Mastering English adjectives and their structural patterns is essential for building natural sentences, expressing accurate meanings, and advancing your overall grammar proficiency.
Adjective Patterns
Adjectives can have different types of complement, such as
- a prepositional phrase: I feel very sorry for Ann.
- a that-clause: Everybody's pleased that she is making such good progress.
- a to-infinitive: I'm glad to hear she is recovering.
What Are Adjectives with a Prepositional Phrase?
Adjectives are followed by different prepositions. As a dictionary will tell you, a particular adjective usually requires a particular preposition: curious about, good at, ready for, interested in, afraid of, keen on, close to, content with, etc.
Adjectives with prepositions are often -ed adjectives, i.e. participial adjectives like worried (about), interested (in).
Here are some examples:
- Planners are worried about the noise and dirt in our environment.
- I may have sounded a bit annoyed at her for turning up late.
- Would you be interested in writing an article for our magazine?
- The reader must be convinced of what is happening at one time, and not surprised at sudden changes of character and place.
- I was increasingly conscious of being watched.
- Anna was uncertain of what the words meant.
- Industry is independent of natural conditions, while agriculture is continually dependent on the fluctuations of nature.
- This film is based on a best-selling novel.
How to Use Adjectives with a That-Clause
Adjectives which take a that-clause as complement may have personal subjects or introductory it as subject.
Adjectives with Personal Subjects
That is often omitted (called 'zero that'). Here are two sets of adjectives which have that-clauses as complement:
- 'Certainty adjectives' such as certain, confident, convinced, positive, sure
We are confident (that) Fran will have a brilliant career.
Everybody's sure (that) she can do it.
- 'Affective adjectives' such as afraid, alarmed, annoyed, astonished, disappointed, glad, hopeful, pleased, shocked, surprised
Bill was disappointed (that) Betty hadn't phoned.
I'm glad (that) you were able to cheer them up a bit.
Such adjectives can also have a prepositional phrase as complement : confident about, sure of disappointed with, glad of, etc.
But note that, in English, a preposition cannot introduce a that-clause.
Compare:
They were pleased at the good news.
But: They were pleased that the news was good. (NOT *pleased at that the news...)
When the that-clause expresses something as an 'idea' rather than as a 'fact' (expressing joy, surprise, etc.), it contains should :
We were amazed that the cost should be so high.
Adjectives with Introductory It as Subject or Object
Adjectives with that-clauses frequently have introductory it object.
It's possible that we'll all be a bit late.
Is it true that Liz never turned up?
We find it odd that this city has no university.
Other adjectives with it-constructions and that-clauses are, for example certain, curious, evident, extraordinary, fortunate, important, likely, obvious, probable, sad.
Many are -ing adjectives, i.e. they have the form of an -ing participle: disconcerting, embarrassing, fitting, frightening, irritating, shocking, surprising.
When the that-clause expresses something as an 'idea' rather than as a 'fact' (expressing joy, surprise, etc.) the that-clause often contains 'putative should' :
The school board considered it essential that the opinions of teachers should be ascertained.
Instead of should + verb the that-clause can have the alternative constructions with the verb in the subjunctive, i.e. just the base form. This is more common in <AmE> than in <BrE> :
The school board considered it essential that the opinions of teachers be ascertained.
When to Use Adjectives with a To-Infinitive
There are different types of adjectives which have a construction with to-infinitive, for example:
- Sue is wrong to say a thing like that. [1]
- Such people are hard to find nowadays. [2]
- ' I'm delighted to be here', the speaker said. [3]
- Many dealers were quick to purchase the new shares. [4]
The meanings of the four constructions are different, as can be seen from these paraphrases:
- It's wrong of Sue to say a thing like that. [1a]
- It's hard to find such people nowadays. [2a]
- 'It makes me delighted to be here', the speaker said. [3a]
- Many dealers quickly purchased the new shares. [4a]
Type [1]
Other adjectives like wrong in [1] are clever, cruel, good, kind, naughty, nice, rude, silly, splendid, stupid:
He was silly to go ahead with the plan.
Note the position of not and never before the to-infinitive:
He was silly not to follow your advice.
They were stupid never to take the opportunity offered.
Type [2]
Other examples of adjectives like hard in [2] are:
The extent of this tendency is difficult to assess.
All this is very easy to arrange.
Your question is of course impossible to answer.
Similarly: convenient, enjoyable, fun <informal> good, pleasant.
The construction with introductory it [2a] is the more common and sometimes the only possible alternative:
- It's difficult to assess the extent of this tendency.
- It was really good to see you before Christmas.
- It is important to create a new image of the Church.
- It's almost impossible to say this in English
- It would be nice to have a portable TV at the end of one's bed.
- It is now possible to make considerable progress in the negotiations
- It is necessary to distinguish between English and Scots law.
The infinitive clause can have a subject introduced by for:
It is necessary for you to distinguish between English and Scots law.
Type [3]
Here are more examples of adjectives like delighted in [3]:
She'll be furious to see him behave that way.
I'm glad to see you looking so well.
If interviewed I should be pleased to provide further references.
I'm very sorry to learn that Hattie has been ill.
I'm rather surprised to learn that you have sold your stocks.
Other adjectives with this construction, all of which express some kind of emotion, are amazed, angry, annoyed, disappointed, worried.
Type [4]
Other examples of adjectives like quick in [4]:
- Nick is willing to do the hard work. ('Nick does it willingly')
- The management was careful to avoid all mention of the problem. ('carefully avoided').
- The police were prompt to act ('acted promptly')
- The entertainment industry has been slow to catch on ('has caught on slowly')
There are also other adjectives which take an infinitive-construction but do not fit into the four types described:
- We might be able to afford a new car.
- I've been unable to contact him during the past week or so.
- Ann is now very anxious to return to her university,
- There are bound to be economic differences between distant parts of the country.
- Our boss is always ready to listen to the views of others.
What Are the Core Features of Adjectives?
Here are four features of adjectives:
- Most adjectives can have two uses: attributive and predicative.
An attributive adjective occurs before the noun it modifies:
This is a difficult problem.
A predicative adjective occurs as the complement of a linking verb. Linking verbs (also called copular verbs) are be, seem, etc.:
This problem is difficult.
- Most adjectives can be modified by degree adverbs like very, quite, rather, etc. :
I'm on quite good terms with him.
- Most adjectives can have comparative and superlative forms:
We have a bigger problem than inflation - our biggest problem now is high unemployment.
This must be one of the most beautiful buildings in Europe.
- Many adjectives are derived from nouns and can be recognized by their endings, e.g. -ous (fame - famous), -ic (base - basic), (sleep - sleepy), -ful (beauty - beautiful).
What Is an Attributive-Only Adjective?
Most adjectives can be both attributive and predicative, but some adjectives can only be used in attributive position, for example:
She was the former prime minister.
The adjective former can be related to the adverb formerly:
She was formerly the prime minister.
Here are some more such adjectives, where each example with an attributive-only meaning is followed by an example of its corresponding adverb:
- Many changes occurred in Asia in the late 1990s. - I've not heard much from her lately.
- They went to an occasional play, - Occasionally they went to see a play.
- He was a popular colleague and a hard worker. - He worked hard. [NB same form of the adjective and adverb hard]
Some attributive-only adjectives are derived from nouns, for example:
- A new criminal justice bill will soon come before Parliament. (crime - criminal: 'a bill concerned with the punishment of crimes')
- He thought atomic weapons had deadened the finest feeling that had sustained mankind for ages. (atom - atomic)
- There will be no need for a medical examination. (medicine - medical)
How Do We Use Predicative Adjectives?
Adjectives can be used predicatively as subject complement after linking verbs like be, seem, look, feel:
Adjectives can also be used predicatively as object complement after verbs like consider, believe, find:
It makes me sick to see how people spoil the environment.
- Adjectives can be complement to a subject which is a finite clause:
Whether the minister will resign is still uncertain.
But the construction with introductory it gives end-weight and is the more common:
It is still uncertain whether the minister will resign.
- Adjectives can also be complement to a non-finite clause:
Driving a bus isn't so easy as you may think.
- Although most adjectives can be used both attributively and predicatively, some groups of adjectives are predicative-only. One such group is 'health adjectives' like faint, ill, and well:
- Oh doctor, I feel faint.
- Several people are critically ill after the accident.
- He doesn't look well does he Anna?
When faint is not a health adjective but means 'slight' it can be attributive:
Katie bears a faint resemblance to my sister.
Some predicative-only adjectives, including afraid, fond, present, ready, are often followed by clauses:
I'm afraid I don't really agree with that, Bill.
or prepositional phrases:
I'm very fond of Hemingway.
I hope you are ready for some hard work. ('I hope you are prepared for some hard work.')
All the persons who were present at the meeting were in favour of the proposal. ('All the persons who attended the meeting ......')
Some such adjectives can also precede a noun, but with different meanings: fond memories are 'sweet memories', a ready answer is an answer which was given readily', the present situation means 'the situation at the present time'
When Do Adjectives Appear After the Head?
An adjective which modifies a noun is usually placed before its head. This is the attributive position: the difficult problems.
But some adjectives, especially predicative-only adjectives, are placed immediately after the head they modify: the problems involved:
This is one of the problems involved in the scheme:
- This is one of the problems that are involved in the scheme.
Such adjectives can usually regarded as reduced relative clauses;
All the persons present at the meeting were in favour of the proposal.
- All the persons who were present at the meeting were in favour of the proposal.
The two adjectives involved and present cannot be attributive with the same meaning: we cannot say the present persons or the involved problems in these sentences.
- Quantifiers (amount words) ending in -body, -one, -thing, -where can only have modifying adjectives placed after them:
- How long does it take to train somebody new on the job? ('How long does it take to train somebody who is new on the job?)
- The chairman's remark astonished everyone present.
- Is there anything interesting in the papers today?
- Think of somewhere nice to go for the next weekend!
There are adjective phrases consisting of an infinitive, as in
These dogs are easy to teach.
Such phrases cannot come before a noun as head. We can NOT say But the adjective + infinitive phrase can be placed after its noun head: The corresponding construction with a relative clause is more common in
- There are adjective phrases consisting of an adjective plus an infinitive, as in
These dogs are easy to teach.
Such phrases cannot come before a noun as head. We can NOT say
*The easiest to teach dogs are Labrador retrievers.
But the adjective +=infinitive phrase can be placed after its noun head:
The dogs easiest to teach are Labrador retrievers.
The corresponding construction with a relative clause is more common in <informal> English:
- The dogs that are easiest to teach are Labrador retrievers.
The construction with the adjective placed after its head is also used for other types of complement, such as than-clauses:
Our neighbours have a house much larger than ours.
But it is more usual to separate the adjective and its complement:
The easiest dogs to teach are Labrador retrievers.
Our neighbours have a much larger house than ours.
How Do Adjectives Relate to Participles?
There are many adjectives that have the same form as -ing or -ed participles:
Emma's attitude is rather surprising.
The professor had been retired for several years.
These adjectives can also be attributive:
We were struck by Emma's rather surprising attitude.
The retired professor seemed to spend most of his time on his yacht.
A verb corresponding to the adjective may have a different meaning. Compare these two uses:
Relieved used as an adjective:
We are very relieved to know that you are all right: ('glad, pleased')
Relieved used as the past participle of the verb relieve:
Our anxiety was relieved by the good news. ('eased, lessened')
The different functions of a form used as adjective and as not always obvious.
- It is clear that an -ing form is a present participle (and not an adjective) when a direct object is present:
The teacher was entertaining students at her home together with other friends.
But entertaining is an adjective in:
The teacher was brilliantly entertaining in her lecture.
- For both -ed and -ing forms, modification by the adverb very indicates that the forms are adjectives:
The poor attendance at the meeting is not very encouraging
His remarks made me very annoyed.
When used as a verb, annoyed is modified by very much:
His remarks annoyed me very much.
Adjective or Adverb?
Most adverbs in English are derived from adjectives by the addition of -ly: quick - quickly, careful - carefully, etc. . But there are some adverbs which do not end in -ly for example direct, fast, hard, high, late, long, straight, wrong. These words can be used both as adjectives and adverbs.
In the following pairs, the first is an example of the word used as an adjective, and the second is an example of the word used as an adverb:
- I think she has a direct line. - Why don't you call her direct?
- Bill is a fast driver, - Don't drive too fast.
- Alice is a hard worker. - Alice works hard at preparing new teaching materials.
- That wall is too high to climb. - Don't aim too high.
- We met in late August - The modern industrial city developed relatively late.
- What I really need now is a long rest. - You mustn't stay too long.
- It was a long straight road. - The best thing would be to go straight back to Stockholm.
- I may have said the wrong thing once too often. - There's always the chance of something going wrong.
These adverbs are mostly connected with time, position and direction. In some cases, there is also an adverb in -ly (directly, hardly, lately, shortly) but with a different meaning:
- Don't hesitate to get in touch with us directly ('immediately')
- We've had hardly any replies to our advertisement. (hardly any = 'almost no.')
- I haven't seen him lately (recently)
- We'll be in touch with you again shortly. ('soon')
There is a meaning difference between strong as an adjective and strong as an adverb in:
Ben felt strong enough to win the contest. (strong= fit, powerful)
Ben felt strongly enough about the suggestion to object. (strongly = firmly)
Early can be used both as adjective and adverb:
The early bird catches the worm. - I hate having to get up too early.
The population explosion occurred in the early part of the nineteenth century. - I'll see you after you return early in February.
Some words ending in -ly can be used only as adjectives:
That's a lovely present!
That was an ugly incident.
Adjectives as Complements
An adjective is used after verbs like taste and smell. Here we consider the adjective to be a complement, not an adverbial:
The food tasted good ('The food was good to taste.')
I thought the dish smelled absolutely revolting.
Well is the adverb corresponding to the adjective good:
Grace is a good writer. - Grace writes well.
But well can also be used as an adjective. In these examples both good and well are adjectives (But with different meanings):
Those cakes look good. (Those cakes look as if they taste good.)
Your mother looks well. (Your mother seems to be in good health.)
Do You Drive Slow or Slowly?
Compare these expressions:
a rapid car - drive rapidly [but not *drive rapid]
a slow car - drive slowly or drive slow
[1] represents the normal case where there is regular variation between form and function of the adjective (rapid) and adverb (rapidly).
In [2] slow can function both as adjective and adverb. Here is another example:
You can buy these things very cheap/cheaply now when the sale is on.
There is no difference in meaning between drive slow and drive slowly or buy cheap and buy cheaply, but the adjective form tends to be more <formal>.
Why do you have to drive so slow when there's no speed limit here?
The days passed and slowly the spring came. <rather elevated>
The form without -ly is especially common in comparative and superlative constructions. Again, the adverb form is the more <formal>:
We have to look closer/more closely at these problems.
Let's see who can run quickest/ most quickly.
In their base form (i.e. when they are not comparative or superlative) these words would normally end in -y: look closely, run quickly.
In <AmE conversation> real and good are commonly used as adverbs in expressions like Ann's playing real good today, corresponding to usual <BrE> Ann's playing really well today.
Adjectives as Heads
The typical function of adjectives is to modify the head of a noun phrase: the rich people, a supernatural phenomenon. But some adjectives can themselves be heads of noun phrases: the rich, the supernatural. There are two kinds of such adjectives, both with generic reference:
- Adjectives denoting a class of people (plural), for example the rich = those who are rich:
We must care for the elderly, the unemployed, the homeless, the sick and the poor, the weak and the vulnerable.
Many people prefer the term the physically challenged to the disabled or the handicapped.
The young and the old don't always understand each other.
Adjectives denoting an abstract quality (Singular), for example the supernatural = "that which is supernatural":
Do you believe in the supernatural?
Key Takeaways
- Adjectives can take various complements, including prepositional phrases, that-clauses, and to-infinitives.
- Attributive adjectives appear before nouns, while predicative adjectives function as complements after linking verbs.
- Certain adverbs share the same form as adjectives without adding -ly, such as fast, hard, and straight.
- Some adjectives can act as heads of noun phrases to represent a class of people or an abstract quality.
Quick Practice
Test your understanding by writing your answers to these questions in the comments below:
- What type of complement is used in the sentence: "I feel very sorry for Ann"?
- Give an example of an adjective that can only be used in the attributive position.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an adjective pattern?
An adjective pattern refers to the specific structures and complements—such as prepositional phrases, that-clauses, or to-infinitives—that follow and complete certain adjectives.
Can adjectives be used as heads of noun phrases?
Yes, some adjectives can act as heads of noun phrases with generic reference, either denoting a class of people (e.g., "the rich") or an abstract quality (e.g., "the supernatural").
What is the difference between attributive and predicative adjectives?
Attributive adjectives are placed directly before the noun they modify, whereas predicative adjectives function as subject or object complements following linking verbs.