Double adjectives

Share on Facebook

Guest

#69816 Tue, 25 Jan 05 01:39 AM

is it possible to have 2 adjectives describing one another like this?

funny angry teacher

and does this rule NEVER CHANGE: adj preceding determinant: funny a teacher

????

thanks

Guest

Mister Micawber

#69858 Tue, 25 Jan 05 05:23 AM

The rule seldom changes, but you have it backward: 'determiner before adjective':

A funny teacher
This angry moderator
My happy wife

The order changes occasionally, as in some exclamations ('how funny a teacher he is!'), but the rule holds better than most English rules of grammar and structure.

Your two adjectives don't modify each other; they both modify 'teacher'-- or at least I presume that is the intention, and should be separated by a comma: 'a funny, angry teacher'.

If you want to modify an adjective (and words do not simultaneously describe each other) then you should use the adverb: 'a funnily angry teacher' (though I caution you that this particularly pairing is a little awkward sounding here, perhaps because it is difficult to see funniness in an angry teacher, especially when you are the student).

A strangely quiet night
A very unhappily married man

Mister Micawber

Joined on Wed, Aug 4 2004

Yokohama

Veteran Member (21,305)

'The question is,' said Humpty Dumpty, 'which is to be master-- that's all.'

Grammar, Verbs, Resume, Adverbs, Commas, Determiners

paco2004

#69859 Tue, 25 Jan 05 05:23 AM

Hello

You can use as many adjectives as you like.
(EX) I don't like that short-tempered lecherous silly old guy.

In some idiomatic phrases you have to put an adjective before a/an.
(EX1) She is so pretty a girl (that every boy likes her).
(EX2) She is too bright a student to study with me.

paco

[PS] Sorry Mr M, I didn't notice you had already answered.

paco2004

Joined on Wed, Nov 17 2004

Senior Member (4,095)

In Japan today even dogs are learning how to bow-wow in English.

Anonymous

#147660 Fri, 14 Oct 05 02:59 AM

there are several errors in your sentences. more than one adjective in succession requires a comma. and the boy likes, not like. i don't use capitalization. ever.