Grammar: Attr-Adj

Grammar in EAP

Attributive adjectives

Adjectives can be used either attributively (e.g. the big house) or predicatively/as complements (e.g. the house is big). Attributive adjectives are common in academic English, as are complex adjectival groups used as complements. An example of adjectives used attributively is:

With economic specialisation and the development of external economic linkages, division of labour intensifies, a merchant class is added to the political elite, and selective migration streams add to the social and ethnic complexities of cities.

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