Modifiers - II

Question 1

How to identify ‘-ing’ modifiers?

Answer 1

They start with ‘-ing’ verb forms not preceded by any aiding verb, they can be single words or phrases

The dancing birds entertained the crowd watching the show

1. dancing modifies birds
2. watching the show modifies crowd

The governor rejected the bail plea of the murder convict, signalling authorities to take stern action against such heinous crime

signalling authorities to take stern action against such heinous crime modifies the verb “rejected the plea”

Question 2

Construction 1: Noun entity followed by -ing verbal (Modifying noun)

Answer 2

Construction 1: Noun entity followed by -ing verbal?

1. The old man sitting in the park is suffering from dementia and requires immediate attention

sitting in the park modifies old man
Placed immediately after the noun

2. The dancing birds entertained the crowd watching the show

“dancing” modifies birds placed immediately before the noun, and similarly “watching the show” modifies the crowd placed immediately after the noun

Question 3

Construction 2: Comma (,) + -ing verbal (Modifying action)

Answer 3

In this construction -ing verbal modifies the action in the below manner

1. describes the action
2. how the action happened
3. outcome of the action

a. Last Monday, John came to visit his Grandma, driving all the way from New York to Chicago

driving all the way from New York to Chicago modifies came describing how the action happened

b. The governor rejected the bail plea of the murder convict, signalling authorities to take stern action against such heinous crime

signalling authorities to take stern action against such heinous crime modifies “rejected the bail plea” presenting the outcome of the action

Question 4

Construction 3 : -ing verbal at the beginning of the clause (Modifies either the subject or the action)

Answer 4

In this construction -ing verbal can modify either the noun or the action

1. Comprising the remnant of 647 feet tall ridge, Makapu’s is the extreme eastern end of the Island of O’hau in the Haiwan Islands

Comprising the remnant of 647 feet tall ridge modifies the noun Makapu’s

2. Trying to scale the wall, the thief hurt his palm and knees

Trying to scale the wall modifies - hurt but you need not worry to identify what entity it modifies only note that they should make sense together

Question 5

How to identify the illogical modification of sentence by ‘ing’ modifies

Answer 5

To identify the error note that ‘-ing’ verbal should make sense with the subject of the verb and subject should also be the doer of the action presented in ‘ing’ verbal for e.g.

a. Last Monday, John came to visit his Grandma, driving all the way from New York to Chicago

Here “driving all the way from New York to Chicago” modifies came telling us about how John came, additionally it is also making sense with the subject of the verb “came” that is “John” as “John driving all the way from New York to Chicago” makes sense

b. Sweetening the custard with maple syrup, the desired consistency was achieved

The sentence is wrong on two counts

1. One you could think that “the desired consistency cant sweetened the custard maple syrup”

2, “Sweetening the custard with maple syrup” can modify “consistency was achieved” presenting the outcome but as per rule above it should also make sense with the subject of the sentence, here the subject is “the desired consistency” now it is illogical so the sentence is incorrect. the correct sentence would be as below

Sweetening the custard with maple syrup, the chef achieved the desired consistency

Question 6

What is wrong with the below sentence?

Setting up Colonies in North and South America, the New Age Imperialism ushered

Answer 6

The sentence is flawed for the below reasons

1. Setting up Colonies in North and South America modifies “ushered” but the subject of the sentence does not make sense as the New Age imperialism didn’t set up the colonies. To fix the sentence we will need to add a noun entity in the sentence that could work with the modifier “setting up colonies”

Setting up Colonies in North and South America, the Europeans ushered in the New Age Imperialism

Question 7

What is wrong with the below sentence?

The Olympic Games helped to keep peace among the pugnacious states of the Greek world, proclaiming a sacred truce during the festival months

Answer 7

1. proclaiming a sacred truce during the festival months modifies “helped to keep” but the subject of the sentence “The Olympic Games” cant proclaim, below is the fixed version of the sentence

The Olympic Games helped to keep peace among the pugnacious states of the Greek world, a feat that was achieved by proclaiming a sacred truce during the festival months

Question 8

What are flexible modifiers?

Answer 8

Prepositional phrase and ‘-ing’ modifiers are flexible modifiers. They can modify any noun in a sentence or they can modify any verb in a sentence.

Moreover, they need not modify immediate nouns, they can also modify nouns that are placed in between a sentence.

1. The profit of the company plummeted sharply during the last decade, a decline that left the company struggling for survival

“a decline that left the company struggling for survival” modifies the verb plummeted

Question 9

What is the typical structure of a flexible modifer?

Answer 9

Noun/Pronoun entity + modifier modifying

1. The profit of the company plummeted sharply during the last decade, a decline that left the company struggling for survival

a decline - noun entity
that left the company struggling for survival - modifier

2. The Watt steam engine, the first practical steam engine, was designed by James Watt, a man who played an eminent role in the industrial revolution

Notice that in flexible modifier we again have the same structure

a man - Noun entity
who played eminent role in industrial revolution - modifier

For flexible modifier, we don’t need a connecter to connect it to main sentence, it can directly be connected by a comma

Question 10

What all are different entities that can be modified by a flexible modifier?

Answer 10

1. A noun placed in the middle of the sentence
2. The verb
3. Noun placed before it
4. Harry has graduated from Cambridge University with distinction in economics, an institution that is considered one of the best in the world

Here flexible modifier is modifying the noun “Cambridge” placed in the middle of the sentence

2. Harry has graduated from Cambridge University with distinction in economics, an achievement that sets him apart from his colleagues

Here flexible modifier is modifying the verb “has graduated with distinction”

3. Harry has graduated from Cambridge University with distinction in economics, a subject that is one of the most difficult to master

Here flexible modifier is modifying the noun placed before it

Question 11

What are the root causes of errors in modifiers?

Answer 11

1. Wrong MEM pair used
2. Ambiguous reference
3. Mem does not agree logically

Question 12

How should noun modifiers be placed

Answer 12

They should be placed close to the noun entity that they modify.

1. The car abandoned near the Church was sent to the scrap recycling plant, following court orders

abandoned near the Church modifies the car and see how it is placed closed to the noun entity

2. The car was sent to the scrap recycling plant abandoned near the Church, following court orders - Incorrect placement of noun modifier as now it modifies the plant but it should be modifying noun the car

Question 13

When can we place noun modifiers far from noun entity

Answer 13

We can place noun modifiers slightly far from noun entities that they modify when the noun is followed by a prepositional phrase.

1. The increase in the prices of essential commodities in the second half of the last decade has left the poor people in a plight incomparable to any experienced earlier

Here the modifier “in the second half of the last decade “ is separated by a prepositional phrase from the noun entity that it should be modifying, “the increase”

Emily Dickinson’s letters to Susan Dickinson, which were written over a period beginning a few years before Susan’s marriage to Emily’s brother, outnumber her letters to anyone

here the noun modifier modifies the noun before the prepositional phrase and jumps the prepositional phrase to modify the noun entity before the phrase

Note: do not assume that noun modifier will always jump the prepositional phrase to modify the noun entity, it could also modify the noun present in the prepositional phrase as well

Question 14

Can a noun and noun modifier be separated from verbs?

Answer 14

No

Question 15

How to use multiple modifiers modifying the same entity

Answer 15

1. Use connectors to connect modifiers

2. Placing them in a different position

Question 16

Example of connecting modifiers modifying same entity connected via connector

Answer 16

Phil, born in England and raised in various parts of the world, has a keen interest in traveling

See how we have used “and” to connect born and raised

Question 17

Example of modifiers placed at different location modifying same entity

Answer 17

Invented by Thomas Savery in 1689 for removing water from mines, the first steam engine, which was neither efficient nor practical consumed a lot of fuel, was improved upon by Newcomen in 1712 and then by Watt in the 1760s

Modifier 1 - Invented by Thomas Savery in 1689 for removing water from mines

Modifier 2 - which was neither efficient nor practical consumed a lot of fuel

Placed at different locations

Question 18

Ambiguity on the usage of which/that

Answer 18

That/which can grammatically and logically modify any of the following

1. the nearest noun
2. a noun separated by a modifier, usually a prepositional phrase

a. The states of the newly formed kingdom, which are each ruled by a different governor, are given autonomy in many matters

In this which can refer to either states or kingdom but and logically both are correct but from the verb “are” we know that it refers to states. So in this case usage of which is not ambiguous, but see the below example in which even the verb fails to indicate to what “which/that” can refer to

b. The list of laundry, which is lying on the table, needs to be taken care of

Here “which” can refer either to list or laundry as either could be lying on the table, unlike e.g. “a” in which verb cleared out the ambiguity, it is not the case here, hence the usage of which is not correct here

it should be very clear to which noun the “that/which” is referring to. If it seems that grammatically and logically the “that/which” could be referring to more than one noun, then there arises a situation of ambiguity.

c. The tyre of the green pick-up truck which was damaged in the accident when the driver was unable to apply the brakes on the slippery road has been changed by the mechanics.

In above example as well which is ambiguous as it could refer either to a green pick-up truck or tyre

Question 19

What is the difference between can and could

Answer 19

Can

1. Talk about possibility and ability
2. Make requests
3. Ask for or give permission

Could

1. Talk about the past possibility or ability
2. Make requests

Question 20

Can -ed verbals modify far-away nouns?

Answer 20

No, -ed verbals can only modify noun or noun phrases that are close to them, -ed verbal trying to modify far-away nouns can cause ambiguity in the sentence. They also never modify verbs, to modify verbs use “ing” modifiers

Question 21

Confusion on -ed verbal vs verbs

Answer 21

Please note whenever you ask question Who/What -ed verbal and even if you get the answer ask yourself whether it is making sense or not for e.g.

“Chinese public buildings erected under a construction code of the Sung dynasty have withstood earthquakes very well”

Ask What erected under a construction code?

You will get the answer “Buildings erected”
Now does it make sense to say “Buildings erected” ? Can building do the action of erect, NO, so it is not acting as a verb