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Joseph A Posted 8 years ago
Grammar

Overt And Covert

Hello everyone,

Are the adjectives "overt" and "covert" used as attributive adjectives as follows?

1. The plan is overt (public).

2. The plan is covert (secret or hidden).

Regards,

JA

  

Top answer

I'm sorry. I mean, are they used as predicative adjectives? Or is it okay to put them after the verb "is" without the following noun?

  • I'm sorry.
  • I mean, are they used as predicative adjectives?
  • Or is it okay to put them after the verb "is" without the following noun?
  • JA
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4 Answers
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I'm sorry. I mean, are they used as predicative adjectives? Or is it okay to put them after the verb "is" without the following noun?

JA

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I'm going to say that both your sentences are not incorrect, but although "overt" is indeed the opposite of "covert", it is not seen that way very often, especially not as a predicate adjective (yours are not attributive but predicative). "Covert" is a much rarer word in everyday English because of the collocation "overt act" (of aggression, etc.) Also, "covert" automatically conjures secret g

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1. The plan is overt. (public)

2. The plan is covert. (secret or hidden)

These are both grammatically fine. They are adjectives, but not attributive ones; rather, they are 'subjective predicative complements' of the verb "be".

We use the term 'subjective' because the predicand is "the plan", which is the subject.





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The plan is covert. predicative adjective
It's a covert plan. attributive adjective

See

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