Structure of Modification

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It is composed by Head and Modifier. This structure may enlarge, choose, change, or
even describe the Head. Both the Head and Modifier are not always single words.
They may be structures with more or less complexities.
Noun as Head
Noun very frequently can be found as Head of Structure of Modification. There are
five parts of speech, including noun it self, that can modify the noun.
Adjective as Noun Modifier
Adjective precedes the noun (Head) constantly except if the adjective is not a single
word but structure.
E.g.

Modifier

Head

Fried

chicken

A great

calamity

Head
A figure

vague and shadow

A house

bigger than I thought

Noun as Noun Modifier

This modifier also precedes the Head (noun) constantly. It can be a possessive form
or basic form (Noun Adjunct)
E.g.

Possessive

Noun

Kids

play

A weeks

holiday

The womans

friend

Noun-Adjunct

Noun

Bus

station

That woman

doctor

Noun adjunct is noun that has a function like an adjective (to modify noun). It is
always in a singular form, not plural form.
E.g.

Book shops (not Books Shop)

Noun as Noun Modifier can be from appositive words. The position still keeps
preceding the Head. Appositive form never follows the Head.
E.g.

Noun

Appositive

My Uncle

Zakki

The disease

influenza

The River

Gangga

Verb as Noun Modifier

It can be from Present Participle (V-Ing), Past Participle (V-ed), or to-infinitive. These
verb positions may precede or follow the Head if they are parts of larger
structures, though there are many exceptions to both these generalizations but toinfinitives always follow the noun-Head.
E.g.

Verb

Noun

Running

water

Baked

potatoes

Noun
Water

Verb
running in the street

Potatoes

baked slowly

Money

to buy

The man

to see

Since verbs in (-ing), Nouns in (-ing), and Adjective in (-ing) can all modify nouns
and all appear in the position between noun determiners and noun, ambiguity is a
strong possibility to such cases.
E.g.

(1) A pleasing table

(2) A dining table
(3) A rotting table

Pleasing in the example (1) is an adjective because a qualifier like very can
precede it, and the phrase means a table that is pleasing. Rotting in the example
(2) is a verb because it cannot be preceded by a qualifier very while it also does
not have a meaning a table for rotting. Dining in the example (3) is noun because
it has a meaning a table for dining
Adverb as Noun Modifier
Adverb is rarely functioned as noun modifier. The position is always directly after
noun (Head).
E.g.

Head

Modifier

The temperature

inside

Heavens

above

The conversations

afterwards

The questions

below

Prepositional Phrases (Functional Words) as Noun Modifier

Prepositional phrases consist of preposition and its object. The preposition can be in
a simple, compound or phrasal form.
e.g.

Simple Prepositions

After

Compound
Across From

As

Along with

Against

along side of

Phrasal Prepositions
In regard to
By means of
Object of preposition usually is a noun. Sometimes it also cam be pronoun, or
structure of modification with noun as the Head.
E.g.

Above suspicion (Noun)

Because of that (pronoun)
In actual practice (Structure of modification)

Verb as Head

Verb has a function repeatedly as Head

Adverb as Verb Modifier
All of the adverb kinds can modify the verb. The position may be after or before
verb; or between the verb auxiliaries.
E.g.

After verb
He works successfully

He drives rapidly

Before the verb

He successfully tried
He slowly drove

He is moving ahead
He was looking sidewise

Between Auxiliary-Verb

He can swim backward

He has sometimes seen

He has looked everywhere

He has seldom been heard

He stepped inside

It may even rain

Since particular adverb can also modify the noun, it is often be ambiguous.
E.g.
Children have nowadays many kinds of toys
In this sentence, the word nowadays can modify the word children, or it may
modify the word have.
Noun as Verb Modifier
Several particular nouns can be verb modifier. The position is after verb and this
noun has a noun determiner because noun after verb also can be an object of verb.
If the noun can be changed by it or them, the noun must be an object not modifier.
E.g.

Structure of Modification

Structure of Complementation

(Noun as Verb Modifier)

(Noun as The Object)

He walked this way

He likes his own way

He saw a mile

He measured a mile

Adjective as Verb Modifier

There are some kinds of adjective that have purpose to modify a verb and give a
special expression.

E.g. The machine ran true

The dog went crazy
The show fell flat
The same verb can be followed by adjective if they are intransitive verb.
Verb as Verb Modifier
Some structure of Modification with verb as the Head can be followed by another
verb as modifier. The verb modifier can be present participle or infinitive form.
E.g. The children came running
He lives to eat
In some cases, it can be found an ambiguity between verb as modifier and verb as
object.
E.g.

As modifier

He works to succeed

As Object
He wants to succeed

Verb as Object can be changed by it while verb as modifier cannot be changed by

it. However, some structure of modification may have verb which can be both
modifier and object.
E.g.

He loves to live
He studies to succeed

Prepositional Phrases as Verb Modifier

It is frequent for the prepositional phrases to modify the verb.
E.g.

(He) spoke about his work

(He) came rapidly down the street on a bicycle

Adjective as Head
Adjective that habitually modify noun or verb also become the Head of structure of
modification.
Qualifier as Adjective Modifier
The word that is mostly used as modifier of Adjective is Qualifier such as very,
rather, pretty, etc.
E.g. She is very pretty

The sound was loud enough

Adverb as Adjective Modifier
Adverb that can modify the adjective is adverb that is ended by {-ly}
E.g. The widely famous (singer)
If adjective comes after the linking verb, adverb does not modify the adjective
anymore. The function is as the modifier of the structure of complementation.
E.g.

The house seems clean everywhere

Noun as Adjective Modifier

In some special expression, noun can modify the adjective.
E.g.

Stone cold (coffee)

Sea green

(cloth)

Verb as Adjective Modifier

Adjective can be modified by the verb in present participle form (-ing) that usually
precedes the adjective, or by to-infinitive that follows adjective
E.g. freezing cold

hard to say

boiling hot

good to see

Adjective as Adjective Modifier

For special expression, adjective can modify the other adjective
E.g. Icy cold

dark blue

deathly pale

Prepositional Phrases as Adjective Modifier

The position of the prepositional phrases as adjective modifier is after the adjective
E.g. easy on the eyes

good for nothing

stronger than ever

Adverb as Head
There are four class words that can modify the adverb
Qualifiers as Adverb Modifier
E.g.

very easily

Adverbs as Adverb Modifier

rather slowly

happily enough

E.g.

far away

sometimes below

Noun as Adverb Modifier

E.g.

a meter away

some way up

Prepositional Phrases as Adverb Modifier

E.g.

away for a week

behind in his work

outside in the cold

Function Word as Head

Functional word can form a structure of modification by using qualifier as modifier.
E.g.

very much more (easily)

Head

Rather too (strong)

Head

Not quite (well)

Head
Prepositions as Head
Preposition can be a Head of Structure of Modification. Modifier of preposition is
qualifiers, adverbs, or particular nouns.
E.g.

very like (a whale)

almost beneath (notice)

Adverb that follows the prepositional phrases becomes the modifier of prepositional
phrases, while adverb that precedes the prepositional phrases becomes the
modifier of the preposition only.

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