Adjectives with Nouns and Verbs

Adjectives give more information about nouns. Their form does not change for singular and plural nouns or for male and female:

A young girl and two young boys came to the party.

• Adjectives usually come before a noun:  a white lamb   a lamb white

We can put two or more adjectives before a noun. We don’t usually use and:

A little and white lamb         a little white lamb

• But if both adjectives describe colors or two similar qualities, we put and before them:

A black and white horse             a long and boring film

Adjectives with verbs

We can use adjectives after the verbs be, appear, become, get, feel, look, seem and taste:

The lambs are lovely. (= They are lovely lambs.)       That lamb looks cute.

Our new teacher seems nice.   Can we go home now? I’m getting tired.

• We use and between two adjectives after a verb: That flight was long and tiring.

• The adjectives alive, afraid, alone, asleep and awake are always used after a verb.

We cannot use them in front of a noun:

They are asleep children.      Be quiet. The children are asleep.