单个的形容词作定语时,一般放在所修饰的名词之前,但在某些情况下需后置:
1. 修饰不定代词时:修饰somebody, someone, something, anybody, anyone, anything, nobody, nothing等复合不定代词的形容词,则必须放在不定代词之后。如:
This isn’t anything important. 这并不是什么重要的东西。
There’s nothing new.没有什么新鲜事。
Anyone intelligent can do it. 任何有脑子的人都能做这事。
She must have met something dangerous.她一定遇上了危险。
She hopes to marry someone rich.她希望嫁给有钱人。
2. 表语形容词作定语时:当表语形容词作定语时必须放在所修饰的名词之后。 (通常这些词是以a开头表示状态的形容词如alive\asleep\awake\ablaze\akin\anew\alone\alike\astir等):
He’s the only man alive in the village after the earthquake.
地震以后他是那个村子里唯一的幸存者。
They are the happiest children alive.他们是当代最幸福的孩子。
He must be the best violinist alive. 他一定是当代最好的小提琴手了。
The house ablaze is next door to me. 那家着火的房子就在我隔壁。
The man awake at that time was Mr. Smith.那时醒着的人是斯密斯先生。
3. 形容词短语作定语时:形容词短语作定语必须放在所修饰的名词之后。这些形容词短语大多由“形容词+介词短语/不定式短语”构成;如:
It is a problem difficult to solve.这是一个难解决的问题。
I think he is a man suitable for the job. 我认为他是适合做这项工作的人。
We need a place twice larger than this one. 我们需要一个比这里大一倍的地方。
He’s a boy good at sports.他是一个擅长体育运动的男孩。
4 成对的形容词作定语时:有时成对的形容词作定语,考虑到句子的节奏和平衡,可以后置。通常由and/or连接的并列形容词成对使用时最为常见;如:
There was a huge cupboard, simple and beautiful. 有一个大食橱,简朴而美观。
She has many pencils, blue and red. 她有许多铅笔,有蓝的、红的。
There’s a huge room, simple and beautiful.
有一个大房间,简朴而漂亮。
5.形容词与表示方位、时间和数量等习语、词组连用时要后置。
This is a river nine hundred miles long.
这是一条九百英里长的河流。
It’s a bridge ten meters wide.
那是一座宽十米的大桥。
6.有时形容词作定语时,既可放在被修饰名词之前,也可放在被修饰名词之后。当past, last, next, nearby, following等作定语时,既可放在所修饰的名词之前,也可放在所修饰的名词之后。如:
in past years / in years past 过去的年月
the following days / the days following 以后的日子
另外,形容词enough, opposite(表示“对面的”时)等修饰名词时可前置或后置。如:
There'll be time enough to relax when you've finished your work.= There'll be time enough to relax when you've finished your work. 你完成工作后有足够的时间放松。
顺便说一下,enough(作副词时)与另一个形容词连用时,大多位于这个形容词之后:
The rest of the evening passed pleasantly enough.
晚上剩余的时间过得十分愉快。
Her latest conquest is an Italian who, interestingly enough, doesn't speak a word of his native language.
她新搭上了个意大利人。有意思的是,那个意大利人一句意大利语都不会说。
Strangely enough, the last thing he thought of was his beloved Tanya
说来也怪,他最后想到的才是他心爱的塔尼娅。
I'm going to live off campus if I can find somewhere cheap enough
要是能找到足够便宜的地方,我就不在校园里住了。
She's old enough to decide for herself.
她已到自己作决定的年龄了。
The people in the house opposite [the opposite house] never draw their curtains. 对面房子里的人从来不把窗帘拉上。
I could see smoke coming from the windows of the house directly opposite.= I could see smoke coming from the windows of the directly opposite house.
我能看到烟从正对面房屋的窗户里冒出来。
当opposite作形容词表示“相反的;迥然不同的 ”时做名词的定语只能前置;
I watched them leave and then drove off in the opposite direction.
我目送他们离开,然后开车向相反的方向驶去。
She tried calming him down but it seemed to be having the opposite effect.
她试着让他平静下来,却似乎火上浇油了。
students at opposite ends of the ability range
能力差距两极的学生(能力极差和能力极好的学生)
注意,有的形容词前置和后置均可,但含义不同。如:
We do not have any more information at the present time .
目前我们没有进一步的消息。(present=现在的,现存的;当前的 )
A few brief comments are sufficient for present purposes .
就当前而言,几句简短的话已经足够了。(present=现在的,现存的;当前的 )
What’s your present feeling? 你现在感觉如何? (present=现在的,现存的;当前的 )
There were 200 people present at the meeting.(present=出现的;在场的;出席的 )
有200人出席会议。
He was the only Englishman present. 他是唯一在场的英国人。(present=在场的;在场的;出席的)
另外,有些既可用作形容词又可用作副词的词,当它用作形容词时前置,用作副词时后置。如:
upstairs rooms / rooms upstairs 楼上的房间
关于多个形容词共同修饰一个名词是的位置顺序规律请查看本人以前今日头条所发文章论述,不再一一赘述。
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