462. The various kinds of modifiers and complements have all been studied in preceding chapters,—each in connection with the construction which it illustrates. For purposes of analysis, however, it is necessary to consider modifiers as such and complements as such.
The topics will be taken up in the following order:—(1) modifiers,—of the subject, of the predicate; (2) complements; (3) modifiers of complements; (4) modifiers of modifiers.
463. A word or group of words that changes or modifies the meaning of another word is called a modifier (§ 19).
464. Modifiers may be attached not only to substantives and verbs, but also to adjectives and adverbs.
All modifiers of substantives are called adjective modifiers; all modifiers of verbs, adjectives, and adverbs are called adverbial modifiers.
Note. The terms adjective modifier and adjective are not synonymous. All adjectives are adjective modifiers, but all adjective modifiers are not adjectives. Thus, in “Henry’s skates are rusty,” the possessive noun Henry’s is an adjective modifier, since it limits the noun skates as an adjective might do.
465. A group of words used as a modifier may be either a phrase or a clause (§§ 40–46).
A phrase or a clause used as an adjective modifier is called an adjective phrase or clause.
A phrase or a clause used as an adverbial modifier is called an adverbial phrase or clause.
Adjective and adverbial clauses are always subordinate, because they are used as parts of speech (§ 46).
466. Any substantive in the sentence may take an adjective modifier, but modifiers of the subject are particularly important.
The simple subject may be modified by (1) an adjective, an adjective phrase, or an adjective clause; (2) a participle; (3) an infinitive; (4) a possessive; (5) an appositive.
467. The simple subject may be modified by an adjective, an adjective phrase, or an adjective clause.
In each of these groups of sentences, the subject of the first sentence is modified by an adjective, that of the second by an adjective phrase, that of the third by an adjective clause.
Most adjective phrases are prepositional (§ 42), as in the examples.
468. An adjective clause may be introduced by a relative pronoun or a relative adverb. For lists, see § 377.
Note. A preposition and a relative pronoun may often replace a relative adverb. Thus, in the second example, on which might be substituted for when.
469. The subject may be modified by a participle (with or without modifier or complement).
In the fourth example the participle is modified by an adverbial phrase; in the fifth and sixth, it has an object; in the seventh, it has both an object and a modifier; in the eighth, it is followed by the predicate adjective sullen. In analysis, the whole participial phrase (consisting of the participle and accompanying words) may be treated as an adjective phrase modifying the subject; but it is simpler to regard the participle as the modifier, and then to enumerate its modifiers, etc., separately.
Thus, in the seventh example, the simple subject natives is modified by the participle fearing, which has for a complement captivity (the direct object) and is modified by the adverbial phrase above all things.
Note. A participle, though a modifier of the subject, has at the same time a peculiar relation to the predicate, because it may take the place of an adverbial clause. Thus, in the seventh example, fearing is practically equivalent to the clause because they feared, which, if substituted for the participle, would of course modify the predicate verb leaped. This dual office of the participle comes from its twofold nature as (1) an adjective and (2) a verb. In analyzing, we treat the participle as an adjective modifier of the noun to which it belongs; but its function as a substitute for an adverbial clause is an important means of securing variety in style.
470. The subject may be modified by an infinitive.
In the fourth example, the infinitive has an adverbial modifier (rapidly); and in the fifth, it has a complement, its object (friend). In such instances, two methods of analysis are allowable, as in the case of participial phrases (§ 469).
471. The subject may be modified by a substantive in the possessive case.
Such a substantive may be called a possessive modifier.
In each of these examples, a substantive in the possessive case modifies the subject by limiting its meaning precisely as an adjective would do.
Note. An adjective phrase may often be substituted for a possessive. Thus, in the first example, instead of “Napoleon’s tomb” one may say “the tomb of Napoleon” (§ 93).
472. The subject may be modified by a substantive in apposition (§ 88, 5).
Appositives often have modifiers of their own.
Thus carpenter is modified by the adjective the, captain by the possessive our, image by the adjectives a and grotesque.
In analyzing, the whole appositive phrase (consisting of the appositive and attached words) may be regarded as modifying the subject. It is as well, however, to treat the appositive as the modifier and then to enumerate the adjectives, etc., by which the appositive itself is modified.
473. A noun clause may be used as an appositive, and so may be an adjective modifier (§ 386).
An adjective in the appositive position is often called an appositive adjective (§ 172). “A sword, keen and bright, flashed from the soldier’s scabbard.”
474. The simple predicate, being a verb or verb-phrase, can have only adverbial modifiers.
The simple predicate may be modified by (1) an adverb, an adverbial phrase, or an adverbial clause, (2) an infinitive, (3) an adverbial objective, (4) a nominative absolute, (5) an indirect object, (6) a cognate object.
475. The simple predicate may be modified by an adverb, an adverbial phrase, or an adverbial clause.
In each of these groups, the simple predicate of the first sentence is modified by an adverb, that of the second by an adverbial phrase, and that of the third by an adverbial clause.
Most adverbial phrases are prepositional (§ 42).
| Adverb | Adverbial Phrase |
|---|---|
| speedily | with speed |
| furiously | with fury |
| lately | of late |
| instantly | in an instant |
| there | in that place |
| rapidly | at a rapid rate |
| skillfully | in a skillful manner |
| with skill | |
| promptly | on the instant |
| to-morrow | on the morrow |
| unwillingly | against my will |
Peculiar adverbial phrases are:—
476. An adverbial clause that modifies a verb may be introduced by (1) a relative adverb, or (2) a subordinate conjunction.
477. The simple predicate may be modified by an infinitive (§ 323).
The infinitive may have a complement or a modifier, as in the last four examples.
478. The simple predicate may be modified by an adverbial objective (§ 109).
The addition of modifiers to the adverbial objective makes an adverbial phrase.
In the first sentence, the adverbial phrase the entire distance modifies the verb ran as an adverb would do. This phrase consists of the noun distance with its adjective modifiers, the and entire.
479. The simple predicate may be modified by a nominative absolute (§ 345).
A substantive in the absolute construction makes with its modifiers an adverbial phrase.
In the first sentence, the adverbial absolute phrase, the ship having arrived, is equivalent to the adverbial prepositional phrase, on the arrival of the ship, and defines the time of the action expressed by the verb embarked.
480. The simple predicate may be modified by an indirect object (§ 105).
In these sentences, the indirect object me, being equivalent to a prepositional phrase, is an adverbial modifier.
The objective of service (§ 106) is also an adverbial modifier.
481. The simple predicate may be modified by a cognate object or by a phrase containing such an object (§ 108).
In the first sentence, the cognate object (daggers) modifies the predicate verb (looked) as the adverb angrily would do. It is therefore an adverbial modifier. In the second and third sentences the modifier of the predicate verb (sang, laughed) is an adverbial phrase consisting of a cognate object (song, laugh) with its adjective modifiers (a merry, a scornful).