What Are Modifiers?
A working definition for the word “modify” is to change or to alter something. This definition is the same when considering the purpose of modifiers within a sentence.
A modifier changes, clarifies, qualifies, or limits a particular word in a sentence in order to add emphasis, explanation, or detail. Modifiers tend to be descriptive words, such as adjectives and adverbs. Modifier phrases, such as adjective clauses and adverbial phrases, also exist and tend to describe adjectives and adverbs.
Now consider the same sentence with multiple modifiers added:
The additional details in the sentence, by way of modifiers, engage the reader and hold their attention.
Like most writing techniques, modifiers can be brilliant when used correctly and effectively. On the other hand, if a modifier is used incorrectly, the meaning of the sentence can become blurred or distorted. This is true with dangling modifiers and other problematic modifiers.
Misplaced Modifiers
One of the most common problems is where to place them. Specifically, modifiers can cause confusion or unintentional humor in a sentence when they are placed too far from the noun they are modifying. For example, consider the following sentence:
In this sentence, Pumpkin is the car’s name, not the sister’s, but this isn’t clear. This confusion and unintentional humor is the result of a misplaced modifier. To correct this error, move the modifier closer to the noun it modifies:
Limiting Modifiers Limiting modifiers such as only and always enforce restrictions on the subject, noun, or pronoun they immediately precede. The following is a list of other common limiting modifiers:
- Just
- Almost
- Hardly
- At first
- Simply
If a limiting modifier does not precede the subject or noun, the meaning of an entire sentence can change. Notice the difference in the following sentences:
This sentence implies that Jessica is the only person who wants pizza.
On the other hand, the sentence above indicates that Jessica wants pizza and nothing else.
The best way to ensure that a limited modifier is used right in a sentence is to consider the meaning that is to be conveyed and ensure the subject or noun associated with that meaning is placed as close as possible to the limited modifier.
