Modifiers — Definition, Types, and Examples

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Written by
Daniel Bal
Edited by
Courtney Adamo
Fact-checked by
Paul Mazzola

What is a modifier?

A modifier is a word, phrase, or clause that provides additional information about another word, phrase, or clause within a sentence. Modifiers can either function as adjectives or adverbs and be positioned before (pre-modifiers) or after (post-modifiers) the information it modifies.

What is a modifier?
What is a modifier?

Types of modifiers

There are two main types of modifiers – adjectives and adverbs.

Adjectives modify a noun or pronoun.

Single-word adjectives: Single-word modifiers can be typical descriptive adjectives.

The adjective “family” modifies the noun “vacation.”

Single-word adjectives
Single-word adjectives

Single-word determiners: Determiners help identify to what a noun is referring. Determiners include: possession (his), demonstrative (this), quantifiers (many), interrogatives (what), and articles (a, an, the).

The adjective “her” (possessive determiner) modifies the noun “book.”

Adjectival phrases: An adjective phrase is a group of words (multi-word) used to describe a noun.

The adjectival phrase “extremely expensive” modifies the noun “house.”

Adjectival clauses: An adjectival clause is a dependent clause that modifies the main noun in the independent clause.

The dependent clause “who sits in the front row” modifies the noun “student.”

Adjectival clauses
Adjectival clauses

Adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs. They usually describe how, when, where, how often, or how much a verb is done. Many adverbs end in “-ly.”

Single-word adverbs: A single-word adverb that modifies a verb, adjective, or adverb.

The adverb “nicely” modifies the verb “sing” by describing how she sings.

Adverbial phrases: An adverbial phrase is a group of words that function as an adverb.

The phrase “in his bedroom” modifies the verb “read” by describing where he read.

Adverbial phrases
Adverbial phrases

Adverbial clauses: An adverbial clause is a dependent clause that modifies the main verb in the independent clause.

The clause “until she came home from work” modifies the verb “stayed” by describing how long he stayed.

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Modifier placement errors

There are three types of errors when it comes to the placement of modifiers within a sentence: misplaced modifiers, squinting modifiers, and dangling modifiers.

Types of placement errors
Types of placement errors

Misplaced: A modifier should be placed directly before or after what it modifies. When this does not happen, it can create a misplaced modifier, which can confuse a reader or create an absurd sentence. Consider the following sentence:

The phrase “in my pajamas” directly follows the noun “elephant;” therefore, the sentence suggests that the elephant was wearing pajamas rather than the photographer.

Placing the modifier next to the subject of the sentence will help fix the error.

Squinting: Technically classified as a type of misplaced modifier, a squinting modifier occurs when it could apply to either what comes before or after it.

Does the modifier “briefly” modify “slow down” or “restore”?

Squinting modifiers
Squinting modifiers

Dangling: Dangling modifiers happen when the subject being modified is not present in the sentence.

Who is leaving school? Who needs a note? The modifier “to leave school” does not have a subject to modify. By adding the subject “students,” the sentence no longer has a dangling modifier.

Modifier examples

The following sentences include modifiers in bold and what they modify in italics.

Single-word adjectives

  • They wanted to buy a new car.

  • He felt nervous riding a wooden rollercoaster.

  • She enjoyed green apples more than red ones.

Single-word determiners

  • Why was his coat on the ground?

  • Your shipment arrived yesterday.

  • Going to the carnival was their idea.

Adjectival phrases

  • They finally turned off the incredibly bright light.

  • He is from a town outside of Detroit.

  • The snow was a dazzling shade of white.

Adjectival clauses

  • The deer that gather in my backyard are gone.

  • My neighbor who moved last year is coming to visit.

  • Those cars that have been parked in the alley will be towed.

Single-word adverbs

  • He gracefully admitted defeat.

  • She daringly leaped across the canyon.

  • They always agreed on where to go to dinner.

Adverbial phrases

  • After the exam, I breathed a sigh of relief.

  • To keep the peace, the politician stepped down.

  • They considered their next steps very carefully.

Adverbial clauses

  • We bought tickets before we knew you wanted to go.

  • Once the snow stopped, we all went out to sled.

  • After he called his parents, he went right to bed.