PREDICATIVE ADJECTIVE
Definition: A predicative adjective is not part of the noun phrase headed by the noun it modifies; rather, it is the complement of a copulative function that links it to the noun.
A predicative adjective comes after a copula verb (linking verb) and not before a noun.
For example:
- The book is big.
* The predicative adjective "big" is linked by the verb "is" (which contains the copulative function) to the noun book, which it modifies
There are a few adjectives which cannot occur in both predicative and attributive position. Some only occur in attributive position (they can't function as a predicate). Examples include "main" and "former".
For example:
- This is the main reason.
* This reason is main. (ungrammatical)
- This is the former president.
* This president is former. (ungrammatical)
A few other adjectives can only be predicative, i.e. they can't occur in attributive position. An example of this is "alone":
- This man is alone.
* This is an alone man. (ungrammatical)
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