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Where is the modifier in "the majority of senators", "a number of students" and in "a range of documents" in these sentences:

  1. The majority of senators will be fired tomorrow.

  2. A number of students might not be able to take the test.

  3. The range of documents could only increase.

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  • A modifier is one phrase or part of speech placed into another phrase to refine its meaning wihtout changing its grammatical role or impact on parts of the sentence outside the phrase. (The majority of) senators will be fired tomorrow. (A number of) students might not be able to take the test. (A range of) documents could only increase. More examples: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modifier_(grammar) Phil Jan 13, 2011 at 19:09
  • @Phil that should be posted as an answer, not a comment.
    – morganpdx
    Jan 13, 2011 at 19:19
  • @Phil: Thank you for this answer, but if I choose to follow that definition, then in the third example the modifier must be "of documents", isn't it? After all, it is the range that is increasing there, not documents.
    – brilliant
    Jan 13, 2011 at 19:21
  • @Phil: I am sorry it should be "The range of documents..." - just edited. So, in case of "The range of documents could be increased", the modifier is "of documents", right?
    – brilliant
    Jan 13, 2011 at 19:31
  • @brilliant re (of documents) - you're right, I've put this in my answer. I wasn't really reading it for sense, which is obviously a fatal error. :-) Jan 13, 2011 at 19:48

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A modifier is one phrase or part of speech placed into another phrase to refine its meaning without changing its grammatical role or impact on parts of the sentence outside the phrase.

(The majority of) senators will be fired tomorrow.

(A number of) students might not be able to take the test.

The range (of documents) could only increase.

More examples: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modifier_(grammar)

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