Collins Cobuild English Grammar (38 page)

…
better
parental control.
…the
highest
monthly figures on record.

position of noun modifiers and adjectives

2.56
    When a noun phrase contains both an adjective and a noun modifier (see paragraphs
2.169
to
2.174
) the adjective is placed in front of the noun modifier.

…the booming European
car
industry.
…the world’s biggest and most prestigious
book
fair.

two or more adjectives after a linking verb

2.57
    When you use two adjectives after a linking verb, you use a conjunction, usually
and
, to link them. If you use more than two adjectives, you usually put a conjunction such as
and
between the last two adjectives and commas between the others. This is fully explained in paragraphs
8.180
to
8.186
and paragraph
8.201
.

The room was
large and square
.
We felt
hot, tired, and thirsty
.

Note that you put the adjectives in the order that you think is the most important.

adjectives after nouns

2.58
    There are a few adjectives that are usually or always used after a noun. Here is a list showing the different groups of adjectives used after a noun:

designate

elect

galore

incarnate

manqué

~

broad

deep

high

long

old

tall

thick

wide

~

concerned

involved

present

proper

responsible

~

affected

available

required

suggested

USAGE NOTE

2.59
    The adjectives
designate
,
elect
,
galore
,
incarnate
, and
manqué
are only used immediately after a noun.

She was now president
elect
.
There are empty houses
galore
.

2.60
    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 person. This use is fully explained in paragraph
2.253
.

…six feet
tall
.
…three metres
wide
.
…twenty five years
old
.

2.61
    The adjectives
concerned
,
involved
,
present
,
responsible
, and
proper
have different meanings depending on whether you put them in front of a noun or immediately after one. For example,
the concerned mother
describes a mother who is anxious, but
the mother concerned
simply refers to a mother who has just been mentioned.

…the approval of interested and
concerned
parents.
The idea needs to come from the individuals
concerned
.
All this became a very
involved
process.
He knew all of the people
involved
.
…the
present
international situation.
Of the 18 people
present
, I know only one.
…parents trying to act in a
responsible
manner.
…the person
responsible
for his death.
…a
proper
training in how to teach.
…the first round
proper
of the FA Cup.

2.62
    The adjectives
affected
,
available
,
required
, and
suggested
can be used in front of a noun or after a noun without any change in meaning.

Newspapers were the only
available
source of information.
…the number of teachers
available
.
…the
required
changes.
You’re way below the standard
required
.
…the cost of the
suggested
improvements.
The proposals
suggested
are derived from successful experiments.
Aside from the
affected
child, the doctor checks every other member of the household.
…the proportion of the population
affected
.

Special forms:
-ing
adjectives

2.63
    There are many adjectives ending in
-ing
. Most of them are related in form to the
-ing
participles
of verbs. In this grammar they are called
-ing
adjectives
.

He was an amiable,
amusing
fellow.
He had been up all night attending a
dying
man.

The
-ing
form
is explained in the Reference Section.

describing an effect

2.64
    One group of
-ing
adjectives describe the effect that something has on your feelings and ideas, or on the feelings and ideas of people in general.

…an
alarming
increase in burglaries.
A
surprising
number of men do not marry.
…a
charming
house on the outskirts of the town.
…a warm
welcoming
smile.

2.65
    These adjectives are normally
qualitative adjectives
. This means that they can be used with a
submodifying adverb
(a word like
very
or
rather
), and have comparatives and superlatives.

…a
very convincing
example.
There is nothing
very surprising
in this.
…a
very exciting
idea.
…a
really pleasing
evening at the theatre.
When Bernard moans he’s much
more convincing
.
…one of
the most boring
books I’ve ever read.

2.66
    They can be used in front of a noun or after a linking verb.

They can still show
amazing
loyalty to their parents.
It’s
amazing
what they can do.
…the most
terrifying
tale ever written.
The present situation is
terrifying
.

2.67
    These
-ing
adjectives have a related transitive verb that you use to describe the way someone is affected by something. For example, if you speak of
an alarming increase
, you mean that the increase alarms you. If you speak of
a surprising number
, you mean that the number surprises you.

Here is a list of
-ing
adjectives that describe an effect and that have a similar meaning to the usual meaning of the related verb:

alarming

amazing

amusing

annoying

appalling

astonishing

astounding

bewildering

boring

challenging

charming

compelling

confusing

convincing

demeaning

depressing

devastating

disappointing

disgusting

distracting

distressing

disturbing

embarrassing

enchanting

encouraging

entertaining

exciting

frightening

harassing

humiliating

infuriating

inspiring

interesting

intimidating

intriguing

menacing

misleading

mocking

overwhelming

pleasing