Attributive ADJ Noun

main, indoor, outdoor, only, former, chief, elder, eldest,

inner, outer, principal, upper, …

Linking V Predicative ADJ

appear, be, ‘a-’ adj Health, feelings adj
become, feel, get, afloat, afraid, aghast, content, fine, glad, sorry, (un)sure,
grow, look, seem, alike, alive, alone, ill (but ‘ill health’),
sound, smell, taste, ashamed, asleep, upset (but ‘an upset stomach'),
turn awake, aware well (but ‘He's really not a well man')
afraid – frightened After as, how, so, this (=so), that
alike – similar (=so) and too, ADJs come before the article.
alive - living
alone – lone
asleep - sleeping
If needs a word or a complement, either the whole ADJ phrase or just its
complement must follow the head noun.

Compare:

Are they a similar colour? adjective with no complement

She was wearing a dress similar to the one

adjective and complement both after the
that she wore when she first met her
noun head (dress)
husband.

adjective before the noun head

I was living in a similar apartment to this
(apartment); complement after the noun
one.
head
For a number of ADJs, the whole ADJ phrase must follow the noun when a complement of the
ADJ is used. These include closed, eager, full, happy, keen, open, ready, responsible,
(un)willing, worth.

ADJ phrase +
Noun phrase
complement

responsible for
Who is the person
security?

waited all night in the

Fans keen to get a ticket
queue.

ready to leave in
We have a boat
an hour.
Emphasizing adj Restricitive chief, exact, first, major, only, principal, sole, specific, …
(emphasise your
absolute, complete, entire, extreme, real, sheer, total,
feelings about sth) Intensifying
utter, …
Opinion excellent, lovely, ugly, …
Size big, huge, long, tiny, …
Describing/ Physical quality dry, hard, hot, light, …
Qualitative adj Age/Time new, old, recent, young, …
Shape circular, round, spiky, square, …
Color green, pink, red, yellow, …
Location distant, indoor, southern, west, … Put a comma
Origin/Source African, French, Muslim, Victorian, … between the first
two ADJs and
Classifying adj Material leather, metal, nylon, plastic, … “and” between the
Type economic, medical, scientific, … last two ADJs
Purpose camping, running, swimming, …
Many ADJs can be used immediately , .
For example:

1. ADJs before a , or a prep phrase as part of the :

 It was a speech calculated to appeal to the unions.
 He is a manager capable of making difficult decisions.

2. some -ible and -able ADJs such as available, imaginable, possible, suitable. However, we use
these ADJs immediately after a N only when the N follows the or when the N is made definite by
what follows in a relative clause:
 This was the most difficult decision imaginable.
 It is a treatment suitable for all children with asthma.

3. the ADJs concerned, involved, opposite, present, proper, responsible. These words have
different meanings when they are used before a N and immediately after it. Compare:
 All the people present (= who were there) approved of the decision. and
 I was asked for my present address. (= my address now)
Note that some can also be used with different meanings as

and placed after a linking verb. Compare:

 The country's reforms. and

Also: academic, conscious,
educational, (il)legal, scientific
 The process isn't . (= not profitable)
 The party was excellent, and I'd like to thank all the __________ people __________.

Cars drive too fast past the school and __________ parents __________ have complained to
the police.
As the __________ minister __________ for the health service, I think he should resign.

Children are only admitted when accompanied by a / an __________ adult __________.

It's the only __________ room __________ in the hotel that night.
For those who need it, there is __________ financial advice __________.
The pond on the village green was filled in with the __________ approval __________ of local
residents.
The new machinery was intended to increase output, but it seems to have had the
__________ effect __________.
 Present participle Describe the source or cause of an action or feeling
Particular ADJ
Past participle Describe the one(s) affected by it
1 Prep + N overseas
deep-sea, full-length, red-carpet, all-star, half-price, long-range, second-
2 ADJ - N
hand, present-day, …
gray-haired, one-eyed, strong-minded, slow-witted, low-spirited, good-
3 ADJ - N_ed
tempered, kind-hearted, right-angled, …
snow-white, duty-fee, rock-hard, home-sick, mile-wide, lightning-fast,
sea-sick, air-sick, water-proof, air-tight, praise-worthy, trust-worthy,
4 N + ADJ
world-famous, world-wide, accident-prone, brand-new, knee-deep, top-
most, …
money-making, hair-raising, nerve-wracking, heart-breaking, top-ranking,
5 N + Pre.P
record-breaking, face-saving, …
 wind-blown, silver-plated, home-made, tongue-tied, mass-produced, air-
6 N + PP
conditioned, panic-striken, …
7 N + N_ed heart-shaped, olive-skinned, lion-hearted, …
longest-serving, easy-going, peace-keeping, long-lasting, good-looking,
8 ADJ + Pre.P far-reaching, sweet-smelling, strange-sounding, sour-tasting, close-
fitting, …
well-educated, well-dressed, well-built, well-behaved, well-known,
9 ADV + PP
newly-born, ill-advised, so-called, …
10 No. + Sing. C. N a four-bedroom house, an eighteen-year-old girl, …
run-down, cost-off, stuck-up, burnt-up, worn-out, hard-up, audio-virsual,
so-so, all-out, well-off, cross-country, off-beat, dead-ahead, hit and miss,
11 Others
hit or miss, touch and go, free and easy, life and dead, day-to-day, down-
to-earth, out-of-the-way, arty-crafty, la-di-da, criss-cross, per capita, …
Rule 1. Generally, hyphenate two or more words when they come before a noun they modify
and act as a single idea. This is called a compound adjective.

E.g.: an off-campus apartment

state-of-the-art design

When a compound adjective follows a noun, a hyphen is usually not necessary.

E.g.: The apartment is off campus.

However, some established compound adjectives are always hyphenated. Double-check with a
dictionary or online.

E.g.: The design is state-of-the-art.

Rule 5. Never hesitate to add a hyphen if it solves a possible problem. Following are two
examples of well-advised hyphens:

Confusing: Springfield has little town charm.

With hyphen: Springfield has little-town charm.

Without the hyphen, the sentence seems to say that Springfield is a dreary place. With the
hyphen, little-town becomes a compound adjective, making the writer's intention clear:
Springfield is a charming small town.

Confusing: She had a concealed weapons permit.

With hyphen: She had a concealed-weapons permit.

With no hyphen, we can only guess: Was the weapons permit hidden from sight, or was it a
permit for concealed weapons? The hyphen makes concealed-weapons a compound adjective,
so the reader knows that the writer meant a permit for concealed weapons.
Rule 10. Many editors do not hyphenate certain well-known expressions. They believe that set
phrases, because of their familiarity (e.g., high school, ice cream, twentieth century), can go
before a noun without risk of confusing the reader.

E.g.: a high school senior

an ice cream cone
a twentieth century throwback

However, other editors prefer hyphenating all compound modifiers, even those with low risk of
ambiguity.

E.g.: a high-school senior

an ice-cream cone
a twentieth-century throwback

Rule 11. When in doubt, look it up. Some familiar phrases may require hyphens. For instance, is
a book up to date or up-to-date? Don't guess; have a dictionary close by, or look it up online
In the UK, your readers will expect you to use hyphens in compound adjectives.

In the US, your readers will be more lenient. The US guidance is as follows:
Use a hyphen if it eliminates ambiguity or helps your reader. If you're unsure, use a hyphen.
 Compound adjectives without hyphens
1. adverb/noun + past participle after a noun
E.g.: The politicians were .

2. three-word compound adjectives after a noun

E.g. : That voucher is .

3. compound adjectives made with an adverb ending in –ly, both before and after a noun
E.g.: a letter
The letter was .