediately after measurement nouns when giving the size, duration, or age of a thing or personal.
……six feet tall…
- Some adjectives can be used before and after nouns, but a change in position involves a change in meating:
the present circumstance (now)
the people present (who are here)
- Adjectives ending in –able and –ible come after noun that they are with, especially when the noun is modified by another adjective in the superlative degree.
……the best tickets available…
- Adjectives come after something, everything, anything, nothing, somebody, anywhere and similar words:
….Have you read anything interesting today?...
- When an adjective has its own complement (skilled at design) the whole expression normally comes after the noun:
…..We are looking for people skilled at design (a relative clause is often more natural: We are looking for people who are skilled at design)
In some cases an adjective can be put before a noun and its complement after it. This is possible with different, similar; next, last,fitst; difficult, impossible; comparatives and superlatives; the same; enough. ….a difficult problem too solve