形容词作定语需后置的几种情形
单个的形容词作定语时,一般放在所修饰的名词之前,但在某些状况下需后置:
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,需要放在不定代词之后。如:
This isn’t anything important. 这并非什么要紧的东西。
Anyone intelligent can do it. 任何有脑子的人都能做这事。
There’s nothing wrong with the machine. 机器没问题。
Let’s talk about something interesting. 大家来谈论一些有趣的事吧。
形容词短语作定语时:形容词短语作定语需要放在所修饰的名词之后。如:
I think he is a man suitable for the job. 我觉得他是合适做这项工作的人。
We need a place twice larger than this one. 大家需要一个比这里大一倍的地方。
成对的形容词作定语时:有时成对的形容词作定语,考虑到句子的步伐和平衡,可将来置。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. 她有很多铅笔,有蓝的、红的。
表语形容词作定语时:当表语形容词作定语时需要放在所修饰的名词之后。如:
He must be the best violinist alive. 他肯定是当代最好的小提琴手了。
The house ablaze is next door to me. 那座失火的房屋就在我隔壁。
有的形容词作定语时,既可放在被修饰名词之前,也可放在被修饰名词之后。如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 未来的日子
另外,形容词enough, opposite等修饰名词时可前置或后置。如:
If we had enough time [time enough], things would be easy. 假如时间足够,事情就好办了。
The people in the house opposite [the opposite house] never draw their curtains. 对面房屋里的人从来不把窗帘拉上。
注意,有些形容词前置和后置均可,但含义不同。如:
What’s your present feeling? 你目前感觉怎么样?
He was the only Englishman present. 他是唯一在场的英国人。
另外,有的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