Attributive adjectives after nouns

Most adjectives can go in two main places in a sentence: in attributive position and predicative position.

In attributive position, an adjective comes before the noun it modifies.

• She is a nice girl.
• She married a rich businessman.

In predicative position, an adjective goes after the verb.

• She is nice.
• He looked upset.

While attributive adjectives usually go before the nouns, a few can be used after nouns. This, for example, happens in some fixed phrases.

• Secretary General
• Poet Laureate
• Attorney General
• Court martial

Some adjectives ending in -able/-ible can also be used after nouns.

• It is the only solution possible.
• Book all the tickets available.

After something, everything etc.

Adjectives come after words like something, everything, anything, nothing, somebody, anywhere etc.

• I would like to go somewhere quiet. (NOT I would like to go quiet somewhere.)
• I heard something interesting today. (NOT I heard interesting something today.)

In most expressions of measurement adjectives come after the measurement noun.

• ten years older (NOT Older ten years) (NOT ten older years)
• six feet deep
• two miles long

Verb + object + adjective

Adjectives can be placed after the object.

• You make me happy.
• Can you get the children ready for school?