ADJECTIVES BEFORE AFTER NOUNS

ENGLISH GRAMMAR FOR CEF - LEVEL C1
USING ADJECTIVES BEFORE AND AFTER NOUNS
In this lesson, we will learn that some adjectives can only be used before a noun, while others
are used after nouns.
Adjectives that do not come before nouns
When used with a particular meaning, some adjectives are normally used only after linking
verbs like be. They are not used before nouns.
You say
- The boy was asleep, NOT an asleep boy,
and you say
- The plant was still alive, NOT an allve-plaat.
The following adjectives are normally used only after linking verbs.
alive awake hurt ill asleep ready alight sorry ashamed sure glad well
alone alike afraid
Remember!
Putting an adjective after a linking verb has the effect of focusing attention on the adjective.
Fortunately, there are other adjectives with similar meanings that you can use before the noun:
alive and living
- I was the only living person in 100 miles.
asleep and sleeping
- The sleeping boy woke up when the door opened.
hurt and injured
- The injured animal ran away.
alike and similar
- I have a similar coat to that one.
Other adjectives with similar meanings include:
afraid and frightened - alight and burning - alone and solitary - glad and happy
Adjectives with different meanings before or after the noun
There are a few adjectives that have a different meaning depending on whether they come
before the noun or after it.
responsible

- A responsible person would take charge o f the situation and sort it out!
- The person responsible fo r this terrible thing should be punished.
present
- The present students are not so hard working, unlike last years group.
- I’d like to say ‘welcome’ to all the students present at this meeting.
concerned
- There are a lot o f extremely concerned people who are worried about the damage that this
will do.
- Much to the relief o f the families, the fou r people concerned were located.
named
- The investigation found that the named individuals and firm s colluded to decide who would
win contracts.
- The certificate is issued to the individual named below and must be returned before May 20.
proper
- Why don’t you enrol in the University and take a proper course?
Thẩm Tâm Vy, 2018

GRAMMAR POINTS

- Applicants may be required to complete a period o f preliminary study before they are
admitted to the diploma course proper.
involved
- To choose between so many top-class designs has, inevitably, meant a very long and involved
process.
- With the help of demonstrators, you can see the process involved in producing a finished
piece of jewellery.
Adjectives that you can use after a noun
There are some adjectives that you can use after a noun when the noun has a superlative or
first, last, only, every or any before it.
- Mrs Morgan is the only teacher available to take the class.

- That’s the best result possible!
- I’ve got every book written on the subject.
- He wrote the most beautiful poetry imaginable.
PRACTICE
I. For each sentence, tick the correct ending.
1. She would never forget the..........
 afraid faces of the children as they clung to their parents.
 frightened faces of the children as they clung to their parents.
2. To her surprise, in the back of the car she saw..........
 two sleeping babies.
 two asleep babies.
3. The couples whose relationships endured were very compatible, with..........
 similar outlooks on life.
 alike outlooks on life.
4. In dramatic scenes last night, three men were rescued from the..........
 burning building.
 alight building.
5 In the distance, she spied..........
 a solitary figure.
 an alone figure.
II. Are the highlighted words correct () or incorrect (X) in the sentences?
1. According to the poll, Rickman is the 19th greatest living  film star.
2. With no alive  relatives, and few surviving friends, Maggie is sometimes very lonely.
3. Paramedics arrived within minutes and took the hurt  passengers to Queen Anne Hospital.
4. The injured  soldiers were transferred to Rafah Central Hospital.
5. It was such a delight to see the children's happy  faces.
6. So here's the question on every parent's lips: what does it take to raise glad  children?
III. Match the sentence halves.
1. Ever since the vaccine was approved more than a decade ago,
2. According to three of the people

3. No information about named individuals is given to third parties
4. The book outlines the history of the region from the seventeenth century
5. The Cup begins with two preliminary rounds
6. I wouldn't ever recommend anybody tackling a marathon
[a] without proper training.
[b] to the present day.
CEF LEVEL C1


[c] before the first round proper involving the Premier
League clubs.
[d] without written consent from the individuals
concerned,
[e] present at the meeting, the biggest topic of
conversation was staffing levels
[f] concerned parents have been questioning its use.
IV. Which sentences are correct?
1. Pages 4 and 5 contain information about the involved people in the transatlantic slave trade.
2. The putting together of classes is, as I'm sure you'll appreciate, a very involved process for our
teachers.
3. They were her parents and thus the ones responsible for her care and wellbeing.
4. So are teenagers capable of being responsible parents?
5. This morning we look at the origins of the present crisis in the region.
6. If there are any present people when the officer arrives at the crime scene, he or she will detain
them.
V. Match the two parts.
1. the present candidates
[a] patients affected by something
2. the candidates present
[b] doctors who can be trusted

3. concerned patients
[c] patients who are worried
4. the patients concerned
[d] the doctors in charge of something or the doctors who did
a particular thing
5. an involved process
[e] a complicated process
6. the process involved
[f] people who are candidates now
7. the doctors responsible
[g] candidates who are at an event
8. responsible doctors
[h] the process that is a part of something
VI. Complete the sentences by writing one phrase in each gap.
worst abuse / highest score / last man / first payment
only software / only thing
1. Krystal was only five years old and had suffered some of the....................imaginable for a
child that age.
2. She got a total of 86, which is the......................possible.
3. We resorted to burgers because it was the....................................available.
4. Seconds before impact, the.......................conscious in the cockpit of the
doomed plane made a desperate call.
5. This advance payment shall be deducted from the..........................due, in accordance with
paragraph 12.
6. The Vina package is the......................in any way comparable with Jadd's.

Thẩm Tâm Vy, 2018

GRAMMAR POINTS

KEY

I.
1. frightened faces of the children as they clung to their parents.
2. two sleeping babies.
3. similar outlooks on life.
4. burning buildng
5. a solitary figure.
II.
1. living  4. injured 
2. alive X => relatives alive 5. happy 
3. hurt X => injured 6. glad X => happy
III.
1. [f] 3. [d] 5. [c]
2. [e] 4. [b] 6. [a]
IV.
1. No 4. Yes
2. Yes 5. Yes
3. Yes 6. No
V.
1. [f] 5. [e]
2. [g] 6. [h]
3. [c] 7. [d]
4. [a] 8. [b]
VI.
1. worst abuse 4. last man
2. highest score 5. first payment
3. only thing
6. only software

CEF LEVEL C1