定语形容词及表语形容词举例

简单的说，形容词作定语是在名词前，在an interesting book,beautiful life中interesting和beautiful都是定语，作表语时则是在系动词后，系动词有be,taste,smell等等，be+adj例如be happy,taste delicious

定语形容词指修饰名词，动名词或者代词的形容词,该类形容词一般用在定语从句中,如：I like the book that/which signed by JayChou,我喜欢那本由周杰伦签名的书，这里的signed就相当于定语形容词;表语形容词则是修饰表语的形容词,如：The flower is beautiful,这花真美，这里的beautiful就是表语形容词.

1.大多数形容词既作表语又作定语.例:
It is a beautiful city.这是一座美丽的城市.
The city is beautiful.这座城市美丽.
2.但是,有些形容词总是作表语而不作定语,这就是表语形容词(predicative adjectives).我们说:Birds are alike in many ways.( 鸟在许多方面相似),或者说:Scientists found these birds alike in many ways.(科学家发现这些鸟在许多方面相似);我们不说:The alike birds.
许多表语形容词以a-开头,例如ablaze(着火的),afire(燃烧的),aglow(发红的),afraid(害怕的),alike(相像的),alive(活着的),alone(孤单的),ashamed(惭愧的),asleep(睡着的),astir(活动的),averse(反对的),awake(醒着的),aware(意识到的),awash(被波浪冲打的),awry(歪的)等.其它的表语形容词:有content(满足的),glad(高兴的),ill(生病的),likely(可能的),ready(准备好的),sorry(遗憾的),sure(肯定的),unable(无能的),unlikely(不可能的),well( 健康的)等.
3.而另一些形容词又只作定语,不作表语.我们说:atomic energy(原子能),而不说:*The energy is atomic.
常见的定语形容词还有:countless,cubic,digital,east,eastern,eventual,existing,federal,indoor,institutional,introductory,investigative,lone,maximum,nationwide,neighbouring,north,northern,occasional,outdoor,phonetic,remedial,reproductive,south,southern,supplementary,underlying,west,western,woollen 等.
4.形容词作表语或定语还与词义有关.例如ill作“生病的”讲,一般作表语.我们说:The man was ill.我们不说:*the ill man?鸦 ill作“有害的、坏的”讲又只作定语.我们说:The war had many ill consequences.(战争造成了很多恶劣后果);我们不说:*The war consequence was ill.又例:“His wife was late.” 是“他的妻子迟到了.”,而his late wife 则是“他的已故妻子”.