Questions tagged [modifiers]
Questions about modifiers.
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How would you punctuate this?
I've come across a heading I don't know how to punctuate:
10 Questions for Betty Smith – Author, Chocolate and Money Lover
Obviously she is a lover of chocolate and money, but am not sure how/...
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4answers
73 views
A modifier clause after “one of the xxxs” – singular or plural?
I wrote a sentence of the kind "XXX contains one of the most powerful lubricants that prevent rusty gears, the main cause of machine failure."
This is too wordy, of course, but never mind. The grammar ...
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0answers
46 views
Why aren't degree modifiers complements?
As far as I've been able to figure out, in the CaGEL* framework, complements are items that are licensed by some other element (generally the head), so that if an item has to be licensed, it is per ...
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1answer
26 views
On using a modifier with a (comma-separated) list
I have a couple of related questions, one of which is a concrete question and the other of which is more general/abstract.
My first question is in regards to the following sentence, which was taken ...
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2answers
131 views
What is the nature of, and syntactic distinction between, modifier and complement?
I am struggling to understand the syntactic relevance of the distinction between complement and modifier in theories such as the one presented in the Cambridge Grammar of the English Language by ...
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2answers
57 views
When referring to two people who have passed on, is it necessary to repeat “the late”?
Which one is correct?
A. Authors like the late John Smith and John Doe have …
B. Authors like the late John Smith and the late John Doe have …
Thanks
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0answers
53 views
Can a prepositional phrase modify a noun when there is a verb between the noun and the prepositional phrase?
For example,
Forecasts have emerged of heavy rain.
A structurally sound argument was presented of the characteristics and implications of economic recessions.
Is the prepositional phrase ...
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1answer
58 views
What part of speech is the word hair in 'hair spray'? [duplicate]
Consider the following sentence as an example. I used some hair spray. What part of speech is hair? Intuitively, I want to say it's an adjective modifying spray since hair spray is two separate words ...
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1answer
26 views
“Personal Use Program” or “Personal-Use Program”?
Help me settle a discussion on this topic. Everywhere I look, within my company's internal documents as well as documents from other companies, a "personal use" program is not hyphenated. A colleague ...
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1answer
122 views
What's the FUNCTIONAL difference between a supplement and an adjunct/modifier?
I'm trying to understand the difference between supplements and adjuncts/modifiers. In my search for enlightenment, I've come across a number of entries and posts, of which I think this one summarises ...
2
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1answer
57 views
How to tell which word a prepositional phrase is modifying?
Often it is obvious what word is being modified by a prepositional phrase, but sometimes it isn't. When it's not immediately clear, I often ask myself questions like: Does this phrase answer "where ...
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1answer
126 views
Determining licensing in CaGel by means of substitution test
I read a comment on licensing in another post, which made me revisit this concept. Unfortunately I haven't got access to CaGEL – only to its "little brother", Huddleston and Pullum's A Student's ...
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2answers
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Indirect complement or postmodifier in NP
In the sentence
[1] He is the most talented artist (that) I know
what is (that) I know in terms of function – an indirect complement, licensed by most, or simply a common postmodifier? Why?
...
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2answers
71 views
What's the extended meaning by adding “one” before a noun?
Example:
Elaine: "You know those label makers make great gifts, I just gave one for Tim Whatley for Christmas."
Jerry: "!@#$"
Elaine: "Who gave you that?"
Jerry: "One Tim Whatley."
What does the ...
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3answers
3k views
“I'll let you know once I have any” vs. “once I have some”
I have no questions so far but I will let you know once I have any.
Is this grammatical, or should it be "... once I have some" instead?
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2answers
204 views
Problems of Use of Participle in Academic Writing: “When considering” VS “When considered”
I have questions about the participle phrase in academic writing which are related to the dangling modifiers of 3 cases.
Could you explain me more the appropriate use of sentences with the participle ...
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1answer
287 views
What does “if known” refer to at the end of a sentence?
What does the "if known" refer to in this sentence? :
The Notice to Suspend shall specify the reason for suspension, which part of the Works shall be suspended, the effective date of the suspension ...
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1answer
2k views
“Reasons for…” or “Reasons that…”
While taking a PSAT practice test, I was told by the answer key that the underlined sentence below is grammatically correct and does not need to be changed.
In my experience "reasons," when used in ...
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2answers
71 views
What kind of phrase is “…better at finding patterns of burglary than of, say, murder”?
Predictive-policing systems are imperfect, better at finding patterns of burglary than of, say, murder.
I know that "better at finding patterns of burglary than of, say, murder." is describing ...
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1answer
238 views
Why is it “five-barred gate” not “five-bar gate”?
Is the "bar" here a past participle? Why it needs to be added an "-ed"?
Another example I recently encountered is "pink-haired girl". "Hair" is a noun, why add "-ed"?
And we always say "5-year-old ...
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1answer
52 views
Misplaced Modifier
He kept a black book of all the girls he had dated in the past in his desk.
Is "in his desk" a misplaced modifier, or is the sentence grammatically correct? Kindly elaborate.
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1answer
186 views
misplaced modifiers in a sentence
I have these two sentences:
The family of Johnsons in 1980 are heartbroken. They, like all families around them, appear to have given up.
When I read it, a lot of things are wrong and awkward ...
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1answer
120 views
Is this sentence grammatically correct? Adverb clause
When I got back my test recently, I oddly found that my English teacher thinks that there is an error in the usage of adverbial clauses in
"It seems that moving the body while learning, which ...
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1answer
4k views
Non-existing or nonexisting [closed]
What is correct in English, non-existing or nonexisting?
Searching sources on Google doesn't help much as both variants are widely present there.
Onelook Dictionary Search doesn't show much about ...
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1answer
268 views
Uncountable followed by countable nouns - “is” or “are”? [duplicate]
I have a question about the following sentence:
The only artwork in evidence is/are some Greek vases and terracotta objects.
Is it "artwork" that selects the verb-form (therefore "is"), or "Greek ...
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4answers
1k views
Is “crucially important” redundant?
I've come across the phrase crucially important many times. More than 100,000 hits on Google Scholar, and it even appears in some of the answers on this site.
However, crucial already means "...
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1answer
192 views
Is the definite/indefinite article a complement or a modifier of a noun?
The definite/indefinite article -- the/a(n) -- always comes before a noun and can never be used without a noun.
Is the definite/indefinite article a complement or a modifier of a noun?
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0answers
75 views
a verb phrase acting as a complement of a noun
In a noun phrase (NP), a verb phrase (VP) can act as a complement of a noun as follows:
OPEC's decision to cut production by more than 1.5m barrels a day
the option to replace you with your ...
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2answers
106 views
What is the term for multiple-long phrases in a single sentence?
The bark of the tree had progressively gained pallor and, like some
town under siege, thanks to the repeated assaults of snowstorms
and subzero temperatures, it was hard to imagine how this tree ...
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2answers
190 views
Intelligent-intensive or Intelligence-intensive?
Which of the titular phrases is the most appropriate and correct to express a work or task that mainly relies on the intelligence of an entity?
Stats of matches from Google Books:
Intelligent-...
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0answers
46 views
What gets modified? Confusions with “only” (basic categorical logic)
While learning basic categorical logic, I came across the following sentences:
"All kitchens are places for eating"
"All kitchens are only places for eating"
"All kitchens are places only for eating" ...
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0answers
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complicated / complex and possible modifiers
A text I wrote (well, translated actually) contained the phrase:
"the question is highly complex".
After more than a year (!) it's been returned to me with some corrections, and the phrase above ...
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2answers
526 views
Should “gerund + objective” be modified by adjectives or adverbs?
I read from TheFreeDictionary http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Gerunds.htm the examples "Studying too hastily will result in a poor grade." and "Working from home allows me to spend more time with my ...
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1answer
133 views
Adverbial modifier with the insertion of comma
I was studying about participles and one site a guy asked the following question:
How would the meaning of the following sentences differ from each other?
1. The beach, located on the far side of ...
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0answers
353 views
Modifiers used to modify whole clauses/sentences - Any additional examples?
I've been interested recently in modifiers that modify not a specific grammatical unit--e.g., nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, or phrases of each--but an entire sentence or clause. For example, see ...
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3answers
424 views
A weird case : “The kitchen’s window” vs “The kitchen window”
I just came across this article (noun modifiers), and I'm surprised that these two nouns mean different things:
The kitchen’s window
The kitchen window
The Ngram shows zero usage of the first ...
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1answer
163 views
Adverb modifier in action
What does the adverb ever modify in the sentence?
“They experienced the coldest weather ever.”
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37 views
How is Mark Nichol using the term “free modifier”?
In 8 types of parenthetical phrases, he includes
Free modifier: A free modifier is an unspecialized interruption of additional information: “I stood up and, brushing off my pants,
continued ...
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1answer
37 views
Removing modifier error
The modifier error in the sentence below creates ambiguity regarding who is on the way home - John or the huge man.
John saw a huge man on his way home
What are the different ways to fix this? ...
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1answer
46 views
Usage of comma- why did they use comma here?
can you please tell why author used comma in the following sentence? If it was necessary, can you please explain why? I got this line from a book about art theory
"One of the main problems facing ...
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0answers
42 views
Usage of an article when one adjective modifies two nouns
I want to say 'a specific method' and 'a specific parameter'.
I actually want to express
I use a general method that can be determined by the operator instead of a specific annealing algorithm, ...
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0answers
337 views
Rules on noun+noun structures
Although there are plenty of grammar topics that I occasionally struggle with, there is one that causes the most trouble.
Lately, I have been writing a lot of technical instructions and manuals, in ...
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3answers
3k views
How very dare you!
The phrase:
How very dare you!
... was originally used by English comedian and actor Frankie Howard, but has since found fame in the UK through the Catherine Tate show.
In this sentence, is the ...
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2answers
188 views
Can intensifiers intensify nouns?
So from what I've gathered intensifiers intensify either adjectives (modifiers) or adverbs (or adverbial phrases) but can they intensify nouns? eg.
"A long time ago your heroic grandfathers helped ...
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1answer
60 views
Hypersensitivity to Dangling Modifiers [closed]
I'm concerned that I'm developing a hypersensitivity to dangling modifiers, even if they don't dangle very much.
For context, I have the following sentence:
"From the edge of the rice paddy, Richard ...
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1answer
41 views
The right way to at the same time talk of a modified adjective and its unmodified form? [closed]
We don't know how pervasive that is.
and
We don't know how increasingly pervasive that is.
How to combine the above two sentences into one sentence? A popular way is to use parentheses, as:
...
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1answer
31 views
Than as modifier
In this sentence, does "than his father" modify the entire phrase "better player"? He was a better player than his father.
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250 views
Why is this a dangling modifier?
The modifier here:
Seeing the potential in data, the industry has already started to employ cognitive computing.*
Grammarly identifies Seeing the potential in data as a dangling modifier. However, ...
2
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1answer
345 views
Why does past participle phrase modifies object of a sentence?
I am confused when i read the following sentences.
Her cruel sisters had brought expensive new clothes for the party and laughed at her when they saw Cinderella crying , dressed in her plain, dirty ...
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1answer
104 views
Misplaced modifier?
I was wondering whether an adverbial prepositional phrase can come after the object without it modifying the verb/object in the sentence.
For example,
The storm pelted hail with great ...
