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What Are Modifiers? How to Use Them Correctly Grammarly

BASICS
What Are Modifiers?
A working definition for the word “modify” is to change or to alter something. This definition is the same when
considering the purpose of modifiers within a sentence.
A modifier changes, clarifies, qualifies, or limits a particular word in a sentence in order to add emphasis,
explanation, or detail. Modifiers tend to be descriptive words, such as adjectives and adverbs. Modifier phrases,
such as adjective clauses and adverbial phrases, also exist and tend to describe adjectives and adverbs.
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To illustrate the power of modifiers, consider the following simple sentence:
Sarah was a sure fit for junior prom queen.
Now consider the same sentence with multiple modifiers added:
The blonde girl named Sarah, who was a foreign exchange student from England, quickly climbed the ladder of
popularity during her junior year, smiling her way through cheerleading and an ASB presidency term she
inched near the top and was a sure fit as junior prom queen.

The additional details in the sentence, by way of modifiers, engage the reader and hold their attention.
Like most writing techniques, modifiers can be brilliant when used correctly and effectively. On the other hand,
if a modifier is used incorrectly, the meaning of the sentence can become blurred or distorted. This is true
with dangling modifiers and other problematic modifiers.

Misplaced Modifiers

One of the most common problems is where to place them. Specifically, modifiers can cause confusion or
unintentional humor in a sentence when they are placed too far from the noun they are modifying. For example,
consider the following sentence:
They bought a car for my sister they call Pumpkin.
In this sentence, Pumpkin is the car’s name, not the sister’s, but this isn’t clear. This confusion and
unintentional humor is the result of a misplaced modifier. To correct this error, move the modifier closer to the
noun it modifies:
They bought a car they call Pumpkin for my sister.
 Limiting Modifiers Limiting modifiers such as only and always enforce restrictions on the subject, noun, or
pronoun they immediately precede. The following is a list of other common limiting modifiers:
 Just
 Almost
 Hardly
 At first
 Simply
If a limiting modifier does not precede the subject or noun, the meaning of an entire sentence can change.
Notice the difference in the following sentences:
Only Jessica wants pizza.
This sentence implies that Jessica is the only person who wants pizza.
Jessica wants pizza only .
On the other hand, the sentence above indicates that Jessica wants pizza and nothing else.
The best way to ensure that a limited modifier is used right in a sentence is to consider the meaning that is to be
conveyed and ensure the subject or noun associated with that meaning is placed as close as possible to the
limited modifier.
Modifiers: Definition, Types & Examples
(5/5, 60 votes)

A modifier is a word/phrase/clause which modifies other words in a sentence. To be specific, a modifier is

either an adjective or an adverb. The adjectives modify the nouns, and the adverbs modify the verbs or the
adjectives or the other adverbs. See the details of adjectives and adverbs.
Example:
o Alex bought a chocolate cake yesterday.

(Here, ‘a’ is an article which modifies the word ‘cake’ and the word ‘chocolate’ is the direct adjective of the
word ‘cake’. So both the words ‘a’ and ‘chocolate’ are adjectives which modify the noun ‘cake’. The word
‘yesterday’ announces the time of the action, i.e., the verb ‘bought’. So it is an adverb which modifies the
verb.)
o Murphy, the president’s daughter, is very sick.
(Here, the phrase ‘president’s daughter’ modifies the noun ‘Murphy’. In this phrase, ‘the president’s’ modifies
the noun ‘daughter’ but the whole phrase itself becomes an adjective when it modifies the noun ‘Murphy’.
There is another adjective ‘sick’ which is modified by the adverb ‘very’.)
o The brown(adjective) dog was barking at me aggressively (adverb).
Generally, modifiers are of two types according to their position to the words they modify:
 Pre-modifiers
 Post-modifiers
Pre-modifiers:
Pre-modifiers are the modifiers which modify the words that follow them in the sentence. Conventionally the
adjectives are usually placed before the nouns. So, most of the adjectives are pre-modifiers. Adverbs are often
placed before the words they modify.
 Articles, determiners, demonstratives, proper adjectives, descriptive adjectives, compound adjectives,
participles, etc. are the adjectives which come before the nouns and modify them.
Conjunctive adverbs, sentence adverbs, and some other adverbs can work being placed before the
verbs/adjectives/other adverbs.
Example:
(adverb)
o Generally the(article) brown(descriptive adjective) dogs are nice.
(adverb)
o Apparently , that(demonstrative) bank has a lot of(determiners) security(adjective) porcess.
(demonstrative)
o Give me that black(descriptive adjective) covered(past participle) shining(present participle) box.
o (In the above sentence the noun ‘box’ has four pre-modifiers [adjectives].)
Post-modifiers
Post-modifiers are the modifiers which come after the words they modify. Customarily, the adverbs come
after the verbs and modify them. However, some adjectives also come after the nouns and modify them.
Most of the adverbs of time, adverbs of manner, adverbs of place/direction usually come after the verbs
they modify.
Appositives, prepositional phrases (adjectives/adverbs), infinitives (adverbs/adjectives), dependent
clause, etc. usually come after the nouns they modify.
Example:
(appositive)
o Jason Roy, a cricketer, has been selected in the squad(adverb).
(appositive)
o Stark, our teacher, gives us tasks to do(infinitive - adjective) in the class (adverb of place).
(appositive)
o Ronaldo, the captain of Portugal team, plays exceptionally(adverb of manner) well.

What is a Modifier? Definition, Examples of Modifiers

Home » The Writer’s Dictionary » What is a Modifier? Definition, Examples of Modifiers
Modifier definition: A modifier is a word, phrase, or clause that provides description in sentences.
What is a Modifier?
In short, a modifier is a describer. A modifier is a word, phrase, or clause that describes another word,
phrase, or clause.
Example of Grammatical Modifier:
 He is a cute baby.
In this sentence, “cute” is an adjective modifying the noun, “baby.” The adjective “cute” is a modifier.
“Cute” modifies the type of baby.
Types of Modifiers
Several different types of modifiers exist in English. The following is a list of modifiers with
explanations and examples.
Adjective Modifiers

Adjectives modify nouns and pronouns. They modify

in that they answer the following questions in relationship to the nouns they modify,
 What kind?
 cute baby
 What kind of baby? A cute baby.
 Which one?
 that baby
 Which baby? That baby.
  How many?
 three babies
 How many babies? Three babies.
 How much?
 enough fruit
 How much fruit? Enough fruit.
Adverb Modifiers
Adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs. They modify in that they answer the following
questions in relationship to the nouns they modify,
 When?
 arrive tomorrow
 Arrive when? Tomorrow.
 Where?
 dance everywhere
 Dance where? Everywhere.
 How often?
 dance frequently
 Dance how often? Frequently.
 How much?
 answer completely
 Answer how much? Completely.
Participle Phrases

A participle phrases is a groups of words that

function as adjectives to modify nouns. Participle phrases begin with a present or past participle.
Participle Phrase Examples:
 The boy riding up and down the street is tired.
 The underlined participle phrase starts with the present participle “riding”
 The participle phrase modifies the noun, boy
 The cabinets stuffed to the brim needed to be organized.
 The underlined participle phrase starts with the past participle “stuffed”
 The participle phrase modifies the noun, cabinets
Prepositional Phrases
Prepositional phrases are groups of words that function as adverbs or adjectives to modify.
Prepositional phrases begin with a preposition and end with a noun.
Prepositional phrases modify,

 Where?
 by the lake
 When?
 on time
 Who?
 with you
 What?
 besides the dog
Phrases and Clauses as Modifiers
 Single words are not the only types of modifiers.
Phrases and clauses act as modifiers.

Clause Modifier Examples:

 The boy who was at the store bought cookies.
 This is an example of an adjective clause.
 The adjective clause is a group of words that modifies “boy”
Phrase Modifier Examples:
 Please take a seat near me.
 This is an example of a prepositional phrase.
 The prepositional phrase is a group of words that modifies “seat”
Why are Modifiers Important?

Modifiers are critical to the English language (That

sentence alone has two!). Without them, we would not be as efficient or effective in our reading and
writing. Furthermore, our sentences would be incredibly boring.

Here are a few sentences trying to express a day’s activities without any modifiers:

 I woke. I ate. I dressed. I drove. I worked. I ate. I worked. I drove. I exercised. I showered. I
slept.
That is not engaging or interesting at all!

Here is part of that same schedule with modifiers,

 I woke up at 6:00 a.m. this morning. For breakfast, I ate a bagel and two eggs. I chose to wear
a black suit with a blue shirt and matching tie. At about 9 o’clock, I arrived at work. After a busy
morning, I consumed a hearty lunch.
Clearly, modifiers enhance language and affect how we communicate daily.

Misplaced Modifiers
What is a misplaced modifier? A misplaced modifier is when the modifier in a sentence is
separated from the word it describes or the word it describes is not present at all.
For example,

 Walking through the woods in autumn, leaves began falling from the trees.
In this example, the subject that the modifier is describing is not present in the
sentence. Leaves cannot walk through the woods in autumn.
The sentence could be corrected as follows,

 Walking through the woods in autumn, I noticed the leaves falling from the trees.
Misplaced modifiers create strange ambiguity in writing and should be avoided. There are a few
different kinds of misplaced modifiers. You can see them here.
Summary: What are Modifiers?
Define modifier: the definition of modifier is a qualifying word, such as an adjective or adverb; also
called a qualifier.
In summary, modifiers are:

 words that function to describe

 single words or multi-word phrases or clauses
 essential to language

modifier
noun
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mod·i·fi·er | \ ˈmä-də-ˌfī(-ə)r \
Definition of modifier
1: one that modifies

2: a word or phrase that makes specific the meaning of another word or phrase
3: a gene that modifies the effect of another

Examples of modifier in a Sentence

In “a red hat,” the adjective “red” is a modifier describing the noun “hat.” In “They were talking
loudly,” the adverb “loudly” is a modifier of the verb “talking.”
Recent Examples on the WebOverwhelmingly, people use emoji with skin tone modifiers for self-
reference.— Ashley Carman, The Verge, "The five emoji skin tone options don’t accommodate a diverse
world," 12 Dec. 2018Even without the now almost ubiquitous modifier toxic in front of it, masculinity
has become a dirty word.— Stephanie Zacharek, Time, "The Irishman May Seem Like a Movie About Old
White Men. It's So Much More," 31 Oct. 2019
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect
current usage of the word 'modifier.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion
of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
See More
First Known Use of modifier
1583, in the meaning defined at sense 1
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The first known use of modifier was in 1583

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Dictionary Entries near modifier
Modified Basket Maker
modified life policy
modified soda
modifier
modify
Modigliani
modillion
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Cite this Entry
“Modifier.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-
webster.com/dictionary/modifier. Accessed 5 Jul. 2020.
More Definitions for modifier
modifier
noun
English Language Learners Definition of modifier
grammar : a word (such as an adjective or adverb) or phrase that describes another word or group
of words
See the full definition for modifier in the English Language Learners Dictionary

modifier
noun
mod·i·fi·er | \ ˈmä-də-ˌfī-ər \
Kids Definition of modifier
: a word (as an adjective or adverb) used with another word to limit its meaningIn the phrase “very
big dog” the words “very” and “big” are modifiers.

modifier
noun
mod·i·fi·er | \ ˈmäd-ə-ˌfī(-ə)r \
Medical Definition of modifier
1: one that modifies

2: a gene that modifies the effect of another

More from Merriam-Webster on modifier
Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with modifier
Spanish Central: Translation of modifier
Nglish: Translation of modifier for Spanish Speakers

Comments on modifier
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quote, if possible).

Grammatical modifier
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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In grammar, a modifier is an optional element in phrase structure

or clause structure.[1] A modifier is so called because it is said to modify (change the
meaning of) another element in the structure, on which it is dependent. Typically the
modifier can be removed without affecting the grammar of the sentence. For example,
in the English sentence This is a red ball, the adjective red is a modifier, modifying
the noun ball. Removal of the modifier would leave This is a ball, which is
grammatically correct and equivalent in structure to the original sentence.
Other terms used with a similar meaning are qualifier (the word qualify may be used in
the same way as modify in this context), attribute, and adjunct. These concepts are
often distinguished from complements and arguments, which may also be considered
dependent on another element, but are considered an indispensable part of the
structure. For example, in His face became red, the word red might be called a
complement or argument of became, rather than a modifier or adjunct, since it cannot
be omitted from the sentence.

Contents

 1Premodifiers and postmodifiers

 2Types
 3Ambiguous and dangling modifiers
 4See also
 5References

Premodifiers and postmodifiers[edit]

Modifiers may come either before or after the modified element (the head), depending
on the type of modifier and the rules of syntax for the language in question. A modifier
placed before the head is called a premodifier; one placed after the head is called
a postmodifier. For example, in land mines, the word land is a premodifier of mines,
whereas in the phrase mines in wartime, the phrase in wartime is a postmodifier
of mines. A head may have a number of modifiers, and these may include both
premodifiers and postmodifiers. For example:

 that nice tall man from Canada whom you met

In this noun phrase, man is the head, nice and tall are premodifiers, and from
Canada and whom you met are postmodifiers.
Notice that in English, simple adjectives are usually used as premodifiers, with
occasional exceptions such as galore (which always appears after the noun) or the
adjectives immemorial and martial in the phrases time immemorial and court
martial (the latter comes from French, where most adjectives are postmodifiers).
Sometimes placement of the adjective after the noun entails a change of meaning:
compare a responsible person and the person responsible, or the proper town (the
appropriate town) and the town proper (the area of the town as properly defined).
It is sometimes possible for a modifier to be separated from its head by other words, as
in The man came who you bumped into in the street yesterday, where the relative
clause who...yesterday is separated from the word it modifies (man) by the word came.
This type of situation is especially likely in languages with free word order.

Types[edit]
The two principal types of modifiers are adjectives (and adjectival
phrases and adjectival clauses), which modify nouns; and adverbs (and adverbial
phrases and adverbial clauses), which modify other parts of speech, particularly verbs,
adjectives and other adverbs, as well as whole phrases or clauses. (Not all adjectives
and adverbs are necessarily modifiers, however; an adjective will normally be
considered a modifier when used attributively, but not when used predicatively –
compare the examples with the adjective red at the start of this article.)
Another type of modifier in some languages, including English, is the noun adjunct,
which is a noun modifying another noun (or occasionally another part of speech). An
example is land in the phrase land mines given above.
Examples of the above types of modifiers, in English, are given below.

 It was [a nice house]. (adjective modifying a noun, in a noun phrase)

 [The swiftly flowing waters] carried it away. (adjectival phrase, in this case
a participial phrase, modifying a noun in a noun phrase)
 She's [the woman with the hat]. (adjectival phrase, in this case a prepositional
phrase, modifying a noun in a noun phrase)
 I saw [the man whom we met yesterday]. (adjectival clause, in this case a relative
clause, modifying a noun in a noun phrase)
 His desk was in [the faculty office]. (noun adjunct modifying a noun in a noun
phrase)
 [Put it gently in the drawer]. (adverb in verb phrase)
 He was [very gentle]. (adverb in adjective phrase)
 She set it down [very gently]. (adverb in adverb phrase)
 [Even more] people were there. (adverb modifying a determiner)
 It ran [right up the tree]. (adverb modifying a prepositional phrase)
 [Only the dog] was saved. (adverb modifying a noun phrase)
In some cases, noun phrases or quantifiers can act as modifiers:

 [A few more] workers are needed. (quantifier modifying a determiner)

 She's [two inches taller than her sister]. {noun phrase modifying an adjective}

Ambiguous and dangling modifiers[edit]

Main article: Dangling modifier

Sometimes it is not clear which element of the sentence a modifier is intended to

modify. In many cases this is not important, but in some cases it can lead to
genuine ambiguity. For example:

 He painted her sitting on the step.

Here the participial phrase sitting on the step may be intended to modify her (meaning
that the painting's subject was sitting on the step), or it may be intended to modify the
verb phrase painted her or the whole clause he painted her (or just he), meaning in
effect that it was the painter who was sitting on the step.
Sometimes the element which the modifier is intended to modify does not in fact
appear in the sentence, or is not in an appropriate position to be associated with that
modifier. This is often considered a grammatical or stylistic error. For example:

 Walking along the road, a vulture loomed overhead.

Here whoever was "walking along the road" is not mentioned in the sentence, so the
modifier (walking along the road) has nothing to modify, except a vulture, which is
clearly not the intention. Such a case is called a "dangling modifier", or more
specifically, in the common case where (as here) the modifier is a participial phrase, a
"dangling participle"