nouns - When to use inverted word-order like "great an option"?



I heard this in a movie yesterday:



That is great an option!



Why didn't he say:



That is a great option!



How does grammar desribe such inverted phrases? Where should I use this inverted order instead of the usual "an [adjective] [noun]"?



Answer



My hunch is that OP misheard.


The inverted "great an option" form is used most frequently in specific constructs, such as "so [adjective] a [noun]" and "as [adjective] a [noun]". (Both of these, for what it's worth, are comparative constructs.)


Ex: That's not so great an option.


Ex #2: I'd rather not live in as large a house as this.


Ex #3: So great a surgeon is she that she could do this operation blindfolded.


Edit: Another context in which this occurs is in constructions of emphasis, such as: How lovely a film that was!


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