The Attribute

In English grammar, an attribute is a word, phrase, or clause that provides additional information about a noun or pronoun in a sentence.

Attributes are modifiers that help describe or characterise the noun or pronoun by answering questions such as what, what kind of, whose, which, how much, and how many.

 

Attributes are essential for adding detail and specificity to language, allowing speakers and writers to convey more precise meanings.

Here are some key points about attributes:

 

Types of attributes:

 

Adjective attributes (attributive adjective)

These are single adjectives or adjective phrases that modify a noun.

Example: a beautiful flower

 

Noun attributes:

These are nouns or noun phrases that modify another noun.

Example: a bookstore owner

 

Prepositional phrase attributes:

These are prepositional phrases that modify a noun.

Example: a house with a red roof

 

Numeral attributes:

Numerals that quantify or specify the number of nouns.

Example: three cats, the second chapter, many friends

 

 

Possessive attributes:

Attributes that indicate possession or ownership.

Example: his car, my house, their ideas

 

 

Demonstrative attributes:

Attributes that point to or identify a particular noun.

Example: this book, those flowers, such situations

 

 

Quantifier attributes:

Words that express quantity or extent.

Example: some friends, all students, no time

 

 

Interrogative Attributes:

Words used to form questions, often modifying nouns.

Example: which book, what idea, whose laptop

 

Relative clauses (adjective clauses):

Clauses that modify nouns and usually begin with a relative pronoun (e.g., who, which, that).

Example: The man who is wearing a hat is my neighbour.

 

 

 

 

 

Placement of attributes:

Attributes can appear before or after the noun they modify.

The green grass (before)

The grass with a fresh scent (after)

 

Function of attributes:

Attributes help provide more information, clarify meaning, and paint a more detailed picture of the subject in a sentence.

 

 

 

Use with pronouns:

While attributive adjectives (attributes) directly modifying pronouns are not as common as with nouns, they can still be used to add detail or context.

Additionally, attributive phrases or clauses are often employed with pronouns for more elaborate descriptions.

 

 

 

Attributive adjective with pronouns:

Example: She found an interesting book, and she read it eagerly.

In this case, interesting is an attributive adjective modifying the pronoun it, providing more information about the type of book.

 

 

Attributive phrase with pronouns:

Example: I met someone with a fascinating story to tell.

Here, the prepositional phrase with a fascinating story to tell acts as an attributive phrase, providing more information about the pronoun someone.

 

 

 

Attributive clause with pronouns:

Example: Someone who wore a red dress caught everyone’s attention.

The relative clause who wore a red dress functions as an attributive clause, modifying the pronoun someone and offering specific details about her.

 

 

 

 

Diverse expressions of attributes

in language:

 

An attribute can be expressed by an adjective, the participle, the participle clause, a numeral, a pronoun, a noun in the common case without a preposition, a noun in the possessive case, a noun with a preposition, the infinitive, or the gerund with a preposition.

 

Adjective:

Adjectives directly modify nouns and answer questions like, What kind of?

They can be single words or phrases.

Example: a happy person

 

 

Participle:

Participles are verb forms used as adjectives. They can be present or past participles.

Example: a person eating lunch, a broken cup

 

 

Participle Clause:

Participle clauses provide additional information about a noun.

They often start with a present or past participle.

Example: a person who is smiling, in the photograph

 

 

Numeral:

Numerals are used to express attributes related to quantity or order.

Example: a book with three chapters

 

 

Pronoun:

Pronouns can act as attributes, providing information about the noun.

Example: some friends, my pen

 

 

Noun in Common Case without Preposition:

A noun in the common case (or subjective case) directly modifies another noun.

Example: a cat owner

 

 

Noun in the Possessive Case:

A noun in the possessive case can function as an attribute.

It adds information by specifying the possession or relationship.

Example: The student’s project was outstanding.

 

 

 

Noun with Preposition:

A prepositional phrase with a noun provides additional information about the main noun.

Example: a student with a talent for music

 

 

 

Infinitive:

An infinitive can act as an attribute, expressing purpose or intent.

Example: a plan to visit the museum

 

 

 

Gerund with Preposition:

A gerund, a verb form ending in -ing, can be used with a preposition to act as an attribute.

Example: a person of doing his best in art

 

 

 

 

 

Attribute: a Noun in Opposition

 

A noun in apposition is a specific type of attribute where a noun or a noun phrase is placed next to another noun to provide additional information about it.

This construction is often used for clarification or emphasis.

In the example:

London, the capital of England, is a very old city. The capital of England is a noun in apposition, adding detail to the noun London.

It’s a way to identify and describe London more specifically within the sentence.

 

 

 

 

 

Placement of Attributes:

In English grammar, the placement of attributes is flexible, but there are general rules that guide their position in relation to the noun they modify.

 

 

 

1. When the defining noun word is expressed by an adjective, the attribute usually comes before the noun.

Examples:

the blue sky

a large dog

an interesting book

 

 

 

 

 

2. When the defining noun word is expressed by a participle, the attribute usually comes before the noun.

This structure is often seen in complex noun phrases.

Here are examples:

 

Participle as a Defining Word:

the broken window

a shining star

the fallen leaves

 

Defining Word with Participle in a Phrase:

If the defining noun word is the participle in a phrase, then the attribute comes after the noun:

a table with a cracked surface

the girl with a sparkling personality

a story with a twisted ending

 

 

 

 

 

3. When the defining noun word is a numeral, the attribute typically comes before the noun. Here are some examples:

 

Cardinal Numbers:

two cars

five books

ten students

 

Ordinal Numbers:

the first chapter

the third row

her second attempt

 

 

 

 

 

4. When the defining noun word is a pronoun, the attribute typically comes before the noun. Here are examples:

 

Possessive Pronouns:

his big house

Our favourite restaurant

My old car

 

Demonstrative Pronouns:

this beautiful flower

that interesting book

these colourful paintings

 

 

 

 

 

5. When the defining noun word is a combination of two adjectives, the attribute typically comes before the noun.

Here are examples:

 

Two Adjectives Modifying a Noun:

a beautiful, sunny day

an old, wooden chair

a fast, red car

 

 

 

 

 

 

How to place adjectives (attributive)

in relation to nouns: 

 

When a noun is modified by two adjectives, the typical order is to place the adjectives in a specific sequence.

This sequence is often referred to as the OSASCOMP rule, which stands for:

 

Opinion:

Adjectives expressing opinions or judgements (e.g., beautiful, interesting).

Size:

Adjectives indicating size (e.g., small, large).

Age:

Adjectives denoting age (e.g., old, new).

Shape:

Adjectives describing shape (e.g., round, square).

Colour:

Adjectives representing colour (e.g., red, blue).

Origin:

Adjectives indicating origin or nationality (e.g., American, French).

Material:

Adjectives specifying material (e.g., wooden, metal).

Purpose:

Adjectives expressing purpose or qualifier (e.g., cooking, running).

 

For example: a beautiful small house

Beautiful falls under the category of opinion, small indicates size.

Therefore, beautiful comes before small in this sequence.

 

 

 

 

 

6. When the defining noun word is a noun in the common case without a preposition, the attribute the typically comes before the noun.

Here are examples:

 

Common Noun without Preposition:

a blue sky

a happy family

an interesting story.

 

 

 

 

 

7. When the defining noun word is a noun in the possessive case, the attribute still typically comes before the noun.

Here are examples:

 

Possessive Case Noun:

the professor’s expertise

the company’s innovation

My friend’s advice

 

 

 

 

 

8. When the defining noun word is a participle clause, the attribute (or adjectival phrase) typically comes after the noun.

Here are examples:

 

Participle Clause as a Defining Word:

The girl, holding a bouquet of flowers, smiled.

The book, written by a famous author, became a bestseller.

The car, parked near the entrance, had a flat tyre.

 

 

 

 

 

9. When the defining noun word is a noun with a preposition, the attribute usually comes after the noun.

Here are examples:

 

Noun with Preposition:

a book on the shelf

a cat under the table

a painting of a landscape

 

 

 

 

 

10. When the defining noun word is an infinitive, the attribute usually comes after the noun.

Here are examples:

 

Infinitive as a Defining Word:

a desire to travel the world

an opportunity to learn a new skill

a decision to pursue higher education

 

 

 

 

 

11. When the defining noun word is a gerund with a preposition, the attribute typically comes after the noun.

Here are examples:

 

Gerund with Preposition:

The team discussed the project before starting the presentation.

She had no intention of coming back.

He is passionate about a career in designing sustainable buildings.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What is the Attribute?

What is The Object of a Sentence?

Subject-Verb Agreement in English

What is a predicate? Predicate Types