Adjective and Adverb Phrases
Misplaced Modifiers
Unit 1 Grammar
Adjective Phrases
• Adjective Phrases are usually
prepositional phrases and they act as
single-word adjectives do. They modify:
• A Noun (person, place or thing)
• A Pronoun (I, we, they, us, them, me)
Modify by telling: What kind? Which one?
How many?
Adverb Phrases
• Adverb phrases are usually
prepositional phrases and they act as
single-word adverbs do. They modify:
• A verb
• A noun
• An adjective
• Another adverb
Adverbs modify by telling:
•
•
•
•
How
When
Where
To what extent (how often or how much)
Some prepositions that begin
prepositional phrases:
About
Across
After
Against
Along
Around
at
between
by
during
except
for
from
in
like
of
on
since
through
to
until
upon
with
without
Adjective Phrases
• This is the end of a very long road.
• The sequel to the original was just as
bad.
• The cookie in my pocket tempts me.
Adverb Phrase
• The cookie crumbled in my pocket.
• The bell rang while we were having a
fishbowl conversation.
• I wake up later on Wednesday
mornings.
Misplaced Modifiers:
• My husband asked me if we might
consider having another baby during
our friends’ baby shower.
• I found a scratching post for my cat,
which was on clearance.
(Note to 1st period: I changed this sentence from the
one we used in class.)
Notice that moving the word ONLY changes
the meaning of the sentence.
• Only Susie gave $20 at the fundraiser. (No one else
but Susie gave $20.)
• Susie only gave $20 at the fundraiser. (The only thing
Susie did was give $20.)
• Susie gave only $20 at the fundraiser. (Susie didn’t
give any more than $20.)
• Susie gave $20 at the only fundraiser. (Susie gave $20
at the only available fundraiser.)
• Susie gave $20 at the fundraiser only. (Susie didn’t
give $20 anywhere else.)