The Attribute

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.

Ways of expressing the attribute
1.	adjective	This big girl is very lazy. He seems a very silent, awkward lad.
2.	pronoun (possessive, defining, demonstrative, interrogative, relative)	His shrewd eyes had lost none of their clear shining. Here’s some money for you.
3.	numeral (cardinal or ordinal)	He arrived just three weeks ago. He has always been the first boy in his class.
4.	noun a) in the common case	It happened on a December evening. The garden wall was almost ruined.
	b) in the genitive case	Her father’s nerves would never stand the disclosure. He was a man of regular habits.
5.	prepositional phrase	The impressions of six years are not got over in such a space of time. The letter from her sister reassured her.
6.	adverb a) in pre-position	In the light of after events one cannot but sympathized with them.
	b) in post-position	The room above is large and light. The man there is my brother.
7.	Participle I and II or participial phrase	I think it is only a passing shower. On the opposite side of the destroyed church is a fine avenue of trees.
8.	A prepositional phrase or a prepositional construction with a gerund	She hated the idea of borrowing and living on credit.
9.	infinitive, an infinitive phrase, or construction	He was not a man to experiment with acquaintance.
10.	quotation groups	It was a ‘You- must- take- us- as- you- find- us’ attitude to things, and it saved me a lot of trouble.

Ex. 24. Point out the attribute and say by what it is expressed.

1. The first day's journey from Gaza to Ascalon was intolerably tedious. 2. What do you say to a stroll through the garden, Mr. Cockane? 3. It was such a cruel thing to have happened to that gentle, helpless creature. 4. He was always the first to enter the dining-room and the last to leave. 5. Sallу hated the idea of borrowing arid living on credit. 6. The two men faced each other silently. 7. It was an easy go-as-you-please existence. 8. I am not in the habit of reading other people's letters. 9. He thrust his hands deep into his overcoat pockets. 10. It was not a matter to be discussed even with a guide, philosopher and friend so near and trusted as the Professor. 11. Ethel, the youngest, married a good-for-nothing title waiter. 12. He pointed to a house on a near-by shady knoll. 13. It was just one little sheet of glass between her and the great wet world outside. 14. She had a pair of immense bare arms to match, and a quantity of mottled hair arranged in a sort of bow. 15. Dicky heard right enough. A clear, ringing little laugh was his only reply. 16. To think that a man of his abilities would stoop to such a horrible trick as that. 17. There was a blackbird perched on the cherry-tree, sleek and glistening. 18. A middle-aged man carrying a sheaf of cards walked into the room. 19. Daniel Quilp began to comprehend the possibility of there being somebody at the door. 20. Still, Pett's happiness or unhappiness is quite a life and death question with us.