Modifiers
What is a modifier?
A modifier is a structure— a word, a phrase, or a dependent clause — that is added to a sentence at the beginning, where it paves the way for the independent clause, or at the end, where it elaborates on the clause.
What is a medial modifier and its function?
Medial modifiers are found within the main clause of a sentence, often closer to the subject or action they modify.
Function: Add additional clarification to the subject or action. Provide details that modify the key idea in the sentence
What is crescendo effect?
Сrescendo - the gradual increase in volume that lends emotional power to musical phrases.
What can modifiers consist of?
Verbal phrases, adjective clauses, apposities and absolutes, prepositional phrases, differnt dependent clauses
What the modifier is doing in this sentence?
"By the time we reached our teens, we were exhausted."
It indicates the time of the action.
"As children, we placed a great deal of faith in his ability but learned to steer clear while he was working. The experience of watching was ruined, time and time again, by an interminable explanation of how things were put together."
Find the modifiers, indicate their type and function
Early modifier: As children.
Medial modifier: time and time again. Function: they establish the time
Find the modifiers and their function
As youngsters, we participated in all the usual seaside activities—which were fun, until my father got involved and systematically chipped away at our pleasure.
As youngsters - indicates time (prepositional phrase)
which were fun - modifies the activities (relative clause)
until my father got involved - modifies the modifier "which were fun" indicating the moment when seaside activities ceased to be fun
and systematically chipped away at our pleasure - modifies the modifier "until my father got involved" explaining why activities ceased to be fun
Find the modifiers and their function
As youngsters, we participated in all the usual seaside activities—which were fun, until my father got involved and systematically chipped away at our pleasure.
As youngsters - indicates time (prepositional phrase)
which were fun - modifies the activities (relative clause)
until my father got involved - modifies the modifier "which were fun" indicating the moment when seaside activities ceased to be fun
and systematically chipped away at our pleasure - modifies the modifier "until my father got involved" explaining why activities ceased to be fun
Analyze the sentence. Identify the modifiers in the sentence and specify their function
We will not be wiped off the face of the earth by hard times, no matter how hard; we are tough and resilient animals, good at hard times.
"no matter how hard" is modifying hard times
"good at hard times" is modifying the independent clause emphasizing the ability or skill of being able to handle and endure difficult or challenging circumstances, and linking it to the first independent clause.
Find and rearrange the early modifier in this sentence:
The artist, during a sudden rainstorm at the beach, painted a magnificent seascape yesterday afternoon.
Modified Sentence: Yesterday afternoon, during a sudden rainstorm at the beach, the artist painted a magnificent seascape.
Identify which of the below is a periodic sentence?
1. The sun, casting a golden hue on everything, set peacefully in the west.
2. Through winding roads, past vast fields, and under the ancient archways, we finally reached our destination.
3. Birds chirped, children played, and the day was vibrant with life.
2. "Through winding roads, past vast fields, and under the ancient archways, we finally reached our destination."
Find modifiers and name their types
Of course, the answer to the slavery question was already embedded within our Constitution—a Constitution that had at its very core the ideal of equal citizenship under the law; a Constitution that promised its people liberty and justice and a union that could be and should be perfected over time.
a Constitution that had at its very core the ideal of equal citizenship under the law - modifies "Constitution"
a Constitution that promised its people liberty and justice and a union - modifies "Constitution"
that could be and should be perfected over time - modifies the "Constitution"
Explain what each modifier is doing in the sentence "We enjoyed swimming, until the mystery of the tides was explained in such a way that the ocean seemed nothing more than an enormous saltwater toilet, flushing itself on a sad and predictable basis".
"until the mystery of the tides was explained" is an adverbial clause that modifies the main clause. It introduces a condition or point in time when the action changed. It explains that the enjoyment of swimming continued until the "mystery of the tides" was clarified or elucidated.
the phrase "flushing itself on a sad and predictable basis" modifying the noun "ocean." It provides additional information and emphasizes the disappointment of the writer.
Despite the heavy rain and blinding fog the determined mountaineer scaled the treacherous peak arriving at the summit just before sunset.
1. Use the right punctuation to indicate the modifiers
2. Find different types of modifiers
Despite the heavy rain and blinding fog, the determined mountaineer scaled the treacherous peak, arriving at the summit just before sunset.
Match the beginning of the periodic sentence with its end.
"Despite the heavy rains, lightning strikes, and the chilling winds that blew across the town, ..."
A. " ... she still couldn't solve the mystery."
B. "...the village festival went on as planned."
C. "... he felt like his journey had just begun."
B.
Despite the heavy rains, lightning strikes, and the chilling winds that blew across the town, the village festival went on as planned.
Construct one sentence with modifiers from these sentences:
I was surprised at first that in the journals I had selected this pattern of sections was relatively rare. The main variation were in the Results, Discussion, and Conclusion sections. The reason was that quite often a pair of these were combined. Another possibility is one of them was omitted.
I was surprised at first that in the journals I had selected this pattern of sections was relatively rare, the main variation being in the Results, Discussion, and Conclusion sections, since quite often a pair of these were combined, or one of them was omitted.
Develop the sentence by adding at least two modifiers before the independent clause, setting up the independent clause so that it has a strong impact.
"The fishermen have sold their homes near the ocean."
Facing rising property values and changing life circumstances, the fishermen have sold their homes near the ocean.
Construct a Sentence with Early Modifiers
"The old factory, after undergoing extensive renovations, now operates with state-of-the-art technology."
"This transformation greatly reduced its environmental footprint and energy consumption.
Match the beginning of the periodic sentence with its end.
"Having traveled through five countries, learned four new languages, and tasted cuisines from countless cultures, ..."
A. " ... she still couldn't solve the mystery."
B. "...the village festival went on as planned."
C. "... he felt like his journey had just begun."
C.
Having traveled through five countries, learned four new languages, and tasted cuisines from countless cultures, he felt like his journey had just begun.
Use modifiers to write a sentence and elaborate on it.
The use of passive voice is a controversial issue
The use of passive voice is a controversial issue, an issue that has been around for centuries, spurring discussion from such scholars as Tarone, Leong, Hiltunen,and many more.