GST111 Modifiers and Qualifiers PDF

PARTS OF SPEECH Sub Topic: Modifiers and Qualifiers Introduction: In English language, there are some words or phrases that give additional information. Modifiers and qualifiers are in the category of those parts of speech that give details (more information) in sentences. Objectives: At the end o...

PARTS OF SPEECH Sub Topic: Modifiers and Qualifiers Introduction: In English language, there are some words or phrases that give additional information. Modifiers and qualifiers are in the category of those parts of speech that give details (more information) in sentences. Objectives: At the end of the lesson, the students should be able to: i. identify part of speech that can be classified as modifiers ii. identify the part of speech that can be classified as qualifiers iii. identify the functions of both modifiers and qualifiers in any given sentence. Main Content: Modifiers Modifiers generally mean any part of speech that describes or adds detail. Modifiers provide additional information about other words or phrases in a sentence. A modifier can just be a word, a phrase, or an entire dependent clause. Adjectives and adverbs are parts of speech commonly called modifiers. An adjective modifies (or describes) a noun or pronoun, and an adverb modifies (or describes) a verb, adjective, or another adverb. Types of Modifiers Right from the definition above, the main types of modifiers can be deduced as Adjectives and adverbs. Adjectival:  these are words that describe nouns Examples: beautiful, tall, brilliant, dull, smart etc.)   adjective phrases Examples: i. that’s a melodious song, ii. a delicious cake iii. that’s a brilliant performance…… Adverbial  adverbs (words that describe verbs, , adjectives, or other adverbs) Examples: beautifully, very , smartly, brilliantly etc.  adverb phrases Examples: a very tall girl beautifully made dress….. How do you identify a modifier in a sentence? A modifier that gives some information such as size or color of a noun, is an adjective while a modifier answers questions such as why? when? or how is an adverb. Qualifier What are qualifiers in writing? A qualifier in English grammar, is a word, or phrase, (such as very) that precedes an adverbs or adjectives increasing or decreasing the quality signified by the word it modifies. Qualifier is a type of word that is used to add extra meaning to another word. Qualifiers could also come before a verb and noun, - depending on the type of qualifier used. One common use of a qualifier is to either enhance or limit the meaning of the following word. Examples of common qualifiers: very, quite, rather, somewhat, more, most, less, least, too, so, just, enough, indeed, still, almost, fairly, really, pretty, even, a bit, a little, a (whole) lot, a good deal, a great deal, kind of, sort of. i. she is extremely happy ii. the cake is absolutely delicious iii. the classroom is fairy peaceful. Self-Assessment Questions: 1. Define modifiers. 2. Which classes of words are classed as modifiers? 3. List 10 examples of quantifiers. Tutor Marked Assignment How can identify Modifiers and Quantifiers in sentences? References Babatunde, S.T (2019) Basic Syntactic Classes in Courseware on Fundamentals of Use of English, (pp 33-41). General Studies Division, University of Ilorin,. Nordquist, Richard. (2024). Qualifier Words in English Grammar. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/qualifier-words-1691707 Rodney, H., & Geoffrey, K. (2005). A Student’s Introduction to English Grammar. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.