Post on 22-Mar-2018
MODIFICATION
NOUN
MODIFIERS
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MODIFIERS
A modifier in linguistics is a
word (adjective, adverb, noun)
or a phrase that specifies
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the meaning of another word or
phrase by giving more details
and information about it.
A shirt
A red shirt (adjective)
Speak
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Speak
Speak quietly (adverb)
Students
The students in the first
row (phrase)
Chocolate
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Chocolate
Milk chocolate (noun)
red, an adjective
quietly, an adverb
in the first row, a phrase
milk, a nounmilk, a noun
are modifiers: they modify the basic idea we receive from the noun they accompany. 5
Typical of English:
Noun + noun modification
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Noun + noun modification
The first noun modifies or
describes the second, like describes the second, like
an adjective:
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milk chocolate (a kind of chocolate)
chocolate milk (a kind of milk)
a horse race (a kind of race)
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a horse race (a kind of race)
a race horse (a kind of horse)
Noun + noun expressions can
often be changed into structures
where the second noun becomes
a subject and the first an object.
an oil well
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an oil well
= a well that produces oil
a ticket office
= an office that sells tickets
a shoe shop
= a shop that sells shoes
a horse race
= a race for horses
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= a race for horses
trouser pockets
= pockets in trousers
A group of two nouns can
modify a third noun:
� oil
� oil production
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� oil production
� oil production costs
A group of three nouns can
modify a fourth, and so on:
road
road accident
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road accident
road accident research
road accident research centre
This kind of structure is very
common in NEWSPAPER
HEADLINES because it saves
space:
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FURNITURE
FURNITURE FACTORY
FURNITURE FACTORY PAY
FURNITURE FACTORY PAY CUT
FURNITURE FACTORY PAY CUT ROW
The noun + noun structure cannot
be used all the time. Sometimes it
is necessary to use a structure with
of or a structure with possessive 's:
� a feeling of disappointment
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� a feeling of disappointment
(NOT a disappointment feeling)
� letters from home
(NOT home letters)
� cow's milk (NOT cow milk)
The difference between noun
modifiers and adjectival modifiers
is sometimes shown by stress:
French = noun (i.e. the French
language)
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language)
French = adjective (i.e. coming
from France)
� a French teacher
Stress shows the difference:
� a 'French teacher
(noun modifier: a person who
teaches French)
a French 'teacher
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� a French 'teacher
(adjective modifier: a teacher
who is French)
Some noun + noun combinations
are generally written together like
single words.
� bathroom
a room with a bath and/or shower
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a room with a bath and/or shower
� a toothbrush
a brush for teeth
� a sheepdog
a dog that looks after sheep
Other compounds may
be written with a hyphen
or separately:
� letter-box
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� letter-box
� furniture shop
In many cases usage varies,
and some combinations can be
found written in all three
ways:
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� bookshop or
� book-shop or
� book shop
Hyphens are becoming
less common in modern
English, and it is usually
acceptable to write the
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acceptable to write the
two words separately:
book shop
SPECIAL CASES 1
What is the difference?
a coffee cup vs a cup of coffee
� a coffee cup = a cup used to
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� a coffee cup = a cup used to
drink coffee (container)
� a cup of coffee = a cup with
coffee in it (container with its
contents)
� a matchbox vs a box of matches
� a paint tin vs a tin of paint
Noun + noun is used for
particular kinds of container.
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particular kinds of container.
But we use the preposition
structure (with of) to talk about a
container together with its
contents.
SPECIAL CASES 2
Noun + noun is normally used
to say what things are made of:
a silk dress
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� a silk dress
� a stone bridge
� an iron rod
� a gold ring
� GOLD-GOLDEN:
a gold watch golden memories
� SILK-SILKEN:
silk stockings silken skin
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silk stockings silken skin
� LEAD-LEADEN:
a lead pipe a leaden sky
� STONE-STONY:
a stone roof a stony silence
The material something is
made of is expressed by a
noun modifier
(e.g. gold, silk, lead, stone).
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The figurative meaning is
expressed by the equivalent
adjective:
BUT NOTE:
� WOODEN (adjective) = “made of
wood” (literal meaning)
Stir the mixture with a wooden spoon.
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Stir the mixture with a wooden spoon.
� WOOLLEN (adjective) = “made of
wool” (literal meaning)
She wore a woollen scarf round her
neck
SPECIAL CASES 3
In some expressions we use a
structure with possessive 's.
� children's clothes
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children's clothes
(but baby clothes)
� a man's sweater
� a man's leg (but a table leg)
�women’s magazines
� a bird's nest
� a doll’s house
� cow's milk (NOT cow milk)
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� cow's milk (NOT cow milk)
� lamb's wool