Modifiers

A modifier is a word, phrase, or clause that describes something or makes its meaning more specific. Modifiers function as adjectives or adverbs.

Table of Contents

• Examples of Modifiers Functioning as Adjectives
• Examples of Modifiers Functioning as Adverbs
• A Summary of Modifiers
• Why Modifiers Are Important
• Test Time!

Examples of Modifiers Functioning as Adjectives

When a modifier is an adjective, it modifies a noun or a pronoun. (In these examples, the modifiers are shaded, and the words being modified are bold.)

• possessive determiners (e.g., "my," "your")
• demonstrative determiners (e.g., "this," "those")
• quantifiers (e.g., "many," "some," "two")
• interrogative adjectives (e.g., "which,""what")
• articles ("a," "an," "the")

• prepositional phrases (e.g., "in the corner," "with the cake," "from your collection")
• infinitives (e.g., "to remember," "to buy," "to consider")
• participle phrases (e.g., "Looking over his glasses," "Imbued with common sense," "Knowing the area")

Examples of Modifiers Functioning as Adverbs

When a modifier is an adverb, it modifies a verb, an adjective, or another adverb. (In these examples, the modifiers are shaded, and the words being modified are bold.)

• Prepositional phrases (e.g., "in the corner," "without any effort whatsoever")
• Infinitive phrases. (e.g., "to keep the peace," "to think about the problem").
• An adverb with an intensifier. (e.g., "very carefully," "extremely slowly," "really loudly")

• They paid a day later than promised .
• I played every week .

• An adverbial clause contains a subject and a verb. (This is what makes it a clause as opposed to a phrase.)
• An adverbial clause is a dependent clause. This means it cannot stand alone as meaningful sentence in its own right.
• An adverbial clause usually starts with a subordinating conjunction (e.g., "because," "if," "until," "when," "like")

A Summary of Modifiers

As shown by these examples, modifiers come in lots of different formats. But, regardless of whether it's a single word, a phrase, or clause, a modifier functions as an adjective or an adverb. Put simply, a modifier is just a word(s) that describes another word(s). Also of note, a modifier that comes before whatever it modifies is called a "premodifier," and a modifier that comes afterwards is called a "postmodifier."

Why Modifiers Are Important

If you're learning grammar, you can't avoid the word "modifier." Most sentences contain some sort of modifier. After all, modifiers bring writing to life.

There are many different types of modifiers, and each type has its own writing issues or traps, which are covered in the lessons for those specific entries (e.g., issues related to possessive determiners are explained in the lesson on possessive determiners). Here though are three top-level points related to modifiers.

(Point 1) Be careful where you place your modifiers.

(1) A Misplaced Modifier

A modifier is best placed alongside whatever it's modifying. If your modifier is too far away, it could lead to an ambiguous or wrong meaning. For example:

• John heard her when she whispered clearly . (This sentence is about John hearing clearly. The modifier is too far away from "heard." It looks like "clearly" is modifying "whispered." It's a misplaced modifier.)
• John heard her clearly when she whispered. (This version is better. It's unambiguous.)

(2) A Squinting Modifier

If your modifier could feasibly modify the text to its left or right, move it to a less ambiguous position or reword your sentence. For example:

• His driving slowly becomes annoying. (Does "slowly" modify "driving" or "becomes"? This is ambiguous. It's a squinting modifier.)
• His slow driving becomes annoying. (We've changed the modifier to an adjective. This version is better. It's unambiguous.)

(3) A Dangling Modifier

Make sure the thing being modified is actually in the sentence. For example:

• Peering out of the bush , a glint caught his eye. ("Peering out of the bush" doesn't modify anything in this sentence. That makes it a dangling modifier.)
• Peering out of the bush , John noticed a glint. ("Peering out of the bush" now modifies "John." The dangling modifier has been fixed.)

(Point 2) If your multi-word adverb (phrase or clause) is fronted, offset it with a comma.

• If you don't want your kids to be like Bart Simpson , don't act like Homer Simpson. (Producer Matt Groening) ("If you don't want your kids to be like Bart Simpson" is an adverbial clause. As it's at the front of the sentence, it is followed by a comma. The comma is useful to show where the adverbial clause ends and the main clause starts.)
• After climbing a great hill , one only finds that there are many more hills to climb. (President Nelson Mandela) ("After climbing a great hill" is an adverbial phrase. It is fronted, so it is followed by a comma.)

• Don't act like Homer Simpson if you don't want your kids to be like Bart Simpson . (There is no comma before the adverbial clause because it is post-positioned, i.e., at the back.)
• One only finds that there are many more hills to climb after climbing a great hill . (There is no comma before the adverbial phrase because it is post-positioned.)

• Yesterday we obeyed kings and bent our necks before emperors. Today we kneel only to truth, follow only beauty, and obey only love. (Poet Khalil Gibran)

(Point 3) If your adjective clause is not essential for meaning, offset it with commas.

If your adjective clause does not define whatever it is modifying (i.e., it is just additional information), then offset it with commas.

• John Smith, who saw the snake , has set a trap. (The adjective clause "who saw the snake" does not define "John Smith." It's just additional information. We could have put the clause in parentheses (brackets) or even deleted it. That's why it's offset with commas.)
• The boy who saw the snake has set a trap. (This time, "who saw the snake" does define "the boy." It tells us which boy we're talking about. The clause is not just additional information. It is essential for meaning. That's why there are no commas.)

Key Points

• To avoid ambiguity, place your modifier alongside whatever it's modifying.
• If your multi-word adverb is fronted, use a comma. Don't use a comma if it's at the back.
• If your adverbial clause defines it's noun, don't offset it with commas.

This page was written by Craig Shrives.