What Are You Referring
To? Modifiers Made Simple
Eng 050
Modifiers
Earlier this semester we discussed modifiers, and how
they define and explain other words.
Modifiers come in two forms
Adjectives
Adverbs
This PowerPoint is going to go over how to use them so
that we can ultimately spot how NOT to use them.
Modifiers--Adjectives
Adjectives modify, or describe, nouns or pronouns.
They can be placed before the word they modify, or
they can follow the word they modify if linking verbs
are used.
We ate the moist, sweet cake.—Before the noun
The cake was moist and sweet.—After the noun, and
with a linking verb
Comparing with Adjectives
Most adjectives have three forms
Basic
Comparative—used to compare two items or indicate a greater
degree
Superlative—used to compare three or more items or indicate
the greatest degree
For one syllable adjectives, and some two-syllable adjectives,
use –er to compare two items, and –est to compare three or
more items
Tall (basic); taller (comparative); tallest (superlative)
Old (basic); older (comparative); oldest (superlative)
Hot (basic); hotter (comparative); hottest (superlative
Comparing with Adjectives
For two-syllable adjectives, and all longer adjectives, use
“more” to compare two items and “most” to compare
three or more items.
Careful (basic); more careful (comparative); most careful
(superlative)
Relaxed (basic); more relaxed (comparative); most relaxed
(superlative)
Content (basic); more content (comparative); most
content (superlative)
Comparing with Adjectives
For negative comparisons, use “less” to compare two
items, and “least” to compare three or more items
Beautiful (basic); less beautiful (comparative); least
beautiful (superlative)
Familiar (basic); less familiar (comparative); least familiar
(superlative)
FYI, there’s some adjectives that you cannot use for
comparison at all. These include:
Complete, dead, empty, equal, favorite, horizontal,
impossible, pregnant, square, supreme, unanimous,
unique
Common Adjective Errors
There’s two main types of errors when it comes to
adjectives in the comparative and superlative.
Instead of using one method for forming the
comparative or superlative (more or less, or –er or –est),
both are used together.
Incorrect-— “The top shelf is more longer than the bottom
shelf.”
Correct— “The top shelf is longer than the bottom shelf.”
Incorrect— “That is the most silliest hat I’ve ever seen.”
Correct— “That is the silliest hat I’ve ever seen.”
Common Adjective Errors
The second error occurs when the comparative or
superlative is used with the wrong number of items. The
comparative form should be used for two items, and the
superlative for three or more items.
Incorrect--- “Barb’s chili recipe is the hottest of the two.”
Correct—“Barb’s chili recipe is the hotter of the two.”
Incorrect– “Ross is the younger of the three brothers.”
Correct– “Ross is the youngest of the three brothers.”
Using Good and Bad
Correctly
The adjectives “good” and “bad” are irregular because they
do not form the comparative and superlative like the other
adjectives. Instead, they use these formats:
Good (basic); better (comparative); best (superlative)
Bad (basic); worse (comparative); worst (superlative)
Examples:
Incorrect—That is the bestest play I have ever seen.
Correct—That is the best play I have ever seen.
Incorrect—His health is getting more worst as time goes by.
Correct---His health is getting worse as time goes by.
Adverbs
We may recall that adverbs modify verbs, adjectives and
other adverbs. They DO NOT modify nouns (because
that’s what the adjectives do).
Adverbs answer the questions “how,” “when,” “where,”
“how often,” and “to what extent.”
Some words are always adverbs
Here, there, not, never, now, again, almost, often, and
well
Other words are turned into adverbs by adding –ly.
Quiet vs quietly; perfect vs perfectly; strange vs strangely
Comparing with Adverbs
Like adjectives, adverbs have three forms: basic,
comparative (used to compare two forms) and
superlative (used to compare three or more forms)
For positive comparisons, adverbs form the
comparative and superlative in two different ways
For one-syllable adverbs, use –er and –est to form the
comparisons
Fast (basic); faster (comparative); fastest (superlative)
Near (basic); nearer (comparative); nearest (superlative)
Comparing with Adverbs
For adverbs of two or more syllables, use more to compare
two items, and most to compare three or more items
Beautifully (basic); more beautifully (comparative); most
beautifully (superlative)
Awkwardly (basic); more awkwardly (comparative); most
awkwardly (superlative)
For negative comparisons, adverbs (like adjectives) use less to
compare two items and least to compare three or more items
Often (basic); less often (comparative); least often
(superlative)
Frequently (basic); less frequently (comparative); least
frequently (superlative)
Vividly (basic); less vividly (comparative); least vividly
(superlative)
Comparing with Adverbs
Note: Like adjectives, certain adverbs are not usually
compared. For example, something cannot last “more
eternally,” or work “more uniquely.” To do so is to
commit errors of logic. Here’s a list of adverbs that
can’t be compared.
Endlessly; eternally; infinitely; equally; impossibly;
invisibly
Comparing with Adverbs
Adjectives vs adverbs---what’s the difference?
One of the most common errors of grammar is to use an
adjective when an adverb is called for. Remember, adverbs
modify verbs, adjectives and other adverbs. They do not
modify nouns or pronouns
Incorrect: She spoke too slow.
Correct: She spoke too slowly. (“Slowly” is the adverb form
because it ends in –ly. It is describing how she spoke,
indicating that an adverb is called for).
Incorrect: He was real happy with the decision. (“Real” here
is modifying “happy,” so it needs to be in adverb form).
Correct: He was really happy with the decision.
Double Negatives
This is among the most jarring of all adverb-adjective errors!
Essentially it is the use of two negatives in one clause.
Examples of negative words include no, not, never, none,
nothing, neither, nowhere, nobody, barely, and hardly. These
cannot be used together.
Incorrect: We never had no break today. Read this sentence
closely. It actually means that we had a break today.
Correct: We had no break today.
Incorrect: Jim does not owe me nothing. This is actually
saying Jim owes me something.
Correct: Jim does not owe me anything.
Incorrect: My mom doesn’t hardly get any time to herself.
This is actually saying that mom gets time to herself.
Correct: My mom doesn’t get much time to herself.
Using Good/Well and
Bad/Badly Correctly
These words are very frequently misused, and so need
extra attention.
Good is an adjective
Well is an adjective or an adverb, depending on how it’s
used.
Use good with a noun or after a linking verb.
What a good dog. (“good” is modifying “dog”)
The soup tastes good. (“tastes” here is the linking verb
connecting “soup” and “good”)
Using Good/Well and
Bad/Badly Correctly
Use well when describing someone’s health or after an
action verb. Well is used as an adverb.
I am well, thank you.
She plays well with others. (“She plays good” is incorrect).
Bad is an adjective. Use it with a noun or after a linking
verb.
Always use bad after feel if you are talking about emotions.
That looks like a bad cut.
I feel bad that I lost the ticket.
Using Good/Well and
Bad/Badly Correctly
Badly is an adverb. Use badly with an adjective, or after
an action verb.
The steak is badly burned.
She drives badly.
Modifier Errors
By now you may have seen me write notes on your
papers that said “dangling modifier.” Now we’re going
to explain the error. Here’s a few examples:
The teacher told the students their grades would be
posted before she dismissed them.
To enter the contest, the application must be submitted
by Friday.
We found the magazine and put it in a safe place that
had an article about saving money.
Modifier Errors
What’s wrong with these sentences, you may be asking.
These all have modifier errors.
Misplaced modifiers—when a modifier is too far from the
word it refers to
Dangling modifiers—when the word the modifier refers back
to is missing
Misplaced modifiers
Incorrect: Brad yelled at his roommate in his underwear. This
begs the question of who is in their underwear…Brad or the
roommate? It depends on what you are trying to say.
Correct: Brad yelled at his roommate, who was in his
underwear.
Correct: In his underwear, Brad yelled at his roommate.
Modifier Errors
Misplaced modifiers
Incorrect: The students were told to turn in their papers
after the bell. Again, what does this mean? Were they
told to turn in their papers after the bell rang? Or did
the teacher tell them this after the bell rang? Again, it
depends on your meaning.
The teacher told the students to turn in their papers after
the bell.
After the bell, the teacher told the students to turn in
their papers.
Modifier Errors
Misplaced modifiers and limiting words
There’s certain modifiers that limit meaning. If misplaced,
these can cause much confusion, so they need to be used
carefully.
Limiting words include almost, hardly, merely, only, even just,
just, nearly, and scarcely.
Only Laverne says that Shirley was home in the evening. (This
means that only Laverne is saying this.)
Laverne only says that Shirley was home in the evening. (This
means that Laverne says this but doesn’t mean it.)
Laverne says that only Shirley was home in the evening. (This
means that Shirley was the only one home in the evening).
Laverne says that Shirley was only at home in the evening. (This
means that Shirley didn’t leave the house in the evening).
Dangling Modifiers
Dangling modifiers
Modifiers are dangling when they have nothing to refer
to in a sentence. Dangling modifiers start with “to” or
end in “ing,” and appear at the beginning of a sentence.
Incorrect: Having lived in Los Angeles for 20 years, the
traffic is horrible. See how this sentences doesn’t make
sense? It begs the question of who has lived in Los Angeles
for 20 years?
Correct: Having lived in Los Angeles for 20 years, Carrie
can tell you that the traffic is horrible.
Carrie has lived in Los Angeles for 20 years, and can tell
you that the traffic is horrible.
Dangling Modifiers
Incorrect: To order more food, the coupon must be
presented in person.
Correct: To order more food, you must present the
coupon in person.
Correct: You must present the coupon in person to order
more food.
Incorrect: The refrigerator was full after ordering more
groceries.
Correct: After buying groceries, we had a full refrigerator.
Correct: The refrigerator was full after we bought more
groceries.