Imagine reading a story that says, “The cat sat.” Now imagine reading, “The fluffy gray cat sat quietly by the warm fireplace.” Which one paints a better picture? The second one, right? That’s the magic of modifiers!

We’ve already talked about different modifiers in earlier blogs, but now it’s time to look at them more closely.

What Is a Modifier?

Let’s review briefly. A modifier is a word or group of words that changes or adds to the meaning of another word. They describe or give extra information about something in the sentence.

♦ Example: People → Able people → People of ability
♦ Example: Cottages → English cottages → Cottages in England

Modifiers also work with verbs.

Examples:

♦ The boy listened eagerly → The boy listened with eagerness
♦ I coughed purposely → I coughed on purpose
♦ The bullet passed harmlessly → The bullet passed without doing harm

Where Are Modifiers Used

Modifiers can describe:

Nouns or pronouns (these are called adjective modifiers)

♦ Example: Henry’s skates are rusty.
♦ Example: The tall tree swayed in the wind.

Here, “Henry’s” is an adjective modifier because it describes “skates” and tall describes the tree.

Verbs, adjectives, or adverbs (these are called adverbial modifiers).

♦ Example: The boy listened eagerly.
♦ Example: She ran quickly to catch the bus.

Here, eagerly is an adverbial modifier because it describes how he listened. And quickly is how fast she ran.

Related Reading: Mastering Sentence Structure

Phrases and Clauses as Modifiers

Modifiers can also be phrases (groups of words) or clauses (groups of words with a subject and verb)

Adjective Modifiers

If we use a phrase or clause as an adjective modifier, it’s called an adjective phrase or adjective clause.

♦ Example: Able people → People of ability → People who have ability

Not all adjective modifiers are adjectives. For example, in “Henry’s skates are rusty,” the word Henry’s is a possessive noun, but it works like an adjective because it describes the skates.

Adverbial Modifiers

If we use as an adverbial modifier, it’s called an adverbial phrase or adverbial clause.

♦ Example: I spoke thoughtlessly → I spoke without thinking → I spoke before I thought

Adjective and adverbial clauses are always subordinate clauses because they act as parts of speech in the sentence.

Modifiers of the Subject

The subject of a sentence is the person, place, or thing the sentence is about. Modifiers of the subject describe or give more details about it.

These modifiers can be a single word or a phrase. While any word in a sentence can have an adjective, those modifying the subject are especially crucial.

These include Adjectives, Adjective Phrases, Adjective Clauses, Participles, Infinitive, Possessive and Appositives.

Adjectives, Adjective Phrases, Adjective Clauses

The simple subject can be described or modified in three ways: with an adjective, an adjective phrase, or an adjective clause.

Examples:

♦ Adjective: Ivory trinkets lay scattered about.
♦ Adjective Phrase: Trinkets of ivory lay scattered about.
♦ Adjective Clause: Trinkets which were carved from ivory lay scattered about.

This example describes the subject of the first sentence with an adjective, the second with an adjective phrase, and the third with an adjective clause.

Most adjective phrases, like the ones in these examples, are prepositional phrases.

An adjective clause can start with either a relative pronoun or a relative adverb. Let’s break it down with examples:

Relative Pronouns

These introduce adjective clauses and connect them to the nouns they describe:

♦ Example: The architect who designed this church was a genius.
♦ Example: The plain through which this river flows is marvelously fertile.

Relative Adverbs

These also introduce adjective clauses but emphasize time, place, or reason.

♦ Example: The morning when I arrived in Rome is a wonderful memory.
♦ Example: The year after Ashton left home brought new problems.

A relative pronoun with a preposition can often replace a relative adverb. In the sentence, “The morning when I arrived in Rome,” you could say “The morning on which I arrived in Rome.”

Participles

The subject of a sentence can be described or modified by a participle, either on its own or with additional words (modifiers or complements).

Examples:

♦ Exasperated beyond endurance, the captain cut the rope. The participle (exasperated) is modified by the adverbial phrase beyond endurance.
♦ John, obeying a sudden impulse, took to his heels. The participles obeying has an object (a sudden impulse).
♦ The monkey, fearing captivity above all things, leaped into the river. The participle (fearing) has both an object (captivity) and a modifier (above all things).

How Participles Function

A participial phrase contains a participle and its modifiers. The phrase functions adjectivally, modifying the subject.

However, to keep things simple, you can treat the participle itself as the main modifier and list its additional elements (like objects or modifiers) separately.

♦ Example: in The monkeys, fearing captivity above all things, leaped into the river, the subject monkeys is modified by the participle fearing. Fearing has a direct object (captivity). It is also modified by the adverbial phrase (above all things).

Related Reading: How to Use Conditional Sentences

Note on Style and Function

A participle doesn’t just describe the subject; it often has a connection to the action in the predicate. For instance, the participle fearing can expand into an adverbial clause (because they feared), which would then modify the verb leaped.

This dual role—acting as both an adjective and a verb—adds variety to writing. While we treat the participle as an adjective describing the subject during analysis, it’s important to recognize its potential to replace an adverbial clause.

Infinitives

The subject of a sentence can be described or modified by an infinitive.

Example:

♦ Eagerness to learn was her strongest passion.
♦ Desire to travel made Taylor restless.
♦ The wish to succeed drove him to do his best.
♦ Being able to write quickly is a valuable skill.
♦ Howard’s unwillingness to desert a friend cost him his life.

How to Analyze

When analyzing these sentences, you have two options.

1. Treat the whole phrase (the infinitive and its modifiers or complements) as a single unit describing the subject.

2. Focus on the infinitive as the main modifier and separately list its additional elements (like adverbs or objects), just as you would with participial phrases.

You can use both methods, depending on the desired level of detail in your analysis.

Possessive

The subject of a sentence can be described or modified by a possessive noun or pronoun. These are called possessive modifiers because they work like adjectives to specify or limit the subject.

1. Napoleon’s tomb is in Paris.
2. One’s taste in reading changes as one grows older.
3. A moment’s thought would have saved me.

The subject of a sentence can be described or modified by a possessive noun or pronoun. These are called possessive modifiers because they work like adjectives to specify or limit the subject.

1. Napoleon’s tomb is in Paris.
2. One’s taste in reading changes as one grows older.
3. A moment’s thought would have saved me.

In each sentence, the possessive word acts like an adjective, making the meaning of the subject more specific.

Friendly Tip

Sometimes, you can replace a possessive with a phrase using “of.” For example:

Instead of saying Napoleon’s tomb, you could say the tomb of Napoleon. Both versions mean the same thing and are correct!

Appositive

A word can explain or describe the subject of a sentence further in apposition, which is just a fancy way of saying a noun or noun phrase that gives more information about the subject.

♦ Example: Meredith the carpenter lives in that house. (Carpenter explains who Meredith is.)
♦ Example: Xavier, our captain, has broken his leg. (Our captain explains who Xavier is.)

In these sentences, the appositive provides more details about the subject.

Appositives with Modifiers

Appositives can also have their own modifiers.

♦ Example: In Meredith the carpenter, the word the modifies carpenter.
♦ Example: In Xavier, our captain, the word our modifies captain.

When analyzing sentences, you can treat the whole appositive phrase (like our captain or the carpenter) as modifying the subject. Alternatively, you can break it down, noting the appositive and its modifiers separately.

Special Types of Appositives

Sometimes, a noun clause can act as an appositive.

♦ Example: The question whether Antonio was a citizen was settled in the affirmative. (Whether Antonio was a citizen explains the question.)
♦ Example: The statement that water freezes seems absurd to a native of the tropics. (That water freezes explains the statement.)

Adjectives as Appositives

An adjective or adjective phrase can also be used as an appositive:

♦ Example: A sword, keen and bright, flashed from the soldier’s scabbard. (Keen and bright adds detail about the sword.)

Summarizing Modifiers of the Subject

In short. The simple subject can be modified by:

♥ An adjective, an adjective phrase, or an adjective clause (The shiny red car drove past.)
♥ A participle (The barking dog woke everyone up.)
♥ An infinitive (The dog to adopt was barking happily.)
♥ A possessive (John’s dog barked loudly.)
♥ An appositive (My dog, a golden retriever, barked loudly.)

Modifiers help us picture the subject more clearly. Instead of just “a dog,” we now see a hungry dog with a wagging tail.

Practice Exercises

Underline the modifiers in these sentences:

1. The golden sun set behind the mountains.
2. A basket of fruit was placed on the table.
3. The dog barking loudly chased after the mailman.
4. Henry’s decision surprised everyone in the meeting.
5. The house painted white belongs to the Johnsons.
6. A child eager to learn is a joy to teach.
7. The book lying on the desk is mine.
8. Sarah’s kind words cheered up her friend.
9. The boys playing soccer were called inside for dinner.
10. The car speeding down the road was caught by the traffic camera.
11. Her mother’s advice stayed with her through the years.
12. The flowers blooming in the garden added beauty to the yard.
13. A cat with bright green eyes stared at me from the window.
14. James’s enthusiasm for the project was contagious.
15. The painting hung on the wall was done by a famous artist.
16. The scientist conducting the experiment was awarded a medal.
17. A family of ducks crossed the busy road safely.
18. The student raising her hand knew the correct answer.
19. The noise coming from the street distracted the students.
20. The athlete training for the Olympics woke up at dawn every day.

Related Reading: Understanding Sentences, Phrases, and Clauses

Key Takeaways

1. Be Specific: Use modifiers to add clarity and detail to your subject.
2. Use Descriptive Adjectives: Choose strong adjectives to convey vivid imagery.
3. Add Depth with Prepositional Phrases: Use phrases to give more information.
4. Employ Participles for Action: Use participles to show ongoing or completed actions.
5. Use Appositives for Clarity: Add appositive phrases to define or rename the subject.

6. Place Modifiers Near the Subject: Ensure the modifier is as close as possible to the subject to avoid confusion.
7. Avoid Dangling Modifiers: Make sure the modifier clearly refers to the subject.
8. Don’t Use Redundant Modifiers: Avoid repeating information unnecessarily.
9. Avoid Misplaced Modifiers: Make sure modifiers don’t end up modifying the wrong part of the sentence.
10. Don’t Use Ambiguous Modifiers: Ensure the modifier’s meaning is clear and not open to multiple interpretations.

Last Words on Modifying Subjects

Modifiers are like the sprinkles on a cupcake—they make sentences more colorful and enjoyable!

Happy writing!

Linda

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