Modifiers

• Modifier


  -words, phrases, and clauses that affect and often enhance the meaning of a sentence.

  -offers detail that can make a sentence more engaging clearer or specific.

  -simplest form: adjective or adverb.
• Adjectives

  -words that modify nouns

  -describing words; they give further details about a noun

  -do not modify verbs or other adjectives

  -it is fixed
• adjectives in a sentence

  determiner comes first(the, a, an) followed by an observation or opinion, origin, material, purpose of a noun being described
• Adjectival clauses

  -acts as an adjective

  -the clauses are dependent

  -single adjective

  -uses relative adverb and relative pronoun
• Adverbs

  -modifies(describes) a verb, an adjective, another adverb or a whole sentence

  -often ends in -ly
• adverbial clauses


  -acts as an adverb

  -usually answers how, when, and why
• Dangling modifier


  a common error where the intended subject of the modifier is missing from the sentence, and instead another subject appears.

  ex: after watching the movie, the book still seems better.

  correction: after watching the movie, he still thinks the book is better.
• misplaced modifier

  common error where a word or group of words intended to describe a noun or pronoun, but is placed incorrectly within the sentence.

  ex: speaking to the state officials, the microphone held the reporter.

  correction: the reporter speaking to the state officials held the microphone.