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| Arup Roy, Lecturer in English Language & Literature, Kanchkura University College |
Definition
A modifier is a word, phrase, or clause which specifies another word and provides extra information about that word. A modifier can sit before or after a word.
A modifier is a word, phrase, or clause which specifies another word and provides extra information about that word. A modifier can sit before or after a word.
Different types of pre-modifier
·
Multiplicative – Single, double, triple
Ø Adjective
as Pre-modifier
Ø Adverb
as Pre-modifier
Ø Determiners
as Pre-modifier
ü
Articles – a, an and the
ü
Demonstrative Pronoun—this, these, that, those
ü
Possessive adjectives—my, your, his, her, our,
your, its, their
ü
Quantifiers – few, little, any, every, some,
more, much
ü
Numerical
·
Cardinals– one, two, three, four, five
·
Ordinals – first, second, third, last, next
Ø Compounds
as Pre-modifier
Ø Noun
as Pre-modifier
Ø Noun
Adjective as Pre-modifier
Ø Participles
as pre-modifiers
ü
Present Participle
ü
Past Participle
ü Perfect Participle
Ø Adjective as Post modifier
Ø Adverb as Post modifier
Ø Infinitive Phrase as Post modifier
Ø Participle phrase as Post modifier
ü Present Participle Phrase
ü Past Participle Phrase
ü Perfect Participle
Ø Prepositional Phrase as Post modifier
Ø Appositive as Post modifier
Ø Relative clause as Post-modifier
ELABORATE DISCUSSION
Ø Different Types of Pre-modifiers
1. Adjectives as Pre-modifier
When an adjective is used before a noun or a noun phrase to modify that noun or noun phrase, this adjective is called an adjective as a pre-modifier. This kind of usage of adjectives is also known as attributive use.
EXAMPLE:
ü He is a good boy.
Here, the adjective “good” used before the noun qualifies the noun “boy”.
2. Adverb as Pre-modifier
EXAMPLE:
ü The below passage has been taken from Shakespeare’s Hamlet.
ü The then cricketer came to teach me how to bat.
3. Determiners as pre-modifiers
Determiners denote articles (a, an, the) and demonstrative (this, that, these, those) as pre-modifier.
EXAMPLES:
3.1. Articles
ü I eat an egg daily.
ü I have a cat.
ü The Meghna is the widest and longest river in Bangladesh.
3.2. Demonstrative
ü This book is mine.
ü I ate those mangoes.
ü That house was built last year.
3.3. Quantifiers as Pre-modifiers
Quantifier indicates quantity of noun. Much, little, a little, a great/good/vast/little amount of, a lot of, a lot, more, less, some, adequate, enough, etc. are used as quantifiers of singular non-countable nouns. Quantifier of plural countable noun includes many, some, few, a great/good number of, a lot of, a lot, three, ten, more, less, several, adequate, enough.
EXAMPLES:
ü I have three mangoes.
ü One need not spend much money unnecessarily.
ü Many boys are present here.
ü He does not have a lot of money.
3.4. Possessive as Pre-modifier
Possessive (his, her, our, your, there, my) sits before a noun and works as a pre-modifier.
EXAMPLES:
ü This is my pen.
ü His house is made of glass.
ü I like their attitude.
ü
Your brother looks dashing.
4. Compounds as Pre-modifier
Compound words are such words that consist of more the one word. They may behave like a single adjective or a single noun. When they sit before a noun and qualify the noun, they are called compounds as pre-modifier.
EXAMPLES:
ü I saw a one-eyed man.
ü He is a hard-working man.
ü “Compound modifiers are grammatically equivalent to single-word modifiers.”
5. Noun as Pre-modifier
Sometimes noun modifies a noun. When two nouns sit side by side, the first noun modifies the second one. Here the first noun works as an adjective.
EXAMPLES:
ü City life is a busy life.
ü A cricket match is highly enjoyable.
ü Can you pay for the bus fare?
6. Noun Adjectives as Pre-modifier
Here, two nouns sit side by side; however, the first noun is preceded by an adjective.
ü It is a small cricket field.
ü Komlapur is a busy rail station.
ü Let’s take rest under a shadowy banyan tree.
7. Participles as Pre-modifier
We know participle always works as adjective or adverb. There are three kinds of participles that work as Pre-modifier.
Present Participle
To form present participle, we add -ing with the base form of the verb. Present participle being used before noun works as an adjective.
EXAMPLES:
ü I saw a flying bird.
ü I saw a floating flower.
ü A barking dog seldom bites.
Past Participle
It is formed as a past participle (V2) of the main verb. It also works as an adjective.
EXAMPLES:
ü You should not buy rotten vegetables.
ü A dead man cannot speak.
ü It is a written document.
Perfect Participle
Perfect participle follows the following structure: having + past participle of the base form of the verb. It is used before a clause and modifies the clause. It works as an adverb.
ü Having done the homework, I went to the playground.
ü Having developed my research topic, I decided to buy some books.
ü Having had my dinner, I went to bed.
Ø Different Types of Post Modifiers
1. Adjective as Post modifier
In general, an adjective is followed by a noun, but, in some cases, it is used after some nouns or pronouns (something, everyone, anyone)
EXAMPLES:
ü I found everything fine in your writing.
ü There is some wrong with his attitude.
ü Is there anyone interested in literature?
2. Adverb as Post modifier
As an adjective, an adverb is also used as a post modifier.
EXAMPLES:
ü Each question below carries two marks.
ü The passage above should be read twice to make sense.
ü The boy there is my friend.
ü The man behind is a good cricketer.
3. Infinitive Phrase as Post modifier
The infinitive phrase consists of to + base form of verb + an extra word
EXAMPLES:
ü I decided to play cricket.
ü My decision to be a teacher is responded by my soul.
ü His effort to do the work was immense.
4. Participle phrase as Post modifier
We know participle always works as adjective or adverb. There are three kinds of participles phrases that work as Post modifiers.
Present participle phrase
Present participle phrase consists of the base form of the verb with -ing + other words.
EXAMPLES:
ü The man working at Stamford College is my colleague.
ü I saw a bird flying in the sky.
ü I found the boy taking exercise.
ü I watched the airplane landing on highway road.
Past Participle Phrase
Past participle phrase consists of past participle of the base form of verb + other words.
EXAMPLES:
ü Parts made in Japan are considered good.
ü Gitanjalipublished in 1910 earned Noble Prize in literature.
5. Prepositional Phrase as Post modifier
When a prepositional phrase is used as a post modifier, in maximum time the prepositional phrase can be converted into Relative Clause / Subordinate Adjective Clause.
EXAMPLES:
ü The boy in front of us is poor. (The boy who is in front of us is poor)
ü The book on the table is written by Rabindranath. (The book which is on the table is written by Rabindranath).
6. Relative Clause as Post modifier
The relative clause always sits after a noun and qualifies that noun.
EXAMPLES:
ü The girl who came to me is meritorious.
ü The book that I bought yesterday is a masterpiece.
ü I met the man who was wise.
7. Appositive as post modifier
When two nouns sit side by side separated by a comma and the second one provides extra information of the first one, the second one is appositive or case in apposition of the first one.
EXAMPLES:
ü Arjun, a student of East West University, is a serious and studious student.
ü I helped him, a friend of Karim.
ü This is Karim, the principal’s room.
TRANSFORMATION OF STRUCTURAL SENTENCE: PART TWO
ARUP ROY
WORKING AS A LECTURER IN ENGLISH
LITERATURE & LINGUISTICS
AT KANCHKHURA UNIVERSITY COLLEGE
FOUNDER AND DIRECTOR OF IELD
FORMER LECTURER OF STAMFORD COLLEGE
& DHAKA PUBLIC COLLEGE
WORKED AS A MEMBER SECRETARY
AT STAMFORD ENGLISH LANGUAGE CLUB UTTARA
AT STAMFORD ENGLISH LANGUAGE CLUB UTTARA