Pre modifiers

I don't think there is a special word for pre- or post- adjectives, because, if I'm not mistaken, all adjectives can be used either before or after the noun they modify in certain circumstances. For example, "urban" can sometimes be used after the noun it modifies: "For our retirement we chose Anchorage, urban yet surrounded by wilderness."

That's not an example of of post modification. You have just omitted the understood "which is." Any adjective can be set up with the right sentence structure to come after the noun.

Court martial, attorney general, trip the light fantastic -- those adjectives post-modify.

Grammar Geek Any adjective can be set up with the right sentence structure to come after the noun. Court martial, attorney general, trip the light fantastic -- those adjectives post-modify.

If so would you make an example in which civic is used as a post modifier.

Longman dictionary indicates that urban and civic can only be used before nouns.

The sentence, "This is your civic duty.", can also be said as, "This is your duty civic.", if you want to sound more poetic or whimsical.

Hi. what do we technically call the adjectives that can be only used before nouns like, urban? -- Attributive adjectives (urban legend)


I know we use post modifiers for adjective that can be only used after nouns. -- Postposed adjectives (heir apparent)

(PS: Oh, and predicate adjectives, of course: 'He is afraid'.)

My point was not that you can take any attributive adjective and drop it immediately after the noun as a post-modifier. My point was that you can write a sentence that has it appear after the noun (You must perform your duties, civic and professional, to the best of your abilities). That does NOT make it a post-modifying adjective, as the the second poster seemed to imply.

Thanks Mr. M. I

Thank yo very mch Grammar Geek.

Thank you very much Mister Micawber for your explanation.

Would you give more examples of attributive adjectives?

Thank you

This is the, "He called for his fiddlers three." situation. It's supposed to be "three fiddlers," but the adj. can be shifted if there is need to be poetic or lighter. "Attorney general," I believe, was originally "general attorney," but the adj. got shifted over time to make it sound lighter. However, I believe that the original form is reverted to in very formal proceedings: "You are hereby

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