Definition of Modifier:
All the words/phrases in the sentence that modify the noun/phrase (provide additional information) by taking the position before or after the noun are called modifiers. The work of modifiers in sentences is comparable to adjectives, students need to remember that determiners, adjectives, nouns, etc. work as modifiers.
For example: She is an intelligent girl.
Modifiers are divided into two categories: pre-modifier and post-modifier. Definition of Pre-modifier: All the modifiers that sit before the noun/noun phrase and modify the noun/noun phrase are called pre-modifiers.
For example: She is a sincere girl.
Det. (pre-Mod) H.W
Students need to remember, pre-modifier takes position after Determiner and before Headword (see the example above to understand).
Definition of Post-modifiers: All the modifiers that come before the noun/noun-phrase in the sentence
All modifiers that modify noun/noun-phrase are called Post Modifiers.
For example: She made an appeal to get justice.
H.W Det. noun inf. phrase acts as post-modifier.
Here after the noun ‘appeal’ the infinitive phrase ‘to get justice’ has modified the noun appeal. So ‘to get justice‘ this inf. The phrase is the post-modifier of the appeal noun.
Note: Students should remember that the infinite phrase at the end of the sentence after the headword, determiner and noun/noun-phrase works as a post-modifier.
Multiple Uses Of Pre-Modifiers
(1) Use of Noun as Pre-modifiers: In some cases, a noun modifies another noun, i.e. after taking two noun positions side by side, the first noun modifies the second noun and therefore the first noun is in the role of adjective descended.
For example: She paid the tuition fees.
Here 1st Noun modifies ‘tuition‘, 2nd noun ‘fees‘.
(2) Use of Adjectives as Pre-modifiers: Usually in this case the adjective sits before the noun/noun phrase and works as a pre-modifier. This is called attributive use of adjective.
For example: Nasima is an intelligent girl.
Modifier noun
In the above sentence, the adjective ‘intelligent‘ sits before the noun ‘girl’ · modifies the noun ‘girl‘.
(3) Use of adverbs as pre-modifiers: Generally noun/noun phrase-adverb modifies noun/noun-phrase. For example: The then Chairman was a wise man.
In the above sentence ‘chairman‘ has modified the ‘chairman’-noun by placing the adverb ‘then‘ before the noun. In the above example ‘then’ acted as modifiers.
(4) Use of Compound as Pre-modifiers: The part of the sentence consisting of many words which can work as a single adjective or a single noun is called compound. They modify the noun/noun phrase sitting before the noun/noun-phrase.
For example: A hard working man can prosper in life.
modifiers
In the above sentence, the compound composed of two words hard and working modifies the noun ‘man‘ sitting before the noun ‘man’.
(5) Use of Participle as Pre-modifiers: Participle is of two types: (1) present participle (2) past participle. Participles with ing are present participles. The main verb has 3 forms (such as present, past, past participle) of which number 3 is past participle. Both present participle and past participle act as premodifiers before the participle noun.
(6) Examples of Present Participle as Pre-modifiers: For Example-A sleeping man rarely hears.
modifier
In the above sentence, the present participle ‘sleeping‘ comes before the noun ‘man‘
‘man‘ modifies the noun.
Example of past participle
For example: She bought a good pen.
modifier
In the above sentence, the past participle ‘bought‘ comes before the adjective ‘good‘
modifies the ‘pen‘-noun.
N.B: Students should remember that participle always works as adjective and adjective is born only to modify noun / noun phrase. These participles act as premodifiers when placed before a noun / noun phrase. Again, when placed after Noun / Noun phrase, they act as post modifiers.
(7) Use of Noun Adjectives as Pre-modifiers: If the adjective precedes the first of the two nouns used side by side, it modifies the second noun as a noun adjective.
For example: She bought a small rice pot.
modifier.
In the above sentence, between the two nouns rice and pot, since the adjective ‘small’ precedes the noun ‘rice’, the noun ‘rice’ modifies the second noun ‘pot’.
(8) Use of Possessive as Pre-modifiers: Possessive before Noun such as His, her, my, our, your, their etc. modifies the Noun.
For example: Her father has gone to China.
modifier
In the above sentence the possessive “her” before the ‘father’ noun modifies the ‘father’ noun.
Multidimensional use of post-modifiers
1) Use of Infinitive Phrase as Post-modifiers: Infinitive phrase usually formed by (To + present form of verb + additional words) sits after the noun/noun phrase and modifies the noun/noun phrase.
For example: She made an appeal to get justice.
modifier
In the above sentence, the infinitive phrase ‘to get justice’ modifies the noun ‘appeal’ sitting after the noun ‘appeal’.
2) Present Participle as Post-modifiers: Noun/noun Phrase present participle modifies noun/noun/phrase.
For example: The man standing at the post office is known to me.
Modifier
In the above sentence, after the noun ‘man’, the present participle ‘standing at the post office’ modifies the noun ‘man’.
3) Use of Past Participle as Post-modifiers: After Noun/NP past participle modifies noun/noun phrase.
For example: The motor parts made in a local factory are working well.
modifier
In the above sentence, the past participle ‘made in a local factory’ modifies the noun ‘motor parts’ sitting after the noun ‘motor parts’.
4) Use of Prepositional Phrases as Post modifiers:
Prepositional phrase/Relative clause/Subordinate clause sits after Noun/noun phrase and modifies the said Noun/noun phrase.
For example: The beggar in torn cloth is very hungry.
modifiers
In the above sentence “in torn” this preposition phrase-fu ‘the beggar’ noun-
The noun is modified by sitting after it.
5) Use of Appositive as post-modifiers: If two Nouns stand side by side and refer to the same person, then the second noun is called appositive of the first noun or case in appositive. The second noun comes after the first noun and modifies the first noun.
For example: Mr. Jalil, manager of DLI, is a good organizer.
Modifier.
In the above sentence ‘manager of DLI’-this appositive is ‘Mr. Jalil’-after this Noun has modified it.
6) Use of Adjectives as Post-modifiers: Generally, adjectives sit before a noun and modify it, but in some cases, adjectives sit after nouns and pronouns and modify them.
For example: All the elected members present in the meeting were against the decision.
Modifier
In the above sentence, the adjective ‘present’ comes after the noun ‘members’ and modifies it.
7) Use of Relative Clause as Post-modifiers: Relative clauses sit after nouns for all time and modify it.
For example: The girl who lost her pencil is intelligent.
modifier
In the above sentence ‘who lost her pencil’ this relative clause is ‘girl’ noun
Modifies it (‘girl’ noun) by sitting after it.
8) Use of Adverb as Post-modifiers: Adverb usually modifies noun after noun.
For example: The boys there are playing football.
modifier
In the above sentence, the adverb ‘there’ comes after the noun ‘boys’ and modifies the noun ‘boys’.