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Can I use an adjective before the subject? Examples:

  1. Fast, he is.
  2. Tall, I'm.
  3. Slow and dumb, they are.

Also, is the usage of comma in these sentences correct?

Thanks.

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  • Some expressions allow it: As fast as he was, he couldn't keep up. Yours don't.
    – Andrew Tobilko
    Commented Dec 23, 2022 at 12:31
  • Commenting on a runner, you might say "He's fast, he is", and Noel Coward has a character in Private Lives say "Very flat, Norfolk" (a part of England that is mostly low-lying). Sentences like these are not recommended for English language learners, though.
    – Kate Bunting
    Commented Dec 23, 2022 at 14:09

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If you are Yoda, you can.

Otherwise don't.

This fronting of the complement has a strong marking effect. Saying "Fast, he is." strongly focuses attention on the adjective "Fast". It was done in Star Wars for Yoda to make him sound mysterious and alien. Learners should not normally want to sound like aliens!

The verb must not be contracted, so "Tall, I am" is possible, but not "Tall, I'm".

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