The attribute is a secondary part of the sentence which qualifies a noun, a pronoun, or any other part of speech that has a nominal character.
An attribute can be either in pre-position or in post-position to the word it modifies.
(What did she do with herself... in that little hole?)
Ways of expressing the attribute:
1. An adjective (the most common way of expressing an attribute).
(This big girl is very lazy.)
2. A pronoun (possessive, defining, demonstrative, interrogative, relative).
(In that great London, what time had they to be sentimental?)
4. A noun:
(a) In the common case. One of the marked features of the English language is the wide use of nouns in the common case as attributes in pre-position; in Russian nouns are never used as attributes in pre-position.
(He wore a large straw hat.)
(b) In the genitive case. This kind of attribute is generally used in pre-position.
(Her father’s nerves would never stand the disclosure.)
However, an attribute expressed by the preposition of a noun in the genitive case is used in post-position (the so-called Absolute Genitive): this clever joke of mother’s; a book of my brother’s.
5. A prepositional phrase.
(To think that a man of his abilities would stoop to such a horrible trick as that!)
6. An adverb: (a) In pre-position.
(In the light of after events one cannot but sympathize with them.) (b) In post-position.
(A voice inside said, “Come in.”)
7. Participles I and II or a participial phrase.
The participle in the function of an attribute can be used in pre-position and in post-position. In the latter case it is mostly used with accompanying words.
(It looks brighter over there. I think it is only a passing shower.)
8. A prepositional phrase or a prepositional construction with a gerund.
(Sally hated the idea of borrowing and living on credit.)
9. An infinitive, an infinitive phrase, or an infinitive construction. The infinitive as an attribute is always used in post-position.
(All right, go back to your office, you’ve got work to do.)
10. Quotation groups.
(I don’t like his “don’t-talk-to-me-or-I’ll-contradict-you” air.)
An apposition is a special kind of attribute which is expressed by a noun (with or without accompanying words) which characterizes or explains the word modified by giving the person or thing another name. There are two kinds of apposition, the close apposition and the loose or detached apposition.
A close apposition is not separated by commas and stands in close connection with the word modified. These word-groups generally consist either of the name of a person and a noun denoting a title, rank, profession, or the name of a person and a noun denoting relationship, or a geographical name and some common noun, e. g. Professor Brown, Captain Marryat, Aunt Polly, President Roosevelt, etc.
(Even Aunt Ann was there.)
A loose apposition is not so closely connected with the noun. It is always separated by commas and has a stress of its own.
(Dr. Winchcliffe, my predecessor, was a classmate of my father’s.)
