MODIFICATION

NOUN
MODIFIERS

1
 A modifier in linguistics is a
word (adjective, adverb, noun)
or a phrase that specifies
the meaning of another word or
phrase by giving more details
and information about it.
2
A shirt
A red shirt (adjective)
Speak
Speak quietly (adverb)

3
Students
The students in the first
row (phrase)
Chocolate
Milk chocolate (noun)

4
red, an adjective
quietly, an adverb
in the first row, a phrase
milk, a noun
are modifiers: they modify
the basic idea we receive
from the noun they
accompany. 5
 Typical of English:
Noun + noun modification

6
The first noun modifies or
describes the second, like
an adjective:

7
milk chocolate (a kind of chocolate)
chocolate milk (a kind of milk)

a horse race (a kind of race)

a race horse (a kind of horse)

8
 Noun + noun expressions can
often be changed into structures
where the second noun becomes
a subject and the first an object.
an oil well
= a well that produces oil
a ticket office
= an office that sells tickets 9
a shoe shop
= a shop that sells shoes
a horse race
= a race for horses
trouser pockets
= pockets in trousers
10
A group of two nouns can
modify a third noun:

oil

oil production

oil production costs

11
A group of three nouns can
modify a fourth, and so on:
road
road accident
road accident research
road accident research centre
12
 This kind of structure is very
common in NEWSPAPER
HEADLINES because it saves
space:
FURNITURE
FURNITURE FACTORY
FURNITURE FACTORY PAY
FURNITURE FACTORY PAY CUT
FURNITURE FACTORY PAY CUT ROW 13
The noun + noun structure cannot
be used all the time. Sometimes it
is necessary to use a structure with
of or a structure with possessive 's:

a feeling of disappointment
(NOT a disappointment feeling)

letters from home
(NOT home letters)

cow's milk (NOT cow milk)
14
 The difference between noun
modifiers and adjectival modifiers
is sometimes shown by stress:

French = noun (i.e. the French

language)
French = adjective (i.e. coming
from France)

a French teacher
15
Stress shows the difference:

a 'French teacher
(noun modifier: a person who
teaches French)

a French 'teacher
(adjective modifier: a teacher
who is French)

16
 Some noun + noun combinations
are generally written together like
single words.

bathroom

a room with a bath and/or shower

a toothbrush
a brush for teeth

a sheepdog
a dog that looks after sheep
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 Other compounds may
be written with a hyphen
or separately:

letter-box

furniture shop

18
 In many cases usage varies,
and some combinations can be
found written in all three
ways:

bookshop or

book-shop or

book shop
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 Hyphens are becoming
less common in modern
English, and it is usually
acceptable to write the
two words separately:
book shop
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 SPECIAL CASES 1

What is the difference?

a coffee cup vs a cup of coffee

a coffee cup = a cup used to
drink coffee (container)

a cup of coffee = a cup with
coffee in it (container with its
contents) 21

a matchbox vs a box of matches

a paint tin vs a tin of paint
Noun + noun is used for
particular kinds of container.
But we use the preposition
structure (with of) to talk about a
container together with its
contents. 22
 SPECIAL CASES 2

Noun + noun is normally used

to say what things are made of:

a silk dress

a stone bridge

an iron rod

a gold ring
23

GOLD-GOLDEN:
a gold watch golden memories

SILK-SILKEN:
silk stockings silken skin

LEAD-LEADEN:
a lead pipe a leaden sky

STONE-STONY:
a stone roof a stony silence
24
 The material something is
made of is expressed by a
noun modifier
( e.g. gold, silk, lead, stone).
The metaphorical meaning is
expressed by the equivalent
adjective:
25
 BUT NOTE:

WOODEN (adjective) = “made of

wood” (literal meaning)
Stir the mixture with a wooden spoon.

WOOLLEN (adjective) = “made of
wool” (literal meaning)
She wore a woollen scarf round her
neck 26
 SPECIAL CASES 3
In some expressions we use a
structure with possessive 's.

children's clothes
(but baby clothes)

a man's sweater

a man's leg (but a table leg)

27

women’s magazines

a bird's nest

a doll’s house

cow's milk (NOT cow milk)

lamb's wool

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