Modifiers (Lecturer II)

Arup Roy, Lecturer in English Language & Literature, Uttarkhan, Airport, Dhaka

Definition

A modifier is a word, phrase, or clause which describes, specifies, or modifies another word in the sentence. The main purpose behind the usage of modifiers is to give extra information about the word it talks about. Look at the example below:

Ø She is a girl.

Here, we don’t know anything about the girl. If we add one or two modifiers, we can know more about this girl. For example:

Ø She is a good girl.

Now, we know something about this girl.

Ø She is a good and brilliant girl.

Now, we know more about this girl. This is the function of a modifier. Modifier gives extra information about the word it talks about.

From the two examples above, you can see one-worded modifiers. A modifier can be a phrase or clause.

Ø The girl wearing a black t-shirt is my sister.

“Wearing a black t-shirt” is a phrase here, and it is modifying the word “girl.”

Ø The person sitting before the table is a good student.

“Sitting before the table” is another phrase that is modifying the word “person.” So, you can see a phrase can be a modifier.

A clause can be a modifier.

Ø The person who is sitting before the table is a clause.

“Who is sitting before the table” is a clause which is modifying the noun “person.” Look at another example below.

Ø The girl who is wearing a black t-shirt is my sister.

“Who is wearing a black t-shirt” is an adjective clause which is modifying the word “girl.”

Whenever we go to talk about modifiers, two words come to our mind: adjective and adverb. Besides these two words, nouns can be a modifier too.

A modifier can be used before or after a word. The modifier which modifies a word sitting before it is called a pre-modifier, and a modifier that modifies a word sitting after it is called post-modifier. This chapter is going to discuss various types of pre-modifier and post-modifier.

An elaborate description of pre-modifiers

An adjective can be a pre-modifier.

Ø He is a good boy.

Ø She is a brilliant student.

“Good” and “brilliant” are the two adjectives that are modifying their nouns. So, you can see adjectives can be pre-modifiers. Adjectives can be of many types. For example:

A. Proper adjective

B. Pronominal adjective

B. a. Demonstrative

B. b. Distributive

B. c. Possessive

B. d. Interrogative

C. Qualitative

C.a. Positive

C. b. Comparative

C. c. Superlative

D. Quantitative

E. Numerical

E. a. cardinal

E. b. ordinal

E. c. Multiplicative

F Article

All these types of adjectives can be used as pre-modifier.

Ø Bangladeshi people are hospitable. (Proper adjective)

Ø This pen is mine. (Demonstrative adjective)

Ø Each building looks red. (Distributive adjective)

Ø This is my house. (Possessive adjective)

Ø Which book do you want? (Interrogative adjective)

Ø She is an intelligent girl. (Qualitative adjective)

Ø I have three cars. (Numerical adjective)

Ø I want to eat an apple. (Article)

Note: Article, quantifier, numerals demonstrative, distributive, possessive, and interrogative pronoun are determiners.

An adverb can be pre-modifier

Ø I am extremely happy.

Ø He drives very fast.

Ø The below passage has been taken from Shakespeare’s Hamlet.

Ø The then cricketer came to teach me how to bat.

A Noun can be Pre-modifier

We know that a noun does not modify any part of speech. But, nouns in some contexts can behave like a modifier. If you separate the noun from the sentence, it is a noun. But, in many situations, or contexts, they can behave like an adjective.

Ø It’s a banyan tree.

Ø I love village life.

Ø I love city life.

If you separate the words “banyan,” “village” or “city” from these sentences, they all are nouns. But, in these sentences, they are modifying other nouns. Let’s have another example:

Ø Yesterday, I bought an ice cream box.

Participles, be they present or past participle, can be pre-modifiers.

Ø Yesterday, I came across some floating flowers.

Ø I love watching flying birds.

Ø Never buy rotten vegetables.

Ø It’s a broken chair.

“Floating” and “flying” are the present participles, behaving like pre-modifiers; “Rotten” and “broken” are past participle, behaving like adjectives.

A compound word can be a pre-modifier.

Ø It is a one taka note.

Ø I saw a one-eyed man.

“One taka” and “one-eyed” are compound words, and they are modifying their nouns “note” and “man” respectively.

An article can be pre-modifier

Ø I have a pen.

Ø The Padma is the biggest river in our country.

A pen means one pen. Here, “one” is describing its noun. In the second example, the noun “Padma” is being described by the article “the.”

Elaborate Description of Post-modifier

Adjectives can be post-modifier.

Ø I found everything alright.

Ø Is there anyone interested in playing cricket?

“Alright” and “interested” are adjectives used as post-modifier. Here, they are modifying their preceding pronouns.

An adverb can be a post-modifier too.

Ø Look at the passage below.

Ø He drives fast.

“Below” and “drives” are adverbs. “Below” is modifying the verb “look” and “fast” is modifying the verb “drive.” They are post-modifiers because they are modifying sitting after the verbs. So, adverbs can be post-modifier.

Present and past participle as post modifier

Ø The man working over there is a hard-working man.

Ø The person sitting in front of the table is a brilliant student.

Ø The parts made in Japan are considered good parts.

Words in bold in the first two examples are participle phrases. They are describing nouns “man” and “person.” Example three is an example of a past participle phrase.

A clause can be post-modifier

Ø The man who is writing the letter is a brilliant student.

Ø The pen that I bought yesterday looks red.

The words in bold are modifying their nouns sitting after them.

Apposition as post-modifier

Ø Karim, a student of Oxford University, is a brilliant student.

“A student of Oxford University” is an apposition because it is giving extra information about “Karim.” It is a post modifier because it is specifying “Karim” sitting after “Karim.” Let’s have some other examples:

Ø Arjun, a student of East West University, is a serious and studious student.

Ø I helped him, a friend of Karim's.

Ø This is Karim, the principal’s room.

An infinitive phrase as post-modifier

The infinitive phrase consists of to + base form of verb + an extra word

EXAMPLES:

Ø I decided to play cricket.

Ø My decision to be a teacher is responded by my soul.

Ø His effort to do the work was immense.

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:

Ø The boy in front of us is poor. (The boy who is in front of us is poor)

Ø The book on the table is written by Rabindranath. (The book which is on the table is written by Rabindranath).

You can also watch the video on Modifier: