Structure of Modification
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It is composed by Head and Modifier. This structure may enlarge, choose, change, or
even describe the Head. Both the Head and Modifier are not always single words.
They may be structures with more or less complexities.
Noun as Head
Noun very frequently can be found as Head of Structure of Modification. There are
five parts of speech, including noun it self, that can modify the noun.
Adjective as Noun Modifier
Adjective precedes the noun (Head) constantly except if the adjective is not a single
word but structure.
E.g.
Modifier
Head
Fried
chicken
A great
calamity
Head
A figure
vague and shadow
A house
bigger than I thought
Noun as Noun Modifier
This modifier also precedes the Head (noun) constantly. It can be a possessive form
or basic form (Noun Adjunct)
E.g.
Possessive
Noun
Kids
play
A weeks
holiday
The womans
friend
Noun-Adjunct
Noun
Bus
station
That woman
doctor
Noun adjunct is noun that has a function like an adjective (to modify noun). It is
always in a singular form, not plural form.
E.g.
Book shops (not Books Shop)
Noun as Noun Modifier can be from appositive words. The position still keeps
preceding the Head. Appositive form never follows the Head.
E.g.
Noun
Appositive
My Uncle
Zakki
The disease
influenza
The River
Gangga
Verb as Noun Modifier
It can be from Present Participle (V-Ing), Past Participle (V-ed), or to-infinitive. These
verb positions may precede or follow the Head if they are parts of larger
structures, though there are many exceptions to both these generalizations but toinfinitives always follow the noun-Head.
E.g.
Verb
Noun
Running
water
Baked
potatoes
Noun
Water
Verb
running in the street
Potatoes
baked slowly
Money
to buy
The man
to see
Since verbs in (-ing), Nouns in (-ing), and Adjective in (-ing) can all modify nouns
and all appear in the position between noun determiners and noun, ambiguity is a
strong possibility to such cases.
E.g.
(1) A pleasing table
(2) A dining table
(3) A rotting table
Pleasing in the example (1) is an adjective because a qualifier like very can
precede it, and the phrase means a table that is pleasing. Rotting in the example
(2) is a verb because it cannot be preceded by a qualifier very while it also does
not have a meaning a table for rotting. Dining in the example (3) is noun because
it has a meaning a table for dining
Adverb as Noun Modifier
Adverb is rarely functioned as noun modifier. The position is always directly after
noun (Head).
E.g.
Head
Modifier
The temperature
inside
Heavens
above
The conversations
afterwards
The questions
below
Prepositional Phrases (Functional Words) as Noun Modifier
Prepositional phrases consist of preposition and its object. The preposition can be in
a simple, compound or phrasal form.
e.g.
Simple Prepositions
After
Compound
Across From
As
Along with
Against
along side of
Phrasal Prepositions
In regard to
By means of
Object of preposition usually is a noun. Sometimes it also cam be pronoun, or
structure of modification with noun as the Head.
E.g.
Above suspicion (Noun)
Because of that (pronoun)
In actual practice (Structure of modification)
Verb as Head
Verb has a function repeatedly as Head
Adverb as Verb Modifier
All of the adverb kinds can modify the verb. The position may be after or before
verb; or between the verb auxiliaries.
E.g.
After verb
He works successfully
He drives rapidly
Before the verb
He successfully tried
He slowly drove
He is moving ahead
He was looking sidewise
Between Auxiliary-Verb
He can swim backward
He has sometimes seen
He has looked everywhere
He has seldom been heard
He stepped inside
It may even rain
Since particular adverb can also modify the noun, it is often be ambiguous.
E.g.
Children have nowadays many kinds of toys
In this sentence, the word nowadays can modify the word children, or it may
modify the word have.
Noun as Verb Modifier
Several particular nouns can be verb modifier. The position is after verb and this
noun has a noun determiner because noun after verb also can be an object of verb.
If the noun can be changed by it or them, the noun must be an object not modifier.
E.g.
Structure of Modification
Structure of Complementation
(Noun as Verb Modifier)
(Noun as The Object)
He walked this way
He likes his own way
He saw a mile
He measured a mile
Adjective as Verb Modifier
There are some kinds of adjective that have purpose to modify a verb and give a
special expression.
E.g. The machine ran true
The dog went crazy
The show fell flat
The same verb can be followed by adjective if they are intransitive verb.
Verb as Verb Modifier
Some structure of Modification with verb as the Head can be followed by another
verb as modifier. The verb modifier can be present participle or infinitive form.
E.g. The children came running
He lives to eat
In some cases, it can be found an ambiguity between verb as modifier and verb as
object.
E.g.
As modifier
He works to succeed
As Object
He wants to succeed
Verb as Object can be changed by it while verb as modifier cannot be changed by
it. However, some structure of modification may have verb which can be both
modifier and object.
E.g.
He loves to live
He studies to succeed
Prepositional Phrases as Verb Modifier
It is frequent for the prepositional phrases to modify the verb.
E.g.
(He) spoke about his work
(He) came rapidly down the street on a bicycle
Adjective as Head
Adjective that habitually modify noun or verb also become the Head of structure of
modification.
Qualifier as Adjective Modifier
The word that is mostly used as modifier of Adjective is Qualifier such as very,
rather, pretty, etc.
E.g. She is very pretty
The sound was loud enough
Adverb as Adjective Modifier
Adverb that can modify the adjective is adverb that is ended by {-ly}
E.g. The widely famous (singer)
If adjective comes after the linking verb, adverb does not modify the adjective
anymore. The function is as the modifier of the structure of complementation.
E.g.
The house seems clean everywhere
Noun as Adjective Modifier
In some special expression, noun can modify the adjective.
E.g.
Stone cold (coffee)
Sea green
(cloth)
Verb as Adjective Modifier
Adjective can be modified by the verb in present participle form (-ing) that usually
precedes the adjective, or by to-infinitive that follows adjective
E.g. freezing cold
hard to say
boiling hot
good to see
Adjective as Adjective Modifier
For special expression, adjective can modify the other adjective
E.g. Icy cold
dark blue
deathly pale
Prepositional Phrases as Adjective Modifier
The position of the prepositional phrases as adjective modifier is after the adjective
E.g. easy on the eyes
good for nothing
stronger than ever
Adverb as Head
There are four class words that can modify the adverb
Qualifiers as Adverb Modifier
E.g.
very easily
Adverbs as Adverb Modifier
rather slowly
happily enough
E.g.
far away
sometimes below
Noun as Adverb Modifier
E.g.
a meter away
some way up
Prepositional Phrases as Adverb Modifier
E.g.
away for a week
behind in his work
outside in the cold
Function Word as Head
Functional word can form a structure of modification by using qualifier as modifier.
E.g.
very much more (easily)
Head
Rather too (strong)
Head
Not quite (well)
Head
Prepositions as Head
Preposition can be a Head of Structure of Modification. Modifier of preposition is
qualifiers, adverbs, or particular nouns.
E.g.
very like (a whale)
almost beneath (notice)
Adverb that follows the prepositional phrases becomes the modifier of prepositional
phrases, while adverb that precedes the prepositional phrases becomes the
modifier of the preposition only.
http://linguasphereus.blogspot.com/2011/04/structure-of-modification.html
