Pengertian Modifier

Modifier adalah kata, phrase, atau clause yang berfungsi

sebagai adjective atau adverb yang menerangkan kata atau kelompok kata lain.

Contoh Modifier dalam Kalimat Adjective dan Adverb

Contoh
Konstruksi Kalimat Keterangan
Modifier

She found a Participial phrase (put on my bag) berfungsi

Participial
letter put sebagai adjectiveyang menerangkan letter(noun).
phrase
on my bag. Keseluruhan “a letter put on my bag” adalah noun phrase.

She
swims so
beautifully.
Adverb (Dia
Phrase berenang
dengan Adverb phrase menerangkan swims (verb). Adapun adverb
sangat phrase dapat berupa adverb+qualifier, prepositional
cantik.) phrase, atau infinitive phrase.

The
book that
he has
read is
Adjective very
Clause interesting.
(Buku yang
dia telah
baca sangat
menarik.) Adjective clause menerangkan the book (noun).

When you
Adverb went to the
Clause grocery, he
came. Adverb clause menjawab pertanyaan: “When did he come?”
(Ketika
 kamu pergi
ke toko
bahan
makanan,
dia datang.)

MODIFIER PART 2

A. MATERIAL DESCRIPTION

MODIFIERS-CARDINAL AND ORDINAL NUMBERS

There are two kinds of numbers , cardinal and ordinal

Examples :

Cardinal Ordinal

One first

Two Second

Three third

Four fourth

Five fifth

Six sixth

Ten tenth

Twenty-one twenty-first

The following two pattern are used to designate items in a series :

1. Ordinal numbers are used un this pattern : the + ordinal+ noun(n)

The + ordinal +n

The first book of the series is about verbs

2. Cardinal numbers are used In this pattern : noun(N)+cardinal

 N+cardinal

book one of the series is about verbs

Notes :

a. Use the with ordinal numbers

b. Do not use the with cardinal numbers

c. Be careful to use the correct word order for each pattern

ERROR EXAMPLES

A. WRONG : We are supposed to read the chapter seven for homework

RIGHT : We are supposed to read chapter seven for homework

B. WRONG : Pick up your boarding passes at gate the fifth.

RIGHT : Pick up your boarding passes at gate live.

C. WRONG :Terminal first on your right is Pan American.

RIGHT : The first terminal on your right is Pan American.

D. WRONG : We reviewed lesson the tenth in class today.

RIGHT : We reviewed lesson ten in class today.

E. WRONG : The subway stop second is Broadway.

RIGHT : The second subway stop is Broadway.

MODIFIERS-SAMENESS ANDSIMILARITY

Sameness and similarity are expressed by the following patterns :

1. Like or the same as

Your car is like mine.(similarity)

Your car is the same as mine.(sameness)

2. The same + noun +as

N

John is the same height as bili.

N

Mary is the same age as valerie.

3. As + adjectve + as
ADJ

John is tall as bili.

ADJ

Mary is as old as valerie.

ERROR EXAMPLES

A. WRONG : I would like to have an apartement as the one my friend has.

RIGHT : I would like to have an apartement like the one my friend has.

B. WRONG : their backyard is as beautiful like a picture.

RIGHT : their backyard is as beautiful as a picture.

C. WRONG : he looks as is grandmother.

RIGHT : he looks like his grandmother.

D. WRONG : this book is the same long as that one.

 RIGHT : this book is as long as that one.

E. WRONG : John is as tall than Bob.

RIGHT : John is as tall as Bob.

F. WRONG : Mike’ eyes are the same olor than mine.

RIGHT : Mike’s eyes are the same coloras mine.

G. WRONG : her job pays the same salary like mine.

RIGHT : her job pays the same salary as mine.

MODIFIERS-COMPARATIVE

1. One- syllable adjectives and two-syllable adjectives ending in –y form

the comparative by adding –er

AD ADJ+ER

John is tall, but bill is taller

ADJ ADJ+ER

Mrsmithis busy, bur mr brown is busler

Change the –y to –I before adding -er

2. Most two-and three-syllable adjectives from the comparative by putting more before

the adjective

Adj More+adj

Betty is beautiful, but her sister is more beautiful.

 3. Some adjectives have irregular comparatives and must be memorized. Examples:

Good, better, bad, worsa

Adj IRR.COMP

This book is good, but that one is better.

Adj IRR.COMP.

This soup is bad, but that soup is worse.

4. than is the only structure word that can follow comparatives.

Comp.than

Their problem is worse than your problem.

NOTES:

a. Do not use both –er and more in the same comparative structure.

b. Be careful to use only than after a somparative structure.

c. Be careful to use the comparative for two items, not three or more. For three or

more,use the superlative. See modifiers—superlatives.

ERROR EXAMPLE

Three are two main kinds of errors with comparatives, error in structure and error in

logic.

Structure errors:

A. WRONG :Betty is more smarter than her classmates.

RIGHT :Betty is smarter than her classmates.

 B. WRONG :This building is more expensive as that one.

RIGHT :This building is more expensive than that one.

C. WRONG :Jane had much longer hair that her sister

RIGHT :Jane had much longer hair than her sister

D. WRONG :This building is more expensive as that one.

RIGHT :This building is more expensive than that one.

Logic errors :

Do not compare two nouns that cannot be compared

E. WRONG : John’s salary was much larger than bob

( salary cannot be compared to Bob)

RIGHT : John’s salary was much larger than bob’sf

Do not compare a noun to it self

F. WRONG :mary is smarter than anybody in her class.

(mary is a member of the class mary cannot be smarter

than herself)

RIGHT : mary is smarter than anybody else in her class.

MODIFIERS-SUPERLATIVE

Use the superlative to make a comparlson among three or more things.

1. One-syllable adjectives and two-syllanle adjectives ending in –y form the superlative

by adding –est. Always use the in the superlative pattern.

 The + Adj. + est

Bill is taller than john, but bob is the tallest.

The + Adj. + est

Bill is happier than john, but bob is the happiest.

2. Two- and three syllable adjective form the superlative by putting the most before the

adjective.

The most + Adj.

Susan is more beautiful then betty, but jane is the most beautiful.

3. Some adjectives have irragular superlative that must be memorized. For example :

Good, the bast; bad, the worst.

The+ irr. Suprl

Your book is batter than his book, but our book is the best.

The+ irr. Suprl

Your problem is worse than mine, but his problem is the worst.

NOTES :

a. Always use the in the superlative pattern.

b. Be careful not to us –est and most in the same ssuperlative pattern.

c. Do not put than after superlative.

d. Be careful to use the superlative for three or more items. Use the comparative for

two items. See modifiers-comparative. Page 41.

ERROR EXAMPLE
 A. Wrong : yesterday was coldest day of the year.

Right : yesterday was the coldest day of the year.

B. Wrong : john is the smartest student then anyone else in the class.

Right : john is the smartest in the class.

C. Wrong :we went to ann’s restaurant. Ted’s diner, and tom’s cafe, and ann’s

restaurant served better food.

Right :we went to ann’s restaurant. Ted’s diner, and tom’s cafe, and ann’s

restaurant served the best food.

D. WRONG : I took mathematics, French, and history last

semesterand the mathematics course was the better.

RIGHT : I took mathematics, French, and history last

semesterand the mathematics course was the best.

MODIFIERS-CAUSE AND RESULT

Cause-and-result clauses are expressed by the following patterns:

1. so

a) so + adjective + that

ADJ.

He was so tired that he fell a sleep.

b) so + adverb + that

ADV.

He reads so slowly that he can never finish his homework.

c) so + many few + count noun + that

CN

She had so many problems that she could not concentrate.

CN

There were so few tickets sold that the concert was cancelled.
D. REFERENCE

Azar, Betty Scrampfer. 1992. Fundamentals English Grammar second edition. New Jersey:

Prentice Hall.

Broukal, Milada, TOEFL Test Asistant:Grammar, Heinle & Heinle Publisers : USA.

Frank, Marcella. 1972. Modern English a practical reference guide. New Jersey: Prentice

Hall.

Nettle, Mark and Hopkind, Diana, Developing Grammar in Context, Grammar Reference and

Practice. Italy: Cambridge University Press

Thomson A.J. and Martinet A.V.. A. 1986. Practical English Grammar, fourth editition.

Hongkong: Oxford University Press.