MORPHOLOGY-SYNTAX

CHAPTER: 11 MODIFICATION
1. SENTENCE MODIFIERS
A sentence modifier is an adverbial that modifies all the rest of the
sentence.
Example: Hopefully, she passed the exam.
Adv/M of S/Av-al

Hopefully modifies the whole sentence.

She smiled hopefully at the party.

Adv/M of V/Av-al
hopefully modifies the verb smiled.
1.Single-word adverbial
Luckily, I knew how to swim.
Adv/M of S/Av-al
2. Clause adverbial
Since the door was closed, we climbed in the back window.
AdvC/M of S/Av-al
3. Prepositional phrase
In fact the contract is invalid.
PP/M of S/Av-al
4. Absolute structure
The guest having departed, we resumed the normal household routine.
Abs.P/M of S/Av-al
5. Infinitive phrase
To keep dry in a tent, you should be provided with a fly.
Inf.P/M of S/Av-al
6. Participle phrase in –ing
Considering the circumstances, he was lucky to escape alive.
Present.PP/M of S/Av-al
7. Relative in -ever
Wherever she is, I will find her.
AdvC/M of S/Av-al
 2. PREMODIFIERS IN NOUN PHRASES
VI V IV III II I Noun Head

Restricter Predeterminer Determiner Postdeterminer Adjective Noun

especially all ARTICLES CARDINAL red, blue, green, school,

even both a/an NUMBERS old, new, young college,
just half the 1,2, 3 big, little (size) dormitory
merely double POSSESSIVE ORDINAL large, small, garden,
only ADJECTIVES NUMBERS: high, low, tall, fence
particularly her/his/its/my/ first, second,… intellectual, summer
almost our/their /your last Japanese rock
nearly POSSESSIVE OF every, few, less, POSSESSIVE shoe
NAMES little (quantity) OF COMMON
John’s many (a)/more, NOUN
DEMONSTRATIVES most, other,
this/that/these/those/ same, several,
another/any/each/either single, such,
enough/much/neither/no POSSESSIVE
some/what (n) OF COMMON
/which/whose NOUN
 3. POSTNOMINAL MODIFIERS IN NOUN PHRASES

Modified adjective
He had never seen a girl more lovely.
Adj./M of N/Aj-al
Compounded adjectives
The mailman, weary and wet, trudged along in the rain.
Adj./M of N/Aj-al
Uninflected word
The boys upstairs. UW (Adv.)/M of N/Aj-al
Adverb
The green hat particularly Adv./M of N/Aj-al
Noun Phrase Adjectival
The meeting last night
Prepositional Phrase Adjectival
The students in the class
Participle or Participial Phrase, -ing, Adjectival
The woman weeping was escorted to the door.
The hawk, spotting his prey, swooped to the meadow.
Participle or Participial Phrase, -ed, Adjectival
They refused to pay the money demanded. PastP/M of N/Aj-al
The snow, driven by the wind, sifted through the cracks.
PastPP/M of N/Aj-al
Infinitive Phrase Adjectival, to
I have lesson to study. Inf.P/M of N/Aj-al
Relative Clause Adjectival
The old carpenter, who had been laying the floor, stood up and
AdjC/M of N/Aj-al
straightened his back.
Appositive Adjectival
The Bailey Bugle, a college newspaper, appears weekly
4. MODIFIERS IN VERB PHRASES

One- word adverbials

Adverbs of time, place, & manner
They never work long.
Put it anywhere.
She shouted angrily.
Word- group adverbials
Prepositional Phrase Adverbials
They eat in the kitchen. PP/M of V/Av-al
Noun Phrase Adverbials
She held the hammer this way. NP/M of V/Av-al
Clause Adverbials
We telephoned as soon as we could. NP/M of V/Av-al
Infinitive Phrase Adverbials
He works to succeed. Inf.P /M of V/Av-al
Participial Phrase in -ing Adverbials
He came smiling to all the people in the room. Pres.PP/M of V/Av-al
Participial Phrase in –ed Adverbials
He returned defeated by the weather. Past.PP/M of V/Av-al