Modifier

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Modifier

Any word, clause or phrase which modifies whatever it is describing is called modifier.

Properties of Modifier

It can be a word, clause or phrase.
It may not occur in all sentences.
It can alter the meaning of subject, verb, object or noun.
Alteration happens by adding details, limiting, emphasizing or explaining.
Pre modifier precedes the noun and post modifier follows the head.

Categories of words acting as modifiers

a) Adjectives

Adjectives as modifier

They modify nouns and pronouns. Adjectives can come before or after the words they are modifying.

The handsome boy is coming towards us.

Here the adjective 'handsome' is modifying a word 'boy'.

Adjective phrase as modifier

Adjective phrase follow the preposition and modify nouns and pronouns.

Currently I am reading a book by Lakshmi Prasad Devkota.

Here the noun 'book' is modified by the adjective phrase 'Lakshmi Prasad Devkota'.

Adjective clause as modifier

This dependent clause modifies nouns and pronouns. Adjective clauses follow the relative pronouns such as that, which, who, whom & whose.

She is the same girl who lives in my house.

Here noun 'girl' is modified by the adjective clause ' who lives in my house'.

b) Adverbs

Adverbs as verb modifiers

I usually visit the gym center.

Here adverb 'usually' is modifying the verb 'visit' answering the question 'when'.

Adverb as adjective modifier

We are very pleased that you are here.

Here the adverb 'very' is modifying 'pleased' mentioning an extent of pleasure.

Adverb as adverb modifier

The meteor fell down very rapidly.

Here the adverb 'rapidly' is intensified with the adverb 'verb'.

Adverb phrase as modifier

These are the prepositional modifiers as they come along with preposition and modify verb, adjective or adverb.

While performing in stage, I was very pleased to see my friends shouted in the back stage.

Here the prepositional modifier 'in the back stage' modifies the adverb 'shouted'.

Adverb clause as modifier

Adverb clause comes in a sentence as subordinate clause which modifies adverbs, adjective and noun in the main clause. In such case both clauses are joined together by subordinating junctions like though, than, since, where, when, because, as, until, unless, although, after, before and if.

As I was going to Katmandu, the landslide occurred.

Here the adverb clause 'as I was going to Kathmandu' modifies the verb 'occurred'.

c) Possessive Pronouns

This is her car.

Here the noun 'car' is modified by the pronoun 'her'.

Errors of Modifiers

1. Dangling participles/modifiers

These modifiers appear to be modify word or phrase in the sentence but actually the word or phrase they refer is not present in a sentence.

Carefully operating the security personnel, the election completed successfully.

In general understanding this sentence seems right but actually not. Grammatically it seems that the election had operated security personals. But election is a function and it cannot operate security personnel and there is nothing in a sentence to be modified by the modifier 'carefully operating the security personnel'. With the introduction of noun to be modified i.e. 'government' the correct form of the sentence could be:

Carefully operating the security personnel, the government completed the event successfully.

2. Disruptive modifiers

The modifier which comes in between the verb and the objects. Though disruptive modifier doesn't cause an error but affects the flow of sentence.

The lieutenant commended the soldiers to immediately open the fire.

The above sentence can be made more fluent by repositioning the modifier 'immediately' as follows:

The lieutenant commanded the soldiers to open the fire immediately.

3. Misplaced modifiers

The modifier which is not placed in correct position in the sentence and, thus, modifies wrong words.

Being fallen from the roof, the Ambulance came to take injured to the hospital.

Here logically it's clear that the injured person fell down from the roof. But as the modifier 'being fallen from the roof' is closure to the 'Ambulance' rather than 'injured' grammatically Ambulance seems to fall from the roof. The sentence can be corrected as follows:

Being fallen from the roof, the injured was taken to the hospital by the ambulance.

Reminder:

- The modifier modifies the words closest to.

- Pace the modifier next to the modifying word.

4. Squinting modifiers

This two way modifier in the sentence illusions the reader that sometimes it appears to be modifying the preceding word and sometimes appears to be modifying the following word.

Presenting to the elders respectfully won their heart.

In this sentence it is unclear that is it 'presenting' or 'won' that is modified by the adverb 'respectfully'. In other are we presenting ourselves respectfully or are we respectfully wining the heart is unclear. The correct form of the sentence could be:

Presenting respectfully to the elders won their heart.

Rules of correcting modifiers errors

Place the modifier as near as possible to the word or phrase which needs to be modified.
If modifier contains no words in the sentence to modify then introduce noun or pronoun.
Change the position of two way modifier in the sentence.
Avoid using too many adjectives and adverbs in the sentences.
If too many adjectives and adverbs are present in the same sentence then replace them with appropriate nouns or verbs.