Happy Birthday, Paul Simon! (b. October 13, 1941)
Read any review about American musician Paul Simon and you’ll find countless adjectives that describe this prolific artist (I just did it!). You might also find him described as acclaimed, popular, creative, or inspiring – all appropriate adjectives, to name just a few.
You’ll likely find other words to describe Simon: musician, guitarist, songwriter, arranger, poet, actor, producer, friend, philanthropist, father. You may be saying, “Wait! These are nouns!” Yes! You may know that in English, we can also use nouns as adjectives.
In some cases, 2 nouns may be combined to describe someone in greater detail. If we describe Paul Simon as a Yankee fan (he is!), we find out where he sits in the stadium!
Also, take this 2019 online headline :
Singer-songwriter Paul Simon’s latest honour has come from the Poetry Society of America.* The writer wants to describe Simon as both a singer and a songwriter. This combination of singer+songwriter is also a collocation in English; that is, you’ll often find these musical nouns together.
Teacher, musician, wife, mother, friend, daughter, and sister are nouns acting as adjectives to describe me. I might put two nouns together to create my own news headline: Foodie musician Renee Redmond bakes 12 dozen cheesecakes for New York concert reception. 😊
Which nouns act as adjectives to describe YOU?
Need ideas? Check out the Longman Dictionary for English Language Learners: https://www.ldoceonline.com/
*https://www.independent.ie/entertainment/music/singer-songwriter-paul-simon-honoured-for-his-love-of-poetry-38234447.html
