Modifiers

1. Modifiers Placement of, Absolute, Disruptive, Infinitive and Dangling By Megan McCutcheon and Jerry Zhao

2. What are modifiers? • Modifiers can be adjectives or adverbs • The same word can be an adjective or adverb depending on its context • The word being modified determines whether the modifier is an adjective or an adverb Remember: Siberian Huskies, like modifiers, come in TWO varieties Adverb Adjective

3. Adjective or Adverb? • Adjectives generally describe something, meaning a noun or pronoun • What color is it? • What size is it? • Which one is it? • How much/how many? • Adverbs generally describe verbs; how, how much, or to what extent something is done • How often? • In what way? “THIS ONE!!” “I said CAREFULLY!”

4. Adjectives • I used to have two rats, Kelly and Phoebe. Kelly had white fur, and Phoebe was hairless. • Some of my friends thought the rats were cute, others thought they were disgusting. • I helped my mom make a delicious (vegan) Thanksgiving dinner. Thanks!

5. Adverbs • It has been cold out lately. • I narrowly missed hitting the telephone pole while distractedly walking to class. • I’ll try not to spend my Christmas money as quickly as I did last year • Seriously, I was broke three days later.

6. Comparatives and Superlatives • Both comparatives and superlatives are modifiers that of comparison, but they are not interchangeable • The number of items being compared determines whether a comparative or superlative is used • Comparatives and superlatives can be adjectives or adverbs

7. Comparatives • Compare, or set one item against one other item (noun or pronoun) • Comparatives generally end in “er” for both adjectives and adverbs • For adjectives with three or more syllables, or for adverbs withtwo or more syllables, the modifier is made a comparative by adding “more” before it

8. Superlatives • Compare, or set one item against more than one other item (noun or pronoun) • Comparatives generally end in “est” for both adjectives and adverbs • For adjectives with three or more syllables, or for adverbs with two or more syllables, themodifier is made a superlative by adding “most” before it WORLD’S SLOWEST

9. Confused? Don’t worry—you are already familiar with these rules, promise. Adjectives Modifiers: smart, intelligent, tricky, embarrassed Comparatives: smarter, more intelligent, trickier, more embarrassed Superlatives: smartest, most intelligent, trickiest, most embarrassed Adverbs Modifiers: near, often, slowly, frequently Comparatives: nearer, more often, more slowly, more frequently Superlatives: nearest, most often, most slowly, most frequently Irregulars: good > better > best bad > worse > worst (and many more)

10. Tips for Success with comparatives and superlatives • Many comparatives and superlatives are irregular, such as many, much, well, and badly—consult the list on page 424 of our handbook for a complete list • Do not use both “more” or “most” together with the comparative/superlative suffixes “er” or “est” • NOT: My dog, Max, is the most furriest dog on the planet • Do not use absolute modifiers as comparatives or superlatives • NOT: very perfect, the most final, more unanimous

11. A note on irregular modifiers 1st Less and fewer are not interchangeable (remember the commercial with the tag line, “I’m one less”?) Think of adjectives as modifying things, while adverbs modify actions. An exception is well, which modifies both actions (she taught well) and health (I’m not well). An action cannot be done “real well” or “real badly.” Use the adverb really or very instead. Farther = distance Further = more so, to a greater extent

12. Tips for Success Part Two • Refrain from using double negatives Incorrect: When Khloe and Lamar got married, barely no onethought the pair would stay together. Correct: At the time of the Kardashian-Odom wedding, scarcely anyone held hope that the marriage would last. If your sentence sounds overly complicated, check to make sure you haven’t used two negatives! The use of a double negative results in saying the opposite of what intended, or simply doesn’t make sense whatsoever.

13. Placement of Adjectives Remember: “As a general rule, the closer you place a modifier to the word it modifies, the less the chance you will confuse your reader.” (The Brief Penguin Handbook, pp. 428.) . Clear: As a child, I often visited the park with my parents. Unclear: As a child, my parents often took me to the park. _______________________________ Clear: When I went to New Orleans last year, I was a eager to try the city’s best restaurant. Unclear: When I went to New Orleans last year, I wanted to try the most famouscity’s restaurant. (the book has a better example of this type of error)

14. Exceptions to placement rules • Predicate adjectives describe nouns or pronouns but are separated from the noun or pronoun by a linking verb • Common linking verbs are “is, are, was, were, seem, feel, smell, taste, and look” (Brief Penguin Handbook pp. 429) • Since the word that precedes the modifier is a verb, it may seem appropriate to use an adverb • However, since the adjective is modifying the noun or pronoun, not the verb, adjectives are the correct choice of modifier • Also, remember to put subjective (opinion) adjectives before objective (factual) adjectives when using both together

15. Examples of predicate adjective placement Cady receives a worthless plastic crown. Regina George always looks fabulous. “Why are you dressed so scary?”

16. Placement of Adverbs The usual adverbs ( single-word adverbs, adverbial clauses, phrases) can be placed before or after the word being modified. Ex. : Michigan literally lost the game to Ohio State. Michigan lost literally the game to Ohio State.

17. Conjunctive Adverbs Dr. Khoury’s middle name is Pac; However, we always call him Cap.

18. Conjunctive Adverbs -Continued They have three spots they could fit in: • Zero equals to infinite pairs of one minus one; Therefore, God exists from the proof of philosophy. • Zero equals to infinite pairs of one minus one, God exists, therefore, from the proof of philosophy. • Zero equals to infinite pairs of one minus one, God exists from the proof of philosophy therefore.

19. Subordinating Conjunctions Though there’s going to be a great deal of snow in December, Will freaked out when he snow for the first time. These words often begin adverb clauses. Adverb clauses could be put before or after the word modified. Ex. : Though Mr. Big knocked Kevin down on the floor, Kevin stared at him with fury, Kevin stared at him with fury, though Mr. Big knocked him down on the floor.

20. Common Mistakes Limiting modifiers (almost, even, hardly, just, merely, etc. ) should go right before the word it modifies. Example: Procrastinating simply is destructive. Procrastinating is simply destructive.

21. Disruptive Modifiers Firms differentiate, in a monopolistic competitive market, products to gain market power. Correct: In a monopolistic competitive market, firms differentiate products to gain market power.

22. Infinitives Infinitive To Verb Spilt Infinitive To Modifier Verb Ex. : To take, To aggressively drive. Sometime split infinitives are awkward. To more understand the material, do the homework. To understand the material more, do the homework.

23. Dangling Modifiers After finishing Liszt’s “La Campanella”, the world was devastated by Lang Lang’s hands. Correct: After finishing Liszt’s “La Campanella”, Lang Lang devastated the word with his hands.

24. Dangling Modifiers-continued Because of his rocket speed in snooker, the little boy asked for an autograph from Sullivan. Correct: The little boy asked for an autograph from Sullivan because of his rocket speed in snooker

25. ThankYou!