XXXIII. APPOSITIVE ADJECTIVES
130. Adjectives are not always placed before the noun they modify. When they are used as subjective complements, they follow the verb, although they modify the subject; as, “Life is real,” “The air seems moist.” We also find many sentences like the following, “The camel, restless and weary, groans and occasionally shows his teeth.”
Here it is evident that the adjectives restless and weary are in the sentence to describe the camel; hence they modify the noun camel; but instead of preceding this noun, they follow it. Because of their position such adjectives are called appositive adjectives.
131. An appositive adjective is usually set off by a comma or commas. It is frequently modified by a phrase, as in the expressions, “restless under his heavy load,” “weary with the long journey.”
Summary.—An adjective with or without modifiers may be used as an appositive.
An appositive adjective is usually set off from the rest of the sentence by a comma.
Exercise.—Select all the appositive adjectives in these sentences, and tell what they modify. Give the modifiers of each adjective. Account for the punctuation. Analyze sentences 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 11, 12.
1. His tunic, scarlet in color, is of the softest woolen fabric.
2. The skirt drops to the knee in folds heavy with embroidery.
3. Grandfather Nutter was a hale, cheery old gentleman, as straight and as bald as an arrow.
4. The pink rose, dear for its old associations, was transplanted to a sunny place close by the south door.
5. Presently the Colonel came in, bluff, warm, and hearty.
6. From the other window one saw the distant forest, so deep, black, and mysterious.
7. The April night, softly chill and full of the sense of thaw, was closing down over the wide salt marshes!
8. Presently, from far along the dark heights of the sky, came voices, hollow, musical, confused.
9. Here is a foot passenger, dusty and tired, who comes with lagging steps.
10. There is no nation known to history in which all citizens, male and female, old and young, native and foreign born, have had the suffrage.
11. Ginger hurried off into the darkness, wild with excitement.
12. The chief engineer entered the smoking room for a moment, red, smiling, and wet.