Page 18 - Basic English Usage

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after a ‘copula verb’ (be, seem, look, appear, feel and some other verbs
— see 91)
That dress is new, isn't it? He looks rich.

A few adjectives can go before a noun, but not usually after a verb.
Examples are e/der, eldest (see 299.5) and little (see 309). After a verb
we use Older, oldest and small.
My elder brother lives in Newcastle. (Compare: He's three years
older than me.)
He’s a funny little boy. (Compare: He looks very small)

Some adjectives can go after a verb, but not usually before a noun. The
most common are ili (see 169), well (see 359) and afraid, alive, alone,
asleep. Before nouns we use sick, healthy, frightened, living, lone,
sleeping.
He looks il. (Compare: He’s a Sick man.)
Your mother’s very well. (Compare: She's a very healthy woman.)
She’s asleep. (Compare: a sleeping baby)

In expressions of measurement, the adjective comes after the
measurement-noun,
twe
two metres high(NOT High
metres)
ten years old — two miles long
11 adjectives without nouns

We cannot usually leave out a noun after an adjective.
Poor little boy! (NOT Peertitiet)
But there are some exceptions:
We sometimes leave out a noun when we are talking about a choice
between two or three different kinds (of car, milk, cigarette, bread, for
example).
‘Have you got any bread?’ ‘Do you want white or brown?’
‘A pound of butter, please.’ ‘i've only got unsalted.’

We can use superlative adjectives without nouns, if the meaning is clear.
I'm the tallest in my family. ‘Which one shail | get?’ ‘The cheapest.’

We can use some adjectives with the to talk about people in a particular
condition.
He's collecting money for the blind.
Note that this structure has a plural ‘general’ meaning: the blind means
‘all blind people’, not ‘the blind person’ or ‘certain blind people’.
The most common expressions of this kind are: