Modifiers

Modifiers are adjectives and adverbs that describe (modify) another part of the sentence. They can appear
as part of either the subject or the predicate, depending on what they are modifying. Both adjectives
and adverbs can be made into phrases and clauses, which function as a whole unit to modify a word (or
group of words). Below, we’ll look at some examples of modifiers functioning as part of the predicate
(the predicate will be in italics, while the modifier will be in bold). Go to the section Modifiers to learn
more about them.
What they modify
Example sentence Modifiers

1. The verb
1. always — adverb brings
“Jonathan always brings his 2. favorite — adjective 2. The
favorite toy to school.” 3. to school — adverbial noun toy
prepositional phrase 3. The verb
brings

1. The verb
work
1. in a restaurant — adverbial 2. The
prepositional phrase adjective
2. often — adverb busy
“I work in a restaurant that is 3. often busy — predicative 3. The
often busy.” adjective phrase subject
4. that is often busy — relative pronoun
clause (also called an adjective that
clause) 4. The
noun
restaurant

1. The
adjective
1. bright — adverb
orange
2. bright orange — adjective
2. The noun
“We took the bright orange phrase painting
painting in the living room off 3. in the living room — 3. The noun
the wall.” adjectival prepositional phrase painting
4. off the wall — adverbial
prepositional phrase
4. The verb
took
Definition
Modifiers are, quite simply, any word or group of words that modifies (describes or
elaborates upon) another element in a sentence. Modifiers can either be adjectives,
which modify nouns (or sometimes pronouns), or adverbs, which modify pretty much
everything else (usually verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs). Whether a modifier is an
adjective or adverb depends on what it modifies and how it functions in a sentence.
MODIFIER AS AN ADJECTIVE AND AN ADVERB:

 Participal Phrase :

She found a letter put on my bag.

“put on my bag” function serves as an essential form of “letter”(noun). Overall “a letter put on my
bag” is a noun phrase

 Adverb Phrase:

She swims so beautifully.

Adverb Phrase explain “swims”(verb). There are also adverb phrase it could be
adverb+qualifier,prepotional phrase, or infinitive phrase.

 Adjective Clause:

The book that he has read is very interesting

Adjective clause explain “the book”(nooun).

 Adverb Clause:

When you went to the grocery, he came.

Adverb clause answering question: “When did he come?”

COMMON MODIFIER MISTAKES :

 Misplaced Modifiers

A modifier should be placed next to the word it describes. A misplaced modifier is a

word, phrase, or clause that is improperly separated from the word it
describes. Sentences with misplaced modifiers often sound awkward, confusing, or
downright illogical.
Example:
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.
Sentence B means that the shopper visited only the tie department.

A misplaced modifier is a word, phrase, or clause that is improperly separated from the word it
describes. Sentences with misplaced modifiers often sound awkward, confusing, or downright illogical.

Some frequently misplaced single words are

almost even exactly hardly just merely nearly only scarcely simply

Misplaced single word

Example:

The logical meaning of this sentence is not that the vendor almost sold all of her pottery, but that she
sold almost all of her pottery.

Therefore, almost correctly belongs next to all.

Misplaced phrase

Example #1

As written, this sentence means that children were served on paper plates.
On paper plates is misplaced.

Correctly written, the sentence means that hamburgers were served, on paper plates.

Example #2

As written, this sentence means that the car is carrying a briefcase. Carrying a briefcase is misplaced.

Correctly written, the sentence means that the man is carrying a briefcase.

Misplaced clause

Example #1
As written, this sentence means that the store was broken..

Correctly written, the sentence means that the toy was broken.

Example #2

As written, the sentence means that I forgot my keys after I got home.

Squinting modifiers
A squinting modifier is a modifier misplaced so that it may describe two situations.
Example

The sentence above is unclear.

Does it mean that I told my son when the game was over?

OR

Does it mean that I would play with him when the game was over?
 Awkward separations

An awkward separation creates a confusing meaning.

Example

As written, this sentence separates the auxiliary verb from the main verb, creating an awkward gap.

Dangling Modifier Errors

A dangling modifier is "dangling" because its placement gives it nothing to modify.

In many cases, the dangling modifier appears at the beginning of a sentence, although it can also come at
the end. Sometimes the error occurs because the sentence fails to specify anything to which the modifier
can refer. At other times the dangling modifier is placed next to the wrong noun or noun substitute: a noun
that it does not modify.
 Dangling Modifiers
A dangling modifier occurs when we don’t clearly state the noun that is supposed to be modified by the
modifying phrase. These are especially common with participle phrases. For example:
“Walking down the road, the birds were singing.”
Because the sentence does not state who was walking down the road, is seems that it was the birds, which
is probably not the intended meaning. The sentence needs to include another noun or pronoun being
described by the phrase to correct the dangling modifier. For example:
“Walking down the road, I (or she, he, Mary, the couple, etc.) heard the birds singing.”
Dangling modifiers may appear in a variety of forms.
Dangling participles:

In this sentence, the modifier passing the building is positioned next to the broken window.
The resulting meaning is that "the broken window" is "passing the building," clearly not the
intended meaning.

In this sentence, the modifier once revised and corrected is positioned next to I, suggesting that "I" have
been "revised and corrected."

Dangling gerund:

In this sentence, the modifier after roasting for three hours is positioned next to we, meaning that "we"
have been "roasting for three hours."

Dangling infinitive:

In this sentence, the modifier to walk a high wire is positioned next to a pole. As a result, the sentence
means that "a pole" can walk "a high wire."

Dangling elliptical clause:

In this sentence, the modifier when just six years old is positioned next to my grandmother, suggesting
that my six year old grandmother taught me ballet.
How to repair dangling modifiers – two options:

1. Create a word for the modifier to describe. Place it next to the modifier.

(Sometimes you will need to invent a subject.)

With the modifier next to my paper, the sentence clearly means that "my paper" was "corrected and
rewritten."

With the modifier next to an acrobat, the sentence clearly means that "an acrobat" can "walk a high wire."

2. Rewrite the modifier (phrase) as an adverbial clause, thus eliminating the need for an immediate
word to modify.

With its own subject, "was revised and corrected" clearly refers to "my paper."

With its own subject, "was just six years old" clearly refers to "I."

Now the clause clearly shows that "we" have "roasted the turkey."