MODIFIERS

     Modifiers are used to define, describe or identify a noun but, unlike determiners, they can be placed before or after the noun. 

Exercise 

Describe the underlined modifiers below. 

1. an oil painting 

2. an old oil painting 

3. an old oil painting of his house 

4. my friend's old oil painting of his house 

Answers 

1. oil = noun

2. old = adjective 

3. of his house = prepositional phrase 

4. friend's = noun with possessive 's'

     There are various ways of modifying nouns. These include using nouns placed before the noun they modify (e.g. oil), adjectives, which are also often placed before the noun (e.g. old), possessive 's' (e.g. friend's) prepositional phrases, which are placed after the noun they modify (e.g. of his house). More complex clauses can also modify nouns. For example, in a picture that he's had for years, the underlined part is a relative clause which modifies picture. Relative clauses are placed after, and as close as possible to, the noun they modify. 😊