描绘形容词

He works with the Foreign Office（=Office of Foreign Affairs，而不是office which is foreign）．He is in the sick-room（=room of sick men）．The dead list（=list of dead men） has been published．He is fed up with his married life． He is on sick leave．His dying wish is unknown．He is a mad-doctor．They are playing a dead march．They learned the deaf and dumb alphabet．

It was a pleasant though rainy season． He sang a sorrowful though melodious song．（though后面的形容词较不重要。因此这两句的意思和上面两句一样）
It is a comfortable“fast train”． （ Comfortable修饰fast train，后两词为一整体）
It was a rainy and windy night． He sang a strange，funny and silly song．（由 and连接的两三个形容词有同样的重要性）
It was a rainy but pleasant season． He sang a melodious but sorrowful song．（but后面的形容词比它前面的形容词重要）
1562 He did it in the early morning（=the early part of the morning），in the late summer，in the mid-nineteenth century．He has lived in West（ern）Germany）（＝the western part of Germany），Central India， North（ern） Korea， Upper Austria，the Lower Danube，East（ern）Africa．（这些表示部分的形容词多用在时间或地点名称前）
更多例子：a real scholar， a great supporter，a close comrade，a big fool， an old friend， a plain lie， an extreme folly， a clear failure， pure nonsense，an out-and-out conservative， utter confusion．
He is a criminal lawyer（=lawyer expert in criminal law，不是 lawyer who is criminal）， a natural philosopher（不是philosopher who is natural），a practical joker，a tragical dramatist，a yellow journalist，a historical novelist．
He is a sickly “old man”．We shall have a happy “new year”．Nobody cares about this commonplace “open secret”．
I am amazed at the sheer nonsense （or absolute lie，total madness，outright arrogance）of this perfect fool（or complete idiot）．（像sheer，absolute这类强化形容词，用在名词前能对它加以强调，但不宜用在be，seem这类系动词后，如：“His madness is total．”就不对了。）
2．描绘形容词
1558 He is a good boy． She has a clear voice．
I like her gentle，graceful manner．We went into a dirty，dark，lonely temple．（一系列描绘形容词）
It is a long，long story．He has a great，great power．（重复一个形容词来加强语气）
图解
{ewc MVIMAGE,MVIMAGE, !4F6232T1.bmp}
这个符号表示and是一个并列连词。（但 是表示从属连词的符号）
{ewc MVIMAGE,MVIMAGE, !4F6233T1.bmp}
（A，the，this，that通常用在修饰同一名词的其他形容词前面，但放在both，all，half等词之后。）
1560 He is a probable winner（=man who will probably win，而不是 winner who is probable），a quick thinker， a frequent offender，a heavy loser，a good swimmer，a bad speaker，a long，resident，a big eater，a hard worker．（这些形容词起副词的作用，修饰隐藏在名词里的动词。）
White slavery（=business of white slaves）is forbidden．
Old bachelorship（＝state of old bachelors） was respected here．
He is a public schoolboy（＝boy of a public school，不是 public boy），an old bookseller（=seller of old books，不是old seller），a historical novelist．It is a dirty clothesbasket．
I paid double（or half，quarter） that price for it．
He drank half a（or a half） bottle of water after he walked half a（or a half） mile．
What a fool you are！ You are such a fool！I saw many a fool．
This is a nice and（=wonderfully） cool place（or a fine and fast car）．She is a rare and pretty girl．
1559 Those（or The，His） three expensive round Swiss gold watches are lost．John's black curled walking-stick is kept in a sleeping-room of his．不同类型的形容词放在一起时各有不同位置。大体顺序是：指示词（或物主代词）+数词+描绘形容词+表示颜色或形状的形容词+分词+由专有名词变成的形容词+名词+作定语的动名词+名词。指示词如和物主代词或名词所有格连用，其顺序是：指示词+名词+of +物主代词或名词所有格。不过，有些人不完全赞成上述顺序。
It is a golden age（or a golden opportunity）．He made me an airy promise，gave me an icy welcome．He made an oily speech．He gave me a glassy look and a wooden smile．He has an iron will but a stony heart． She has a leaden heart though she has a silvery voice．I love her silky manners． I can't stand his brazen impudence．（用于引伸意义的表示物质的形容词）
The last three acts（or The other two sides）are longer．
The first（or next） two chapters are interesting．（这样用比 the three last，the two other等要好）
Both（or All， Half）the（or those，these）visitors are my good friends．
1561 They sold almost everything：leather gloves，silk hats，air guns，glass eyes，brass buttons，，gold rings，silver coins，stone jars，salt butter，ice cream，wooden chairs，woolen socks，earthen ware，oak（en） chests，lead（en）roofs，hemp（en）ropes，flax（en）thread，oat（en）bread．（表示物质的名词或形容词）