Lesson 12 - Modifiers

MODIFIERS
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Adjectives and Adverbs as Modifiers

Comparatives and Superlatives as Modifiers
Multiple-word Modifiers
Nouns as Modifiers
Misplaced and Dangling Modifiers

Modifiers are single words or groups of words that describe or provide more detail about another
word, be it subjects, verbs, objects, complements or other modifiers. Modifying words are mostly
adjectives and adverbs. Adjectives modify nouns and pronouns, and adverbs modify adjectives,
verbs and other adverbs. A noun too can be used as a modifier of another noun.

1. Adjectives and Adverbs as Modifiers

Modifiers are usually placed next to the word they modify. Placed too far from the word it
describes, the modifier can end up as misplaced modifier, which is explained later. Adjectives as
modifiers come more often before the noun than after it. Adverbs as modifiers occur immediately
before or after the verb, and before an adjective or another adverb.

Adjective modifying noun

It was a dark and stormy night.
(Dark is an adjective, so is stormy; they both modify the noun night.)
There was a red kite in the cloudless sky.
(Red and cloudless are adjectives, and they modify the nouns kite and sky.)

Adjective modifying pronoun

He was happy with the way things went.
(Happy as an adjective modifying pronoun he.)
They were tired after a hard day at the worksite.
(Adjective tired modifies pronoun they.)

Adverb modifying verb

He often sees ghosts in his dreams.
(Adverb often modifies verb sees.)
He did not feel hungry and ate sparingly.
(Adverb sparingly modifies verb ate.)

Adverb modifying adjective

The water wasnt hot enough to make a drink.
(The word enough is an adverb and it modifies the adjective hot)
She felt her pulse seemed abnormally fast.

(Adverb abnormally modifies adjective fast.)

Adverb modifying adverb

He now gets home more quickly with his new car.
(More is an adverb and it modifies another adverb quickly.)
After her illness, she gets tired exceptionally easily.
(Adverb exceptionally modifies adverb easily.)

Verb

Adverb modifying verb

He works on his own.

He works efficiently on his own.

They dig to get at the roots.

They dig deep to get at the roots.

We ate lots of food.

We eat up lots of food.

Adjective

Adverb modifying adjective

It was 4 a.m. and I was still awake.

It was 4 a.m. and I was still wide awake.

We have been patient with him.

We have been quite patient with him.

It was dark inside the cave.

It was completely dark inside the cave.

Adverb

Adverb modifying adverb

He finished his homework quickly.

He finished his homework very quickly.

She ran fast in the race.

She ran amazingly fast in the race.

The dog came immediately when he called.

The dog came almost immediately when he called.

To be able to distinguish between an adjective and an adverb does help as the following show.

Real is an adjective; really is an adverb.

Incorrect: The government is aware of the really problems that these people face.
(It is incorrect because an adverb does not modify a noun. The word really is an adverb.)
Correct: The government is aware of the real problems that these people face.
(The word real is an adjective and it correctly modifies a noun problems.)

Incorrect: We dont know what real happened.

(An adjective real does not modify a verb happened.)
Correct: We dont know what really happened.
(An adverb really modifies a verb happened.)

Certain is an adjective; certainly is an adverb.

Incorrect: Not smoking has certain made a real difference.

(Certain is an adjective and an adjective does not modify a verb made.)
Correct: Not smoking has certainly made a real difference.
(Certainly is an adverb and it modifies the verb made.)

Incorrect: Are you quite certainly about what happened?

Correct: Are you quite certain about what happened?

2. Comparatives and Superlatives as Modifiers

Comparatives and superlatives can act as modifiers as they are either adjectives or adverbs. The
comparative form is restricted to comparing two things while the superlative form compares more
than two things.

Abus older camel died last week.

This sentence says that Abu had two camels, one of which died last week. Older modifies
the camel that died.
Abu has the oldest camel in the desert.
Here the superlative oldest is used as there are more than two camels in the
desert. Oldest modifies camel in the sentence.

The word very can be an adjective or an adverb. We use it here as an adverb to modify an
adjective or an adverb, but we cannot use it to modify comparatives and superlatives.
Correct: Abus camel is very old.
Very modifies adjective old.
Correct: Abu rides his camel very slowly.
Very modifies adverb slowly.
Incorrect: Abus camel is very older than his uncles camel.
Very cannot modify comparative adjective older.

Incorrect: Abu rides his camel very more slowly.

Very cannot modify comparative adverb more.

3. Multiple-word modifiers
Modifiers can be more than one describing the same noun to make it more precise or interesting.
They can be a phrase, or multiple-word, or even just one word modifying a whole sentence. The
modifiers must be easily identifiable with the words they modify.

The meal in that restaurant was really delicious.

The phrase in the restaurant modifies the noun meal. It tells us where the meal is/was
available, and really delicious also modifies meal. It tells us about the taste of the meal.
The adverb really modifies the adjective delicious. It tells us how delicious the meal was.

They were highly delighted at the courts decision.

The adverb highly modifies how they felt, that is delighted. The adverbial phrase at the
courts decision modifies the adjective delighted. It tells us what made them delighted.

Suddenly, the ground shook and everyone rushed outdoors.

Suddenly modifies the whole sentence. Outdoors is an adverb and it modifies the
verb rushed.

The hungry-looking vultures were perched high on the steep cliff overlooking the slightly
choppy sea.
Adjective hungry-looking modifies noun vultures; adverb high modifies verb perched;
adjective steep modifies noun cliff; slightly choppy modifies noun sea; and
adverb slightly modifies adjective choppy.

Covered by a thick layer of fine dust, the top shelf had not been wiped for years.
Adjective thick modifies noun phrase layer of fine dust; adjective fine modifies
noun dust; adjective top modifies shelf; and covered by a thick layer of fine
dust modifies top shelf.

It was the ugly toothless old wicked witch, who cast a magical spell on the beautiful
princess.
A whole string of adjectives ugly toothless old wicked modifies noun witch;
adjective magical modifies noun spell; adjective beautiful modifies noun princess;
and who cast a magical spell on the beautiful princess modifies witch.

4. Nouns as Modifiers
A noun can modify another noun by coming immediately before the noun that follows it. As a
modifier, the first noun tells us a bit more about the following noun. When a noun acts as a
modifier, it is in its singular form.

They do not have vegetable soup, but they do have chicken soup and tomato soup.
In the sentence, the nouns vegetable, chicken and tomato are modifiers. They
modify soup. Without the modifiers, we would not know what soup they have or do not
have. All we would know is they have soup.

We need to use a modifying word such as an adjective or a noun, attributively (before a noun) to
add to the meaning of the noun being modified. For example, we know what a ship is, but do we
know what type of ship it is or what it is used for? By using a word, especially a noun acting as an
adjective, before the noun ship we get to know what ship it is a battleship, cargo ship, container
ship, cruise ship, merchant ship, sailing ship, spaceship, or supply ship, or even an enemy ship or
a pirate ship.

Other examples:

Business/girls/language/village school She is a teacher in a language school.

Corner/gift/pet/shoe shop The gift shop offers a small selection of leather goods.
Family/farm/pet/police/sheep/sniffer/toy dog The police dog was sniffing round the
detainee's heels.
Council/country/dream/farm/mansion/tree/summer house They rented acouncil
house when they got married.

More examples:

We are renovating the old farm buildings after they were gutted by fire.
They spent the weekends doing the vegetable garden.

She kept her money box under her bed.

A car bomb went off, injuring a dozen people.
He lay in the hospital bed reading a library book.

When a noun used as a modifier is combined with a number expression, the noun is singular and
a hyphen is used, as follow:

They built their own half-timbered house overlooking the river.

He does a one-man show in a open-air theatre. / His one-man business is expanding
fast.
The pilot overshot the runway and crashed his two-seater aircraft.
The three-day horse-riding event will take place next week.
They lived in a four-bedroom house in the suburbs.
She plays in a five-girl rock band.
He will have to serve a six-year sentence for burglaries.
He got a seven-month contract to work on an offshore oilrig.
The historic eight-room mansion stands in 60 acres of parkland.

The 100-year-old mansion stands in 60 acres of parkland.

5. Misplaced and Dangling Modifiers
Misplaced Modifier

A misplaced modifier is a word or phrase that is placed in a wrong place in a sentence.

Usually, it is placed too far away from the word that it is meant to modify; this results in
the wrong word being modified. When this happens, the sentence causes confusion or does
not appear to make sense. To correct it requires moving the modifier to the right place,
which is next or as close as possible to the word it is to modify.
We nearly lived in that house for five years. (Misplaced modifier)
We lived in that house for nearly five years. (Corrected: nearly modifies five)
He bought a squirrel from a friend with a bushy tail.
(The phrase with a bushy tail is wrongly placed to modify friend. It says that the friend has
a bushy tail.)
Correct: He bought a squirrel with a bushy tail from a friend. (with a bushy tail now
correctly modifies squirrel.)
Five occupants of the burning building were reported burnt to death by the police.
Correct: The police reported that five occupants of the burning building were burnt to
death.
Gathering on the beach, the UFO was watched by a large number of people.
Correct: Gathering on the beach, a large number of people watched the UFO.
(Or: A large number of people gathered on the beach to watch the UFO.

Kept in her safe for many years, she decided to wear her gold necklace.
Correct: She decided to wear her gold necklace, which had been kept in her safe for many
years.

Dangling Modifier
When we have a modifier in the form of a word, phrase, or clause, we must make sure
there is something for it to modify. If the something is not present in the sentence, the
modifier will be wrongly modifying something else and it is called a dangling modifier. A
sentence having a dangling modifier is confusing as it doesn't make sense. To make
correction, put in the word that has been left out of the sentence for the modifier to
modify.
Looking at the sea, a boat approaching shore was noticed.
Correct: Looking at the sea, I noticed a boat approaching shore.
Having seen the movie once, there is no reason to see it again.
Correct: Having seen the movie once, we have no reason to see it again.
While lying under a tree, a bee stung his left ear.
Correct: While John was lying under a tree, a bee stung his left ear.