I.The usual place of the attribute expressed by an adjective, noun, pronoun, or participle is before the word it modifies.
What extraordinary ideas you have about the way to behave to a woman!
(Wilde)
With most of such attributes the order in which they follow each other is generally free, i. e. it can be easily changed.
Amelia Sedley had such a kindly, smiling, tender, generous heart of her own
as won the love of everybody who came near her. (Thackeray)
However, with some attributes the order in which they follow each other is more or less fixed.
Attributes denoting age, colour, material, and nationality come next to the noun modified.
Rawdon preferred the quiet little Belgian city to either of the more noisy
capitals. (Thackeray).
Two years of married life had not lengthened her short dark chestnut hair.
(Galsworthy)
When two or more attributes denoting age, colour, material, and nationality refer to the same noun the order is as follows:
| various | age | colour | material | nationality | |
| red | Turkish | slippers | |||
| black | lacy | dress | |||
| old | blue | kimono | |||
| pleasant | young | man |
E. g.
3 2 3 1
She had brought her a bright yellow spotted silk blouse and a purple
Angora sweater. (M. Dickens)
It is interesting to note that the adjective little often corresponds to Russian diminutive suffixes in such words as , , , . In this case as well as when little denotes age, it is placed immediately before the noun unless there are attributes denoting colour or nationality.
He was naked and painted blue and yellow in stripes a jolly little chap.
(Galsworthy)
He was a little like Jolly, but eager-looking and less formal... altogether a very interesting little brother. (Galsworthy)
B u t: Mrs. Inchbares unloveable hair clung fast round her head in wiry little
yellow curls. (Collins)
A fortnight after it took place, he asked her where was her little French watch
and chain she used to wear. (Thackeray)
II. Post-position of the attribute.
There are some cases when the post-position of the attribute is its normal place, i. e. when it is not emphatic.
1. Most adjectives in ‑able and ‑ible are generally placed after the noun, especially when the noun is preceded by the adjective only or an adjective in the superlative degree: sufferings unspeakable, the only person visible, with all the solemnity possible, the most interesting thing imaginable.
However, a few adjectives with the same suffixes stand before the noun they modify.
He is the only reasonable man here.
She is a sensible little girl.
2. In some stock phrases the adjective is placed after the noun:
|
|
|
wealth untold
from times immemorial
a poet laureate -
generations unborn
court martial -
sum total
four years running
the first person singular
the second person plural
3. The adjectives proper (, ) and present () are placed after the noun.
We shant find anything about sculpture in this book, it deals with architecture
proper.
,
.
All the people present welcomed Paul Robeson enthusiastically.
.
These meanings of proper and present are not to be confused with the meanings of proper and present when used in pre-position, e. g.:
This is not a proper answer to a question of this kind.
Our present task is to preserve peace in the world.
4. Attributes expressed by cardinal numerals denoting the place of the object in a series always follow the noun modified. No article is used in this case: page ten, tram number six, room two.
5. Adjectives stand after indefinite and negative pronouns.
Id like to read something very interesting.
There is nothing extraordinary in her dress.
Id like to speak with somebody very clever on the subject.
6. Attributes expressed by prepositional phrases follow the noun modified.
As a gesture of proud defiance he had named his son Francis Nicholas.
(Cronin)
Besides the cases when the post-position of the attribute is its normal (unemphatic) place, there are a few instances when the postposition of an attribute expressed by an adjective serves the purpose of emphasis.
It was with a conscience uneasy that Edwin shut the front door one night a
month later. (Bennett)
In this example we can easily put the attribute before the word modified, but then it will not be prominent.
Whereas the post-position of a single adjective is rather rare, two or more adjectives are often placed after the word modified for the sake of emphasis: these adjectives may or may not be joined by a conjunction.
He gave Annette a look furtive and searching. (Galsworthy)
(He gave Annette a furtive and searching look would sound less emphatic.)
All sorts of fancies bright and dark tenanted my mind. (Ch. Bronte)
When two or more attributive adjectives are placed in postposition, their connection with the noun they modify is often loose, i. e. they become detached and are consequently separated by a comma.
When I looked up... there stood the widow, pale, grave,and amazed. (Ch.
Bronte)
The boy inherited his own eyes, large, brilliant and black. (E. Bronte)
When an attribute expressed by an adjective modifies a proper noun or a personal pronoun, it mostly stands in loose connection to it whether it is placed in pre-position or in post-position.
Clare, restless,went out into the dusk. (Hardy)
Pale and constrained,he walked into the room and took his seat at the
window. (Cronin)
