The Structure of Modifiers

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What are modifiers?

Nouns and pronouns helps us name and identify things and people in the world about us. Verbs help us make statements and ask questions about things and people. Modifiers help us describe what we have seen and heard.

In other words
Modifiers help us to make clear the meaning which we would like to convey. Example: There was a brilliant flash. I saw him ran towards the door.

In other words
Modifiers help us to make clear the meaning which we would like to convey. Example: There was a brilliant flash. I saw him ran towards the door.

In other words
Modifiers also help state how we feel about things and people. Example: The room was messy. Our new puppy was extremely energetic.

In other words
Modifiers also help state how we feel about things and people. Example: The room was messy. Our new puppy was extremely energetic.

What are modifiers?

Modifiers usually appear as single-word

What are modifiers?

The room was messy. Our new puppy was extremely energetic. There was a brilliant flash.

Modifiers usually appear as single-word

What are modifiers?

The room was messy. Our new puppy was extremely energetic. There was a brilliant flash.

Modifiers usually appear as single-word

What are modifiers?

They may also occur as phrases, or clauses.

What are modifiers?

I saw him ran towards the door. The watch that I bough from HK was stolen. Fernie owns the phone on the table.

They may also occur as phrases, or clauses.

What are modifiers?

I saw him ran towards the door. The watch that I bought from HK was stolen. Fernie owns the phone on the table.

They may also occur as phrases, or clauses.

What are modifiers?

Under normal circumstances, modifiers do not do so much to affect the independence of one sentence such that even if you remove them from the sentence, the sentence still stands to be grammatically correct. The only modifier which when removed will seriously damage the sentence is the predicate adjective.

A Predicate Adjective is an adjective that is separated to the word that it modifies by a linking verb.

Compare:
a. The room was messy. b. The messy room was abandoned.

Find the modifier (Adj)

a. The room was messy. b. The messy room was abandoned.

Find the modifier (Adj)

a. The room was messy. b. The messy room was abandoned.

Remove the modifier

a. The room was messy. b. The messy room was abandoned.

Remove the modifier

a. The room was. b. The room was abandoned.

Remove the modifier

a. The room was. b. The room was abandoned. Only sentence (b) stands to be correct. Sentence (a) has a predicate adjective.

The Lesson?
It is important for you to know which of the group of words are modifiers so you can disregard them in the process of identifying the simple subject. The simple subject is the one that determines the number of the verb.

Basic Sentence Patterns

S IV S TV DO (OC) S LV SC S TV IO DO

Basic Sentence Patterns

mSm mIVm S mTVm mDOm (OC) S LV SC/m S TV mIOm DO

Lets see

From the back of the freezing room in the old school, Nathan, under three sweaters, sneezed into the tissue in his right hand.

From the back of the freezing room in the old school, Nathan, under three sweaters, sneezed into the tissue in his right hand.

From the back of the freezing room, Nathan, under three sweaters, sneezed into the tissue in his right hand.

From the back of the freezing room, Nathan, under three sweaters, sneezed into the tissue in his right hand.

From the back of the freezing room, Nathan, under three sweaters, sneezed into the tissue.

From the back of the freezing room, Nathan, under three sweaters, sneezed into the tissue.

From the back, Nathan, under three sweaters, sneezed into the tissue.

From the back, Nathan, under three sweaters, sneezed into the tissue.

From the back, Nathan, under three sweaters, sneezed.

Nathan, under three sweaters, sneezed.

Nathan, under three sweaters, sneezed.

Nathan sneezed.

See?

Nathan sneezed. S IV

Lets see another

The woman who is seated along with the dignitaries on that table in the corner gave me the hat that I wore to the party last week.

The woman who is seated along with the dignitaries on that table in the corner gave me the hat that I wore to the party last week.

The woman who is seated on that table in the corner gave me the hat that I wore to the party last week.

The woman who is seated on that table in the corner gave me the hat that I wore to the party last week.

The woman who is seated on that table gave me the hat that I wore to the party last week.

The woman who is seated on that table gave me the hat that I wore to the party last week.

The woman gave me the hat that I wore to the party last week.

The woman gave me the hat that I wore to the party last week.

The woman gave me the hat that I wore to the party.

The woman gave me the hat that I wore to the party.

The woman gave me the hat. s tv io do

Lets see another

The utterly exhausted plowman painstakingly walked to his modest cottage under the pitch black sky.

The utterly exhausted plowman painstakingly walked to his modest cottage under the pitch black sky.

The exhausted plowman painstakingly walked to his modest cottage under the pitch black sky.

The exhausted plowman painstakingly walked to his modest cottage under the pitch black sky.

The exhausted plowman painstakingly walked to his modest cottage under the sky.

The exhausted plowman painstakingly walked to his modest cottage under the sky.

The plowman painstakingly walked to his modest cottage under the sky.

The plowman painstakingly walked to his modest cottage under the sky.

The plowman painstakingly walked under the sky.

The plowman painstakingly walked under the sky.

The plowman walked under the sky.

The plowman walked under the sky.

See?

The plowman walked.

So basically
Simplifying sentences allows you to identify the simple subject, and thus helps you to determine the right form of verb to be used.

For inquiries, email me.

ferniebucang@gmail.com