以下情况，形容词作定语时一般放在所修饰的名词之前：

1. 形容词修饰不定代词或地点副词时。如：

　　There is nothing important.

　　I want to find somewhere quiet.

　　注意：不定代词前若有限定词时，形容词就不后置。如：

　　They did the necessary something.

　　2. 以字母a开头的形容词，如alive, ashamed, alike, afraid, asleep, awake等作定语时。如：

　　He was the only man alive at that time.

　　The girl ashamed is my sister.

　　3. 以-ible, -able结尾的形容词，如possible, unspeakable, imaginable等作定语时。如：

　　We must get in touch with them in every way possible.

　　Beijing is an interesting place ima- ginable.

　　4. 表示度量的形容词短语作定语时。如：

　　A bridge twenty meters long is being built.

　　There is a building eight metres high in our school.

　　5. 形容词加介词短语或不定式短语作定语时。如：

　　I know the actor suitable for the part.

　　The boys easiest to teach were from the countryside.

　　6. 用and或or连接的表示反义或近义的两个或两个以上形容词作定语时。如：

　　The women, old and young, stayed at home.

　　The boy, tired, hungry and thirsty, is lying there.

　　7. 有些从法语或拉丁语中派生出来的形容词作定语时。如：

　　from time immemorial远古以来 secretary general秘书长

　　另外，有些形容词前置或后置都可以，但意义不同。试比较：

　　The people present at the meeting are all workers. 出席会议的人都是工人。

　　He gave us a talk on the present situation. 他给我们作了一个目前形势的报告。

　　The tool used are made in China. 所使用的工具是中国制造的。

　　The used tools are on the floor. 旧工具全在地上。