Adjectives used in measurements

Words such as deep long wide, etc can function as adjectives or adverbs after the question word How [> 13.40.2]

How deep is that pool? (adjective)

How deep did you dive? (adverb) In responses to such questions, the adjective (or adverb) follows the noun It can sometimes be omitted

It's five metres (deep) /I went five metres deep And compare

How old are you? - I m five years old or / m five

How old is your car?- Its five years old (Not 'It's five *)

Measurement nouns are plural when they are followed by adjectives or adverbs (six metres high), they are singular when they precede the noun (a six metre wall) [> 6 3 2] But note this exception

Jim is six foot/feet tall (singular or plural)

He s a six-foot man (singular only)

Adjectives

Adjectives as complements after e.g. verbs of perception

We use adjectives, not adverbs, after verbs of perception, particularly

those relating to the senses, such as look taste [> 9.3, 10.23-25, App

38] e.g. appear strange feel rough, look good, look well seem

impossible, smell sweet sound nice, taste bad

That pie looks good but it tastes awful

A day in the country sounds nice but think of the traffic!

Scratch my back there please Ah¹ That feels better

The words used after these verbs are adjectives because they are

describing the subject of the verb, not modifying the verb itself. They

function as adjectival complements [> 1.9, 1.11]. Compare:

You look well (Well = 'in good health' is an adjective.)

You play well {Well is an adverb modifying play.)

Adjectives can be used as complements of the subject after other verbs in expressions such as: break loose die/marry young, keep>sit still live close to, remain open, ring true/false

Many famous poets have died young

It's impossible for young children to sit still.

The murder was not solved and the case remains open

Adjectives are often used as complements after verbs such as lie or stand, particularly in descriptive writing [> 7.59.2]:

The crowd stood (or was) silent at the end of the ceremony

Adverbs that can function as adjectives

A few adverbs and adverb particles [> 7.3.4] can function as attributive adjectives, especially in fixed phrases: e.g. the above statement an away match, the down train 'the up train, the downstair lavatory/the upstairs bathroom a home win; the inside cover inside information an outside line, the then chairman

Adjectives easily confused

Many common adjectives are easily confused. For details [> App 11].