2.45 Special classes of adjectives

Most adjectives can be used both attributively and predicatively but there are some which can only be used in one way or the other.

There are a few adjectives are always or almost always used in front of a noun and are never or rarely used as the complement of a link verb. These adjectives are called attributive adjectives.

Examples are 'atomic' and 'outdoor'. You can talk about 'an atomic explosion', but you do not say, 'The explosion was atomic'. You can talk about 'outdoor pursuits', but you do not say 'Their pursuits are outdoor'.