MODIFIERS

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A modifier is a word, phrase, or clause that modifies—that is, gives information about—another word in
the same sentence. For example, in the following sentence, the word "burger" is modified by the word
"vegetarian":

Example: I'm going to the Saturn Café for a vegetarian burger.

 The modifier "vegetarian" gives extra information about what kind of burger it is.

A modifier can be an adjective (a word that modifies a noun, like "burger"), but it can also be
an adverb (a word that modifies a verb):

Example: The student carefully proofread her draft.

 The adverb "carefully" is the modifier in this example—it modifies the verb
"proofread," giving important details about how the proofreading was conducted.

A modifier can even be a phrase or clause, as in the following example:

Example: She studied in the library .

 Here, the phrase "in the library" gives us extra information about the verb,
"studied."

How do you identify a modifier?

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What is a modifier?

A modifier is a word, phrase, or clause that provides description.

1. Always place modifiers as close as possible to the words they modify.

When you place modifiers too far away from the words that they modify, you change the meaning
of the sentence, creating what is called a misplaced modifier error.

Examples:

 Confusing: The supervisor told me they needed someone who could

type badly (modifier).
o Is the supervisor's need urgent, or does the supervisor need someone who
struggles with typing?
 Better: The supervisor told me they badly needed someone who could type.

 Confusing: The mouse was found by a farmer lying (modifier) in the field.
o Who was lying in the field, the mouse or the farmer?
 Better: The mouse lying in the field was found by a farmer.
 Or: A farmer found the mouse lying in the field.

2. A modifier at the beginning of the sentence must modify the subject of the
sentence.
If you use a modifier at the beginning of your sentence to modify a word other than the subject of
your sentence, you create a misplaced modifier error.

Example:

 Confusing: Wearing (modifier) high boots, the snake failed to injure the supervisor.
o Is the snake wearing high boots?
 Better: Wearing high boots, the supervisor was protected from the snake.
 Or: Because the supervisor was wearing high boots, the snake did not injure her.

3. Your modifier must modify a word or phrase that is included in your sentence.

If you do not include this word or phrase in your sentence, you create a dangling modifier error.

Example:

 Confusing: While conducting (modifier) a survey of cetaceans in the western North

Atlantic, a dead dolphin was spotted a few miles away from an oil spill.
o Was the dolphin conducting the survey?
 Better: While conducting a survey of cetaceans in the western North Atlantic, researchers
spotted a dead dolphin a few miles away from an oil spill.

Additional Examples of Modifier Types

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We could go further, to illustrate additional examples:

 Hercule Poirot is a really good detective.

The word really represents an intensifier for the adjective good. Really is an
adverb, as it is modifying an adjective.

 Hercule Poirot is that detective.

The word that is demonstrative. It distinguishes Poirot from at least one other
detective.

 Hercule Poirot is the detective who's not wearing a deerstalker hat.

The clause is restrictive. The clause is essential to know which detective Poirot
is, presumably from at least one detective who is wearing a deerstalker hat.

 The case was almost solved.

The degree modifier (an adverb) shows how much of the case was solved.
Instead of intensifying, degree modifiers qualify by giving the degree to which
something is, like someone being fairly sure of something.

 Wearing a deerstalker hat, the murderer was caught by Sherlock Holmes.

This clause represents a misplaced modifier because it puts the hat on the
murderer's head instead of Holmes'. If there were no subject of the sentence
(eliminating by Sherlock Holmes), the opening phrase would be a dangling
modifier.

 Few detectives wear deerstalker hats.

Few is a quantifier, telling how many.

 Both Hercule Poirot and Sherlock homes are well-known detectives.

The modifier is a compound adjective.

TYPES OF MODIFIERS
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Pre-modifiers:
Pre-modifiers are the modifiers which modify the words that follow them in the
sentence. Conventionally the adjectives are usually placed before the nouns. So, most
of the adjectives are pre-modifiers. Adverbs are often placed before the words they
modify.

Articles, determiners, demonstratives, proper adjectives, descriptive

adjectives, compound adjectives, participles, etc. are the adjectives which
come before the nouns and modify them.

Conjunctive adverbs, sentence adverbs, and some other adverbs can work being
placed before the verbs/adjectives/other adverbs.

Example:

o Generally(adverb) the(article) brown(descriptive adjective) dogs are nice.

o Apparently(adverb), that(demonstrative) bank has a lot
of(determiners) security(adjective) porcess.
o Give me that(demonstrative) black(descriptive adjective) covered(past
participle) shining(present participle) box.
o (In the above sentence the noun ‘box’ has four pre-modifiers [adjectives].)

Post-modifiers
Post-modifiers are the modifiers which come after the words they modify. Customarily,
the adverbs come after the verbs and modify them. However, some adjectives also
come after the nouns and modify them.

Most of the adverbs of time, adverbs of manner, adverbs of

place/direction usually come after the verbs they modify.

Appositives, prepositional
phrases (adjectives/adverbs), infinitives (adverbs/adjectives), dependent
clause, etc. usually come after the nouns they modify.

Example:

o Jason Roy, a cricketer,(appositive) has been selected in the squad(adverb).

o Stark, our teacher, (appositive) gives us tasks to do(infinitive - adjective) in the
class(adverb of place).
o Ronaldo, the captain of Portugal team, (appositive) plays exceptionally(adverb of
manner) well.
Modifier: Definition, Types,
Examples
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What is Modifier?
A modifier is a word/phrase/clause that modifies, qualifies, or limits a specific
word in a sentence. Modifiers tend to be descriptive words that are used to put
emphasis, explanation, or detail. In simple words, a modifier is an adverb or an
adjective. The adverb modifies the verbs or adjectives and further the adjective
modifies the nouns.

As suggested by many distinguished writers and professionals, modifiers are a

great writing tool if used accurately at the right time. On the contrary, if any
modifier is not used correctly or placed anywhere, it can distort the entire
meaning and the form of the sentence. The above explanation is also valid for
dangling modifiers and other unsettled modifiers.
Now let’s have a look at the following sentence to understand the concept of
Modifier in an easy way:

 Rita was a sure fit for the role of Juliette in the play.

We can rewrite the same sentence by adding multiple modifiers:

 The famous girl named Rita, who was a finance & arts exchange student
from London, quickly gained all the fame and popularity during her college
year, with her acting and dancing talent. Therefore she was a sure fit for
the role of Juliette in the play

The additional information in the above sentence, by way of modifiers, involves

the reader and grabs their attention.
Examples of Modifiers Functioning as Adjectives
If any particular modifier is an adjective, it either modifies a noun or a pronoun
value. (In the below references, the modifiers are marked in bold.)
Type of Modifier Example

small cat (In this example,

Single-word Adjective “small” is a descriptive
modifier.)

this house (In this example, “this” is a

demonstrative determiner modifier.)

an Indian(In this example, “an” is

a definite article modifier.)

two flower (In this example, “two” is a

quantifier modifier.)

The Single-word modifiers contain normal adjectives (for example, "small,"

"large," "pretty", “one”), determiners (“this”, “mine”, “that”) or articles (“a”, “an”,
“the”).
Type of Modifier Example

I saw an enormously
Adjectival Phrase
small bunny

A Rat is present in the corner of the

house

one to remember

Looking over his glasses, Sir Thomas...

The Adjectival phrase modifiers represents a group of words regulated by an

adjective (for example:, " an enormously small ," " very pretty," "that too
classy") or various other multi-word adjective.
Examples of Modifiers Functioning as Adverbs
If any particular modifier is an adverb, it either modifies a verb, adjective, or
another adverb. (In the below references, the modifiers are marked in bold.)
Type of Modifier Example

Adverbial Phrase Sita danced beautifully.

I will leave today.

She cooks very well.

He did his homework super-fast.

Type of Modifier Example

Adverbial Phrase Sita danced beautifully.

I will leave today.

She cooks very well.

He did his homework super-fast.

Type of Modifier Example

Adverbial Phrase All his efforts went into vein.

Try to maintain the work pace

Think it very wisely.

He was looking at me very

meticulously.

The adverbial phrases often modify the verbs present in a sentence. The
commonly used formats for adverbial phrases are as follows:

1. Prepositional adverbial phrases (for example: " into vein," "have failed")
2. Infinitive adverbial phrases. (for example: , "to maintain the work pace,"
"to keep a steady speed of the work").
3. An adverbial phrase an intensifier. (for example: " very wisely," "give it a
proper thought ")

Type of Modifier Example

Ram played the piano until the

Adverbial Clause
stars appear.

Think twice before you want to

leave.

Himanshu thinks like a weasel.

He was looking at me very

meticulously.

The Adverbial clause modifies the verb. The common properties of adverbial
clauses are as follows:

1. The adverbial clause modifiers always contain a subject and a verb.

Therefore making it a clause instead of a phrase.
2. The adverbial clause is a dependent clause modifier. Hence the writer
cannot make a meaningful sentence only by using an adverbial clause.
3. The adverbial clauses always begin with a subordinating conjunction (for
example, "because," "so," "until, "until, ""like")

Types of Modifiers
Usually, there are two types of modifiers based on the position to word that is
being modified.
1. Post-modifiers
2. Pre-modifiers
Post-modifiers:
Modifiers that are positioned after the word that is modified are Post-modifiers.
Generally, the adverbs are placed after verbs, and they are modified. Though,
certain adjectives are also placed next to the nouns and make them modified. The
majority of the adverbs of place/direction, adverbs of time, and adverbs of
manner are generally placed next to the modified verbs.
Infinitives (adverbs/adjectives), appositives, dependent clause, prepositional
phrases (adjectives/adverbs), etc. are mostly placed afterward the nouns that are
modified.
Example (In the below references, the modifiers are marked in bold.):

1. James khan, a football player, has been fired from the team.

Pre-modifiers:
Modifiers that are positioned before the word that is modified are Pre-modifiers.
Generally, the nouns are positioned after the adjectives. Therefore, the majority of
the adjectives can be recognized as pre-modifiers. Adverbs are also frequently
positioned before the words that are modified.
Descriptive adjectives, demonstratives, articles, compound adjectives, participles,
proper adjectives, determiners, etc., are those adjectives placed before the nouns
that are modified.
Sentence adverbs, conjunctive adverbs, and certain more adverbs can be
positioned before adjectives /verbs/ other adverbs.
Example (In the below references, the modifiers are marked in bold.):

1. Generally, the short-heighted girls are cunning.

2. Please pass that black cover placed near the shiny box.

Misplaced Modifiers
The major problem of modifiers is with their placement. Moreover, modifiers may
cause accidental humour or perplexity in a sentence if placed away from a noun
that is being modified. For instance, consider the sentence below:

 Incorrect sentence: He bought a cat for his sister named Pumpkin.

Explanation: In the above sentence, the cat’s name is Pumpkin, but that’s not
clear. This humour and confusion are because of a misplaced modifier. For
correction, the modifier is moved closer to the noun that is modified.

 Correct Sentence: He bought a cat named Pumpkin for his sister.

Limiting Modifiers
Limiting Modifiers only impose limitations on the pronoun, subject, or noun that
they instantly precede.
Some of the majorly used limiting modifiers are as follows:

1. Simply
2. Hardly
3. At first
4. Almost
5. Just
The meaning of the complete sentence can change if a limiting modifier does not
precede the subject or noun. Consider the following sentence, for instance:

 Incorrect Sentence: Only Harry eats a burger.

Explanation: The above sentence indicates that Harry is the only person who
eats a burger.

 Correct Sentence: Harry eats a burger only.

Explanation: And, this sentence implies that Harry wants to eat a burger only.
The most appropriate technique to be sure that the limited modifier used is at the
right place is to examine the meaning the sentence needs to convey and be sure
the noun and subject related with meaning are at the closest position possible
with a limited modifier.

Why is modifier usage and placement so important?

Image result for importance of using modifiers
A modifier should be placed next to the word it describes. Note how the placement of the modifier
creates different possible meanings: Note how different placement of the word only creates a
difference in meaning between these two sentences. Sentence A means that the shopper did not buy
any ties.

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Placing Modifiers
Modifiers work best when they are near what they modify.
Example: I saw a man walking down the road.
If you wanted to add the adjective
tall
to the sentence, where would you add it? The best place is next to the
noun or pronoun that it describes. The nouns and pronouns in the sentence are
I
,
man
and
road
. It would be
incorrect to say
tall I
.
Tall road
doesn’t make sense. So you would add it before
man
.
I saw a tall man walking down the road.
Below are sentences with a word or phrase in parentheses. Rewrite each sentence adding the
word or phrase.
1. Ellen put her homework on the table. (wooden)
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2. In the evening the zebras came to the river to drink.