Attributive vs. Predicative (Adjectives)

Attributive and Predicative Adjectives

Most adjectives can occur both before and after a noun:

the blue sea ~ the sea is blue
the old man ~ the man is old
happy children ~ the children are happy

Adjectives in the first position - before the noun - are called ATTRIBUTIVE adjectives. Those in the second position -
after the noun - are called PREDICATIVE adjectives. Notice that predicative adjectives do not occur immediately after the noun. Instead, they follow a verb.
Sometimes an adjective does occur immediately after a noun, especially in certain institutionalised expressions:

the Governor General
the Princess Royal
times past

We refer to these as POSTPOSITIVE adjectives. Postposition is obligatory when the adjective modifies a pronoun:

something useful
everyone present
those responsible

Postpositive adjectives are commonly found together with superlative, attributive adjectives:

the shortest route possible
the worst conditions imaginable
the best hotel available

Most adjectives can freely occur in both the attributive and the predicative positions. However, a small number of
adjectives are restricted to one position only. For example,

the adjective main (the main reason) can only occur in the attributive position (predicative: *the reason is main).

Conversely, the adjective afraid (the child was afraid ) can only occur predicatively (attributive: *an afraid child).