Modifiers are words, phrases, or clauses that provide descriptive details about other parts of speech or sentence elements. The main types are adjectives and adverbs. Adjectives describe nouns and pronouns, answering questions like "what kind". Adverbs describe verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs, answering questions like "how". It is important to correctly identify a modifier as an adjective or adverb based on what word it is modifying.
Modifiers are words, phrases, or clauses that provide descriptive details about other parts of speech or sentence elements. The main types are adjectives and adverbs. Adjectives describe nouns and pronouns, answering questions like "what kind". Adverbs describe verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs, answering questions like "how". It is important to correctly identify a modifier as an adjective or adverb based on what word it is modifying.
Modifiers are words, phrases, or clauses that provide descriptive details about other parts of speech or sentence elements. The main types are adjectives and adverbs. Adjectives describe nouns and pronouns, answering questions like "what kind". Adverbs describe verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs, answering questions like "how". It is important to correctly identify a modifier as an adjective or adverb based on what word it is modifying.
TORTOSA MONDEJAR GONZAGA BALIBALOS What is a modifier?
Modifiers are used to clarify, explain, describe
and otherwise delimit the meaning of other parts of speech and sentence elements.
These are words, phrases, or clauses that give
descriptive details.
When considering the proper form of a modifier, ask
yourself what word is being modified. The first step in identifying modifiers is to read the sentence and look for descriptive words.
You should then look at each descriptive word and
try to determine whether it is an adjective or an adverb. An adjective describes a noun or pronoun
It answers the questions:
how many which one what kind? Examples 1. She is a good tennis player. (What kind of tennis player is she?)
2. This is an easy exercise. (What kind of exercise is
it?)
3. She gave the swing a gentle push. (What kind of
push did she give the swing?)
4. Jumping with joy, she rejoiced about her victory.
An adverb describes a: verb an adjective another adverb It answers the questions: when, where, how, why, and to what extent. Examples 1. She plays tennis well. (How does she play?)
2. This exercise is relatively easy. (To what extent is
it easy?)
3. She pushed the swing gently. (How did she push
the swing?) In the same vein, remember that adjectives modify nouns and pronouns. Do not mistakenly use an adverb to modify these parts of speech.
For example, after a linking verb you may be
tempted to use an adverb instead of an adjective. You will recall that the linking verb is a special kind of verb because it links its subject to a subject complement. A subject complement can be either a noun (renaming the subject) or a modifier (describing the subject). When it is a modifier it must be an adjective because it describes the subject (always a noun or pronoun). It does not modify the linking verb itself and should therefore not be an adverb:
[WRONG] We felt badly about having caused the accident
[RIGHT] We felt bad about having caused the accident. Identify the modifier and tell whether it functions as an adjective or an adverb. She set it down very gently.