Modifiers are words or groups of words that add more detail to a sentence. They help make your writing clearer and more interesting by adding specific information.

In our last post, we focused on modifiers of the subject but today, we’ll focus on modifiers of the predicate, which make the action or verb in a sentence more vivid and detailed.

What Is the Predicate?

Every complete sentence has two main parts: the subject (who or what the sentence is about) and the predicate (what the subject is doing).

Examples: 

♦ The dog barked loudly.
♦ Subject: The dog
♦ Predicate: barked loudly

The predicate always contains the verb, and it can also include words that modify or describe that verb. These are called modifiers of the predicate (predicate modifiers).

Related Reading: Understanding Subject Modifiers

Predicate Modifiers

The simple predicate, which is the verb or verb-phrase in a sentence, can only be modified by words or groups of words that act like adverbs. These are called adverbial modifiers.

A simple predicate can be modified in several ways, such as:

♥ An adverb (e.g., “He ran quickly.”)
♥ An adverbial phrase (e.g., “She sang with joy.”)
♥ An adverbial clause (e.g., “They stayed because it was raining.”)
♥ An infinitive (e.g., “He stopped to think.”)
♥ An adverbial objective (e.g., “She walked a mile.”)
♥ A nominative absolute (e.g., “The sun setting, they packed up.”)
♥ An indirect object (e.g., “She gave him a gift.”)
♥ A cognate object (e.g., “He smiled a happy smile.”)

Each of these modifiers adds details about the verb, making the sentence more complete and interesting. Let’s explore each of them.

Adverb

Adverbs are single words that modify verbs. They describe how, when, or where something happens.

Examples:

♦ The landlord collects the rents monthly.
♦ The old schoolhouse stands there.
♦ We left the hall early.

Adverbial Phrases

Adverbial phrases are groups of words that act like adverbs. They add more detail to the verb by answering the same questions as adverbs.

Examples:

♦ The landlord collects the rents on the first of every month.
♦ The old schoolhouse stands at the crossroads.
♦ We left the hall before the last speech.

Peculiar Adverbial Phrases

There are also unique expressions that act as adverbial phrases, adding colour to writing:

• to and fro
• now and then
• up and down
• again and again
• first and last
• full speed
• full tilt
• hit or miss
• more or less
• head first
• upside down
• inside out
• sink or swim
• cash down

Common Adverbs vs. Adverbial Phrases

Most adverbial phrases are prepositional. Sometimes, adverbs and adverbial phrases mean the same thing, but use different forms.

Adverbial Clauses

An adverbial clause is a group of words with a subject and a verb that acts like an adverb, giving more details about the action in a sentence. These clauses often explain reasons, time, or conditions.

Examples:

♦ The landlord collects the rents when the first of the month comes.
♦ The old schoolhouse stands where the roads meet.
♦ We left the hall while the last speech was being delivered.

These clauses can explain when, where, why, how, or under what conditions something happens. Relative adverbs or subordinate conjunctions introduce them.

Relative Adverbs

Relative adverbs introduce adverbial clauses and often answer questions like where or when.

Examples:

♦ Our colonel was found where the fighting was fiercest. (Where?)
♦ When I give the signal, press the button. (When?)
♦ My uncle laughed until the tears came. (How long?)

Subordinate Conjunctions

Subordinate conjunctions are words like because, if, although, or so that, which join the adverbial clause to the rest of the sentence.

Examples:

♦ Anna resigned because of her health. (Why?)
♦ I will give the address if you will let me drive. (Under what condition?)
♦ Brandon insisted on walking, although the roads were dangerous. (Why, despite what?)

Infinitive

An infinitive is the base form of a verb, often paired with the word to (like to run, to jump, or to think). Infinitives can act as modifiers to give more information about the verb in a sentence.

Examples:

♦ He lay down to rest. (Why did he lie down? To rest.)
♦ I stopped to listen. (Why did I stop? To listen.)
♦ The fire continued to burn. (What did the fire do? To burn.)

Sometimes, an infinitive includes extra words to complete its meaning or provide more details.

Examples:

♦ Jack worked hard to fell the tree. (What did Jack work hard to do? To fell the tree.)
♦ Will did his best to win the prize. (Why did Will do his best? To win the prize.)
♦ Kate began to weep bitterly. (What did Kate begin doing? To weep bitterly.)

In the last three examples, the infinitive has a complement (words that complete its meaning) or a modifier (words that add details).

Adverbial Object

An adverbial objective is a noun that acts like an adverb, modifying the verb in a sentence by telling how long, how far, or how much.

Examples:

♦ I have waited ages. (How long have I waited? Ages.)
♦ We have walked miles. (How far have we walked? Miles.)
♦ Tali practiced weeks. (How long did Tali practice? Weeks.)

When you add extra details to an adverbial objective, it becomes an adverbial phrase, which works like an adverb but provides more specific information.

Examples:

♦ Said ran the entire distance. (How far did Said run? The entire distance.)
♦ He stayed a whole day. (How long did he stay? A whole day.)
♦ I will forgive you this time. (When will I forgive you? This time.)
♦ He came at me full tilt. (How did he come at me? Full tilt.)
♦ The wind blew all night. (How long did the wind blow? All night.)
♦ Come with me a little way. (How far should you come? A little way.)

In “Said ran the entire distance,” “the entire distance” modifies the verb “ran,” functioning as an adverb. “The entire distance”—this phrase uses the noun “distance” modified by the adjectives “the” and “entire”.

Adverbial objectives and phrases add detail to your sentences, helping readers better understand the action!

Nominative Absolute

A nominative absolute is a phrase that jazzes up the verb in a sentence. Basically, it’s a noun phrase acts like an adverb, showing when, why, or how something happened.

Examples:

♦ The ship having arrived, we all embarked. (When did we embark? After the ship arrived.)
♦ We will sail on Tuesday, weather permitting. (Under what condition? If the weather allows.)
♦ The bridge across the chasm was only a single tree trunk, we hesitated to attempt the passage. (Why did we hesitate? Because the bridge was dangerous.)

In the first example, the phrase the ship having arrived acts like an adverbial phrase, explaining the time of the action embarked. You could also express it as on the arrival of the ship, but the nominative absolute makes the sentence more compact and descriptive.

Indirect Object

An indirect object is a noun or pronoun that tells who or what receives the action of the verb indirectly. It helps explain to who or for who something is done. We can rephrase indirect objects as prepositional phrases, just like adverbial modifiers.

♦ Example: She gave me a watch. (Who did she give the watch to? To me.)
♦ Example: Mei told me the whole story. (Who did Mei tell the story to? To me.)

In these sentences, the indirect object me acts as a modifier for the verb, just like an adverbial phrase would.

♦ Example: He gave a watch to me.
♦ Example: Mei told the whole story to me.

Sometimes, an indirect object can also show purpose or service, acting as another type of adverbial modifier.

Cognate Object

A cognate noun is basically a noun from the same family as its verb. It acts like an adverb, giving more info on the verb. Sometimes you’ll find a cognate object acting as an adverb.

Examples:

♦ The officer looked daggers at me. (What does this mean? He looked at me angrily.)
♦ The shepherd sang a merry song. (What does this mean? He sang merrily.)
♦ The skipper laughed a scornful laugh. (What does this mean? He laughed scornfully.)

In the first sentence, the word daggers (the cognate object) modifies the verb looked in the same way the adverb angrily would.

In the second and third sentences, the phrases a merry song and a scornful laugh act as adverbial modifiers. These phrases include the cognate objects (song, laugh) and their adjectives (merry, scornful).

Cognate objects and their phrases make sentences more expressive while adding depth to the action being described!

Related Reading: How to Use Conditional Sentences

What Questions Do Predicate Modifiers Answer?

To summarize, predicate modifiers make your sentences more specific by answering these questions:

How?
She spoke softly.
The kids played noisily in the yard.

When?
We’ll leave tomorrow.
He called before dinner.

Where?
The cat hid under the bed.
We walked along the beach.

Why?
She paused to catch her breath.
He worked late because he wanted to finish the project.

To What Extent?
They almost won the game.
She completely forgot her homework.

Practice Exercises

Identify the predicate modifiers in these sentences:

1. The cat jumped gracefully onto the table.
2. She danced beautifully at the party last night.
3. He finished his homework quickly before dinner.
4. The wind blew fiercely during the storm.
5. They stayed up late to watch the movie.
6. The dog barked loudly in the middle of the night.
7. We traveled across the country to visit our relatives.
8. She spoke softly so that the baby wouldn’t wake up.
9. The student worked hard on the project all weekend.
10. He came early to prepare for the meeting.
11. We waited patiently for the bus at the corner.
12. She laughed nervously during the presentation.
13. The children played happily in the park.
14. He drove carefully along the icy road.
15. The baby cried loudly until her mother picked her up.
16. She stayed up late because she had to finish the report.
17. They arrived after the show had started.
18. He whispered quietly so that no one would hear him.
19. We celebrated the victory with great enthusiasm.
20. She worked tirelessly to complete her assignment.

Related Reading: Understanding Sentences, Phrases, and Clauses

Key Takeaways

1. Understand the Predicate First: The predicate is the part of the sentence that tells what the subject is doing. It includes the verb and any modifiers or complements.
2. Modifiers Answer Key Questions: Predicate modifiers often answer how, when, where, why, or to what extent the action happens. Look for these clues to identify them.
3. Adverbs Are Common Modifiers: Adverbs are single words that modify verbs.
4. Adverbial Clauses Add Detail: Adverbial clauses are full clauses (with a subject and verb) that act like adverbs.
5. Cognate Objects Add Emphasis: Cognate objects are nouns that are related to the verb.

6. Indirect Objects Act as Modifiers: Indirect objects answer to whom or for whom something is done.
7. Look for Infinitive Modifiers: Infinitive phrases (e.g., to run, to win) can modify the predicate by showing purpose or intent.
8. Adverbial Objectives Are Nouns in Disguise: Some nouns act as adverbs to modify the predicate.
9. Be Aware of Nominative Absolutes: Nominative absolutes are phrases with a noun and its modifiers that give extra detail about the verb.
10. Watch for Placement: Modifiers should be placed close to the verb they modify to avoid confusion. Misplaced modifiers can change the meaning of a sentence.

Last Words on Predicate Modifiers

Modifiers of the predicate bring your sentences to life. They help readers picture the action and understand the details which makes it more enjoyable to read.

The next time you write, remember to ask: How, when, where, why, or to what extent?

Happy writing!

Linda

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