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Modifying Phrases or Clauses Between Subject And Verb
In Chapter 4, you will learn that
- a completer answers the question "(Subject + verb) whom or what?"
- nouns, pronouns, and describing words can act as completers.
- modifiers add to or limit a word's meaning.
- a modifier can be a single word.
- A prepositional phrase always acts as a modifier.
- sentences can be combined by compounding their completers and modifiers.
Your class may want to use WebBoard for this exercise. (If this is your first use of WebBoard, click HERE for hints on how to use it.)
2) Looking at your first sentence, put [square brackets] around the word or phrase that you've written after "the first thing I notice is . . . " This is probably a completer. In the next few sentences, look for words that describe other words. These are probably modifiers. Rewrite those words in italics and try to decide which other word in the sentence each modifier describes. When you finish Chapter 4, you'll be able to find the rest of the completers and modifiers in your paragraph.
Once you've found the subject and verb of a sentence, you can check to see if the sentence has a completer by asking "whom or what?" after the verb.
My |friend| in San Diego MAKES [them] without peppers. (Friend makes what? [them])
BELIEVE [me]. (Remember from Chapter 3 that the subject of a command is you, so for this sentence the question is: "You believe whom?" [me])
After one bite of his enchiladas, your |prejudice| against Mexican food WOULD VANISH instantly. (Prejudice would vanish whom? Prejudice would vanish what? No answer, so there is no completer in this sentence.)
It's important to see the difference between nouns or pronouns acting as subjects and those acting as completers.
During growth, many small |bones| FUSE.
Only two-hundred-six |bones| finally SUPPORT an adult's [body].
Modifiers describe other words, making the meaning of those other words more specific. Modifiers answer the following questions about the words they modify:
That creep constantly lies. (That answers "Which creep?" and constantly answers "When?")
Tall and majestic, they filled the yard with color. (The adjectives tall and majestic modify the pronoun they.)
She was completely silent, with her head bowed and her hands in her lap. (The adverb completely modifies the adjective silent.)
Usually she has a lot to say, though often she speaks very softly. (The adverb very modifies the adverb softly.)
In the sentences below, the prepositional phrases are in this color. There is an asterisk (*) after each preposition, and the objects of the prepositions, which are usually nouns or pronouns, are in italics. The words modified by the prepositional phrases are in italics, also.
Thank goodness we bought that fan by* the window.
We really needed it during* the night
We'd have been miserable without* it.
Here is a list of some words that often act as prepositions. Click HERE for a one-page printable duplicate of this list.
Between a preposition and its object there may be one or more single-word modifiers.
A prepositional phrase always acts as a modifier.
I remember that bumpy street beside* the tracks. (Which?)
You always bounced wildly toward* every stoplight. (Where?)
I certainly had doubts about* my best friend then. (What kind?)
Completers may be compounded by the conjunctions and, but, yet, or, nor:
Sometimes modifiers simply pile up near the word they modify:
Complete your work on Completers and Modifiers by taking the Mastery Test for this chapter.
1) Use the groups of observations to help you write a paragraph that conveys a picture of the room. Start your first sentence with these words: "When I walk into "(Subject + verb) WHOM OR WHAT?"
Bronson hates jazz.
In this sentence, hates is the verb and Bronson is the subject. You ask "Bronson hates whom or what. . .? The answer is jazz, so jazz is the completer. Here are some others:
|Enchiladas| AREn't always [hot]. (Enchiladas aren't what? [hot])
Application 1
WORDS THAT ACT AS COMPLETERS
The role of completer may be played by a noun, a pronoun, or a word that describes the subject.
The rowdy |girls| WERE MAKING [trouble]. (Noun completer)
A noun names a thing, person, place, or idea. A pronoun takes the place of a noun and makes it possible to avoid repeating that noun. Chapter 13 discusses pronouns in more detail. The kind of completer that describes the subject is a modifier as well as a completer. The later part of this chapter will explore modifiers in more detail.
The |cop| finally ARRESTED [them]. (Pronoun completer)
|Behavior| like that IS [crazy]. (Completer describes the subject)Application 2
RECOGNIZING THE DIFFERENCE
Don't confuse completers with subjects.
BETWEEN COMPLETERS AND SUBJECTS
At birth, a |baby| HAS three hundred thirty [bones].
The verb is has. "Who or what has?" -- baby = subject.
"Baby has whom or what?" -- bones = completer.
Verb = fuse. "Who or what fuse?" --bones = subject.
"Bones fuse whom or what? -- no answer, no completer.
Verb = support. "Who or what support?" --bones = subject.
"Bones support whom or what?" -- body = completer.
To analyze a sentence, always look first for the verb (see Chapter 2 for more help). Then find the subject by asking "Who or what (verb)?" Finally, check to see whether there is a completer by asking, "(Subject + verb) whom or what?" The subject usually comes before the verb, and a completer usually comes after the verb.
Application 3
EXTRA NOTE: We can sort completers further into several groups.
Each of the completers above performs a slightly different function in its sentence. If you want to learn the differences among these functions, your teacher may give you information and exercises to help you explore these groups in more detail.HOW MODIFIERS WORK
A modifier adds to or limits a word's meaning.What kind? Which one(s)? How many or how much? Whose?
Watch this sentence become more specific as it adds modifiers:
When? Where? Why? How? To what extent? Under what conditions?BASIC SENTENCE: Women earn salaries.
(How many women?) Many women earn salaries.
(Which women?) Many women in the civil services earn salaries.
(What kind of salaries?) Many women in the civil services earn good salaries.
(When?) Many women in the civil services earn good salaries
after their first few promotions.Application 4
SINGLE-WORD MODIFIERS
A single word may play the role of modifier.
Some busybodies cause serious trouble. (Some answers "Which busybodies?" and serious answers "What kind of trouble?")
Sometimes several single words, each one acting separately, can modify the same word:
He has never felt a generous human impulse. (Never answers "When?", a answers "How many impulses?", and generous and human answer "What kind of impulse?")
Note that when a verb's modifier splits the verb in two, as in the case of never in the example above, the modifers refers to the main verb.Application 5
There are two kinds of single-word modifiers: adjectives and adverbs. An adjective modifies a noun or a pronoun.
Do you remember the yellow tulips we had last year? (The adjective yellow modifies the noun tulips.)
An adverb modifies a verb, an adjective, or another adverb. Adverbs often end in -ly.
I thought Jean acted strangely at the last meeting. (The adverb strangely modifies the verb acted.)
PREPOSITIONAL PHRASE MODIFIERS
A prepositional phrase begins with a preposition and ends with an object, which is usually a noun or a pronoun. Please open that door beside* you.
Notice how the preposition in each sentence shows a relationship between the object and the word that the phrase modifies. Prepositions often show space or time relationships (as in the first three examples above) but sometimes they show other kinds of relationship (as in the fourth example above).
Don't try to memorize this list. Once you get the feel of the relationships signaled by prepositions, you won't need lists like this any more.
Usually space relationships Examples
above down beyond Dallas
around town
beside the tracks
toward every stoplight
under the bridge
on these trips
in her steady good humor
across from
against in
along into
among off
around on
at over
behind past
below through
beneath to
beside toward
between under
beyond up
by within
Usually time relationships Examples
after since until the last moment
during the train ride
before until
during
Other relationships Examples
about like like mine
for her
about my best friend
from a small town
of some forgotten old adventures
as of
except than
for with
from without
before* the first play
of* Lewis's most important gameApplication 6
The roads beyond* Dallas were in terrible shape. (Where?)
TIP: No matter how many modifiers a prepositional phrase may contain, the phrase itself always acts as a unit which modifies some other word. For now, stop looking at what's inside the phrase and examine instead how the whole phrase works as a modifier.Application 7
COMBINING SENTENCES
A subject + verb may take more than one completer.
WITH COMPOUND COMPLETERS OR MODIFIERSEvery 15,000 miles, |you| SHOULD CHANGE the [oil] and the oil [filter] in your car.
A word may take more than one modifier.|You| MAY NEED an adjustable long-handled filter [wrench] with a swivel joint.
At other times, modifiers are connected by the same conjunctions that create compound subjects, verbs, and completers--and, but, yet, or, nor:
However, without tools but with a strong bare-handed grip |you| CAN UNSCREW the [filter] simply and quickly.
Application 8
REVIEW AND PRACTICE
RETURN TO YOUR WRITING || MASTERY TEST
Read aloud the paragraph you wrote at the beginning of this chapter. Look for two more completers to [bracket], italicize five more modifiers, including at least one prepositional phrase. For each modifier, find the word being modified and put it in italicx. Trade papers with a friend (your instructor may assign partners for using WebBoard) and check each other's work. Don't be afraid to disagree; grammarians disagree all the time.
