The passive phrases also are used as adjectives, thus:
- The woman, having been hired by the manager, went to work.
- The man, being attacked, fought bravely.
Here the participle phrases having been hired and being attacked are used as adjectives to modify the nouns woman and man.
Use the participles and participle phrases of the verbs see and obey in sentences of your own.
USES OF ADJECTIVES
276. In our use of adjectives, we find it convenient to use them in several different ways. The most common use is closely connected with the noun as a modifying word, seeming in a sense almost a part of the noun; as in the sentence, These brave men have bequeathed to us splendid victories. In this sentence these and brave are easily discovered to be adjectives, being used in such close connection with the noun.
But sometimes we find the adjectives a little farther away from the noun which it describes, and then it becomes a little more difficult to find. You will recall, in our study of the copulative verb be, that we found it was simply a connecting word, connecting that which followed the verb with its subject. So we often find an adjective used in the predicate with a copulative verb showing what is asserted of the subject. When an adjective is used in this way, it modifies the subject just as much as if it were directly connected by being placed immediately before the noun. For example:
- The lesson was long and difficult.
Long and difficult are used in the predicate after the copulative verb was, but are used to modify the subject lesson just as much as though we said instead, It was a long and difficult lesson. So watch carefully for adjectives used with the copulative verb be in all its forms, am, is, are, was, were; and the phrases, has been, will be, must be, etc.
277. You may find adjectives also used following the noun. As, for example: The man, cool and resolute, awaited the attack. Cool and resolute are adjectives modifying the noun man, but they follow the noun, instead of being placed before it.