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Adding words after an adjective is a major way to make it into a phrase
THE CONCEPT OF ADJECTIVE EXPANSION
It is common for the word phrase to be added to a word class name (e.g. “noun phrase”, “verb phrase”) so that the name can cover combinations of words as well as single ones. For example, demand for luxury goods might be called a “noun phrase” because it will usually occupy the same sentence positions as the noun demand (see 252. Descriptive Wording after Nouns 1).
Practically every word class can be represented by a phrase instead of a single word. Verbs can combine with an “auxiliary” like will or has (see 2. Interrupted Structures); prepositions can add words before them, e.g. in terms of, according to, as can conjunctions, e.g. as soon as, provided that (see 221. Multi-Word Prepositions and 230. Multi-Word Conjunctions).
Adjective phrases are of various kinds. One – a preposition + noun – may even lack an adjective altogether (see 84. Seven Things to Know about Prepositions, #2). Often, however, adjective phrases comprise an individual adjective with wording before and/or after it. Words before an adjective in adjective phrases tend to be adverbs or adverb phrases, often expressing a strength level, like quite (see 194. Adverbs that Say How Much).
On the other hand, wording after an adjective (technically called “adjective complementation”) can involve a preposition, that clause, to verb or -ing verb. Superlative adjectives even allow an adjective or adverb (see 305. Wording next to Superlatives, #6). A problem for less experienced English users is that choosing between the main types depends sometimes on their particular meaning and sometimes on the kind of adjective they follow. This post offers assistance with such choices.
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EXPANSION WITH PREPOSITIONS
A useful distinction is between adjectives whose following words can only start with a preposition and those that allow other possibilities too.
1. Adjectives Expandable Only by a Preposition
Some adjectives always have one particular following preposition, some have either that or nothing at all, and some allow a choice of prepositions or nothing at all. After any preposition, there can be either a noun-like expression or an -ing verb, e.g. prone to leaking (see 70. Gerunds). Care is needed when the preposition is to not to confuse it with the to of infinitive verbs, which of course has no following -ing (see 35. Words Followed by “to -ing”).
Adjectives with a compulsory unchanging preposition include attracted to, averse to, bent on, conducive to, conversant with, devoid of, incumbent upon, prone to, reliant on, subject to and used to. The usual need of these adjectives to accompany their preposition means they must normally go after their noun with a link verb like BE in between – not directly before it (see 109. Placing an Adjective after its Noun). For more about averse, see 175. Tricky Word Contrasts 6, #6.
Adjectives that can be followed by either a particular preposition or nothing at all include accurate (about), alive (to), bored (with), capable (of), characteristic (of), close (to), compliant (with), critical (of), dependent (on), different (from in Britain, than in America), dismissive (of), divided (over), empty (of), equivalent (to), expressive (of), fond (of), full (of), harmful (to), identical (to), immune (to), indicative (of), inquisitive (about), kind (to), knowledgeable (about), opposite (to) (= “contrasting”), responsible (for), short (of), similar (to), suggestive (of), superior (to), suspicious (of), true (of), vulnerable (to) and worthy (of).
For more examples, see 160. Uses of “of”. Note that equivalent and opposite can also be nouns, their preposition then being of (see 261. Words with Complicated Grammar 3, #4).
Adjectives that can be followed by either a variable preposition or nothing at all quite often express the idea of skill or competence, e.g. adept, clever, competent, effective, expert, good and skilled. All may have at or with, and some also in (for the difference, see 134. Words with a Variable Preposition). Also notable are familiar (to/with), ignorant (about/of) and responsible (to/for).
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2. Adjectives Expandable by a Preposition or Other Structure
Adjectives expressing emotions are one major group under this heading. Happy, for example, not only allows a variety of prepositions (with, about, for) but can also combine with that, to (+ VERB) and -ing, each choice usually depending on meaning (for the preposition meanings, see 134. Words with a Variable Preposition).
Other emotion adjectives include afraid (of/for), amazed (at), angry (at/with), annoyed (at/about/with), anxious (about/for), ashamed (of), concerned (about), confident (about/of), content (with), curious (about), delighted (with), determined (about), disappointed (with), disgusted (at/with), distressed (at), embarrassed (about), excited (at/about), frustrated (with), furious (at/about/with), glad (about), inclined (towards), pleased (with), satisfied (with), shocked (at), sorry (about/for) and upset (at/about/with).
Besides emotion adjectives, some will and fact-related ones fit here. Will adjectives include adamant (about), emphatic (about), generous (with), insistent (on/about), interested (in), keen (on) and tired (of). Fact-related adjectives include aware (of), (un)certain (about/of), clear (about), conscious (of), convinced (about/of), correct (about), doubtful (about), right (about) and (un)sure (about/of).
Also notable are competent (at/with), necessary (for), possible (for) (see 181. Expressing Possibility) and enough/sufficient (for) (189. Expressing Sufficiency). All allow a following to verb instead of prepositiion.
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EXPANSION WITH “THAT”
Not all uses of that after an adjective are expanding it. Compare:
(a) Witnesses were certain that explosions had occurred.
(b) It is certain that life exists on other planets.
In (a), that and the words after it expand certain into an adjective phrase describing witnesses. The meaning of certain is “convinced” (see 226. Words with Complicated Grammar 2, #2). In (b), however, that introduces a delayed subject of the verb is, corresponding to the earlier it (see 103. Representing a Later Statement with “it”), so that it is making a noun phrase rather than expanding an adjective. Certain means “undeniable” (see 224. Asserting the Truth of what you Say). Similar possibilities exist with clear, definite and sure.
Some adjectives are usable with that only in it sentences like (b), and hence cannot be considered truly expandable with a following that. They include likely, necessary, possible, enough, sufficient, undoubted and various -able adjectives, e.g. desirable, foreseeable, predictable, undeniable and understandable.
Most adjectives that are expandable with a following that seem to be the same ones that are listed above as allowing either a preposition or other structure, i.e. mostly expressing an emotion, mind state or way of communicating. For example, both disappointed with… and disappointed that… are possible.
That… after such adjectives often introduces indirect speech (see 300. Adjective Indicators of Indirect Speech). Indeed, the preposition alternatives can have this function too. Their special value is that they allow abbreviation of the message – desirable when information is obvious or of questionable truth (see 95. Avoiding Untruths 1).
Adjectives like insistent and determined, which introduce a future desire, may combine that with a “subjunctive” verb (see 269. Exotic Grammar Structures 7, #7).
Adjectives listed in section 2 above that do not allow that are inclined and tired. In addition, interested may have that quite rarely, preferring interested to know/ see/ hear that…. One that-allowing adjective that cannot have a preposition is willing: its alternative to that is a to verb.
Some negative adjectives, including doubtful, uncertain, unclear and unsure, often have whether instead of that (creating indirect questions), sometimes preceded by about or as to (see 219. Wording next to Indirect Questions):
(c) Scientists are unsure that / (about) whether intelligent life exists elsewhere.
Whether and that may give slightly different meanings (see 217. Tricky Grammar Contrasts, #7). Other question words (who, when, how, why etc.) are also possible after the above adjectives, though they are obviously less close to that in meaning.
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EXPANSION WITH “TO” AND “-ING” VERBS
Like adjectives before that, not all adjectives before a to or -ing verb make an adjective phrase with it. There is again no adjective phrase if the adjective and to/-ing verb follow it is, and none if they follow too or enough (see 32. Expressing Consequences). Adjectives able to make a proper phrase with a to verb are numerous, those that can additionally make one with -ing are less common, and those that can only make one with -ing seem rare.
Unlike adjectives expandable by that, those expandable by a to verb are quite often not expandable with a preposition. A useful way of discovering whether or not a preposition alternative exists is to see how the adjective behaves when placed between BE and a to verb, like this:
(d) Children are happy to socialise.
Here, the sentence subject children is also the subject of to socialise. Change happy to easy, however, and children becomes the object of to socialise.
Many adjectives can be classified as like either happy or easy (though some are like both: see 233. Structures with a Double Meaning 3, #4). What is useful, however, is that most of those like happy are the ones expandable with a preposition as well as a to verb, while most of those resembling easy are not. And it is quite often possible to tell whether a particular adjective is like happy or easy from the kind of meaning it has. For example, most emotion adjectives are like happy and most possibility adjectives are like easy (see 83. Adjectives before a “to” Verb).
Exceptions to this rule include able, certain, likely and sure: they combine with to verbs in the same way as happy but they cannot also have a preposition (certain and sure with a preposition change their meanings to “convinced” – see 226. Words with Complicated Grammar 2, #2).
Where a preposition alternative exists, it often expresses a slight meaning difference. Happy to… means “willing” concerning a future action (e.g. happy to work), but happy with… means “contented” (e.g. happy with life). Similar are content, delighted and pleased. Anxious to… means “keen”, but anxious about… means “worried”.
Elsewhere, a to verb may indicate an action at a specific time, a preposition an action or thing in general. Keen to travel, for example, is about a specific journey, while keen on travelling is just a general preference. Similar are afraid, competent, curious and interested (for details of afraid, see 175. Tricky Word Contrasts 6, #5).
In many other cases, the difference is just that the to verb indicates an action, the preposition a thing or situation. One might say, for example, furious to hear… but furious about the news or furious with a reporter. Similar are angry, confident, embarrassed, excited, inclined and shocked. This last difference also applies to some non-emotion adjectives used like happy rather than easy, such as generous (with) and reckless (with).
To after emotion adjectives needs to be distinguished from that as well as from prepositions. Usually, to shows an action by the person possessing the emotion – keen to travel is about travel by the keen person – while that shows actions by someone else, e.g. keen that the students travel (one could, however, use that without referring to someone else by adding should: they are keen that they should travel).
As mentioned above, adjective expansion with -ing verbs is quite rare. Adjective-expanding -ing verbs have to be distinguished from the kind that can follow practically any adjective. Compare:
(e) Everyone was happy seeing the war end.
(f) The road was dangerous entering the town.
I feel only the combination in (e) is the relevant kind. Entering in (f) is what I have elsewhere called an “add-on” participle. One difference is that the -ing statement in (e) gives a cause of the adjective state – which it does not necessarily do in (f). Yet by itself, this difference is perhaps not enough, since (f) could be modified to suggest causation, for example by ending …passing through the mountains, yet would still seem different. A further clue is perhaps that only (e) can be paraphrased with MAKE:
(g) Seeing the war end made everyone happy.
Adjectives expandable with -ing again tend to indicate emotions, though some emotion adjectives, like eager, inclined, keen and willing, only have to. Where it exists, the choice between -ing and to depends on meaning. With most emotion adjectives, -ing highlights the time during an action, while to focuses on the action as a whole. For example, happy/angry seeing suggests happiness during seeing, while happy/angry to see (the action after happy not being a future one) suggests happiness at an overall sight. This is a distinction of “aspect” (see the end of 103. Representing a Later Statement with “it”).
A very small number of adjectives seem to allow -ing but not to:
(h) The patient was tired driving to work.
Tired here looks to be closely linked with driving – provided its cause is driving rather than anything else.
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