MODIFIERS (Part 2)
MODIFIERS (Part 2)
In this article (MODIFIERS – Part 2) we will go further, with
discussion of Nouns as Modifiers, Multiple-Word
Modifiers, Misplaced Modifiers and
Dangling Modifiers.
4. Nouns as
Modifiers
A
noun can modify another noun by coming immediately before the noun that follows
it. As a modifier, the first noun tells
us a bit more about the noun following it. When a noun acts as a modifier, it
is usually in its singular form.
Examples:
(i)
The restaurants around here do not
have vegetable soup, but they do have ‘banga’ soup and ‘oghwoevwri’ soup.
In
the sentence above, the nouns vegetable, ‘banga’ and ‘oghwoevwri’ are modifiers. They modify soup. Without the modifiers, we would not know what
type of soup the restaurants have or do not have. All we would know, is that they have soup.
(ii)
The new principal has done very fine
renovation works on the dilapidated buildings of the school.
In the sentence above, the noun renovation is a modifier. It
tells us the type of works that were done on the school buildings.
Furthermore, when a noun used as a
modifier, is combined with a number expression, the noun is singular and a
hyphen is used, as in the following examples:
(i)
Umukoro has cleared his one-kilometre long farm.
(ii)
He
got a seven-month contract to
work on an offshore oil-rig.
(iii)
They
lived in a four-bedroom house in
Isiokolo.
(iv)
Delta State University is a fourth-generation university in
Nigeria.
(v)
They built their own half-timbered
house overlooking the Ethiope River.
Furthermore,
we need to use a modifying word such as an adjective or a noun, attributively
(before a noun) to add to the meaning of the noun being modified. For example,
we know what a ship is, but do we know what type of ship it is or what it is
used for? By using a word, especially a noun acting as an adjective, before the
noun ship, we get to know what type of ship it is --- a
battleship, cargo ship, container ship, cruise ship, merchant ship, sailing
ship, spaceship, or supply ship, or even an enemy ship or a pirate ship.
5. Multiple-Word
Modifiers
Multiple-Word
Modifiers are modifiers that are more than one word describing the same noun to
make it more precise or attention-grabbing. They can be a phrase, or
multiple-word, or several words modifying a sentence. The modifiers must be
easily identifiable with the words they modify.
Examples:
(i)
The
meal in Umuto Eatery was really palatable.
The phrase in Umuto Eatery modifies
the noun meal. It tells us where
the meal is/was available. And really
palatable also modifies meal.
It tells us about the taste of the meal. The adverb really modifies the adjective palatable.
It tells us how palatable the meal was.
(ii)
The Urhobo people were highly
delighted at the recent decision of the UPU.
The adverb highly modifies how the
Urhobo people felt, that is, delighted. The adverbial phrase at the recent decision of the UPU modifies
the adjective delighted. It tells us what made
the Urhobo people delighted. The adjective recent modifies the noun decision.
It tells us the time/period of the decision.
(iii)
The hanging shelf is covered by a
thick layer of fine dust, as it has not been wiped for years.
The adjective thick modifies the noun
phrase layer of fine dust; the adjective fine modifies
the noun dust; the adjective hanging modifies the noun shelf;
and the phrase covered by a thick layer of fine dust modifies hanging shelf.
6.
Misplaced
Modifier
A
misplaced modifier is a word or
phrase that is placed in a wrong place in a sentence. Usually, it is placed too far away from the
word that it is meant to modify; and such results in the wrong word being
modified. When this happens, the
sentence causes confusion or does not appear to make sense. To correct it, the modifier has to be moved
to the right place, which is next or as close as possible to the word it is to
modify.
Examples:
(i)
Wrong: We nearly lived in Abraka for five
years. (Misplaced modifier).
Correct: We lived in Abraka for nearly five years. (Nearly
modifies five).
(ii)
Wrong: He bought a rabbit from a friend with a bushy
tail.
(The phrase with
a bushy tail is wrongly placed to modify friend. It says that
the friend has a bushy tail)
Correct: He bought a rabbit with a bushy tail from a
friend. (With a bushy tail now correctly modifies rabbit.)
(iii)
Wrong: Five occupants of the burning building were
reported burnt to death by the police.
Correct: The police reported that five occupants of the
burning building,
were burnt to death.
7. Dangling Modifier
When
we have a modifier in the form of a word, phrase, or clause, we must make sure
there is something for it to modify. If
the something is not present in the sentence, the modifier will be wrongly
modifying something else and such is called a dangling modifier. A
sentence having a dangling modifier is confusing as it does not make sense. To make correction, one should put in the
word that has been left out of the sentence, for the modifier to modify.
Examples:
(i)
Wrong: Looking at the River Ethiope, a canoe
approaching shore was noticed.
Correct:
Looking at the River Ethiope, I noticed a boat approaching shore.
Correct: While
Ibaba was sitting under a mango tree, mosquitoes buzzed around his ears.
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