A Close Look at Modifiers

What is a sentence modifier? A sentence modifier is a phrase or clause that adds a condition to the main sentence. There are many ways to modify a sentence, among them clauses. What is a clause? A clause is a subject and a predicate combined into a dependent or independent thought or idea.

 Subordinate clauses  Elliptical clauses  Relative clauses Types of Clauses

Subordinate Clauses Subordinate clauses are adverbial clauses that modify the idea of the whole sentence. EXAMPLE “If love be blind, love cannot hit the mark.” Mercutio, Which part is the subordinate clause?

Because it gives a condition to the main sentence “love cannot hit the mark.” In other words, without the subordinate clause, love could never hit the mark. But with it, we know that sometimes it can. Why is “If love be blind” subordinate?

A (nonexhaustive) list of “subordinate cues” Words that signal a subordinate clause If Since Although As Because When Where Before/after EXAMPLE “Although I joy in thee, I have no joy of this contract tonight…” Juliet, Subordinate clauses that most cue sentence modification are if, since, although, and as. These seem adverbial, but can also cue sentence modification.

Elliptical Clauses Elliptical clauses are a type of subordinate clause. Elliptical clauses omit obvious, or understood, information. EXAMPLE “If love be blind, love cannot hit the mark.” If blind, love cannot hit the mark. (The subordinate clause in this sentence is now an elliptical clause. Even though we have omitted the subject and the verb in the clause, it is still understood that we are talking about love in the clause.)

Relative Clauses Relative clauses are adjectivals that can also modify sentences, and not just nouns. EXAMPLE Joe bought a gas guzzler, which surprised me. Kolln, p. 206 Which part is the relative clause?

Why is “which surprised me” relative? Because of “which,” basically. But more importantly, because “the gas guzzler” is not what surprised him, but Joe buying the gas guzzler was. This is what makes it a sentence modifier. Note: Although words such as “where,” “whom,” “who,” “that,” etc., only “which” signals a sentence modifying relative clause.

Interjections Interjections are single words or short phrases that show surprise, or emotion. Interjections are usually signaled by an exclamation point, or can be set of from the sentence by a comma. EXAMPLE “’Zounds, a dog, a rat, a mouse, a cat, to scratch a man to death!” Mercutio, Which part is the interjection?

Go to the grammar wiki, and click on the “A Good Man is Hard to Find” link. Read the passage, and identify sentences with sentence modifiers. For each sentence that you find, identify what type of modifier is used in the sentence.

A quick note on sentence diagramming… In all cases, when a clause modifies a sentence, the clause is diagrammed above and separate from the main sentence. EXAMPLE “If love be blind, love cannot hit the mark.” What does this sentence look like diagrammed?

Go to quizlet.com Make a set of flashcards on the site. Title it ENG313-Yourname(s). Make the subject of the set “Grammar: Sentence Modifiers.” Then, test yourselves with someone else’s set of flashcards (from this class).

Resources Kolln, Martha, and Funk, Robert. Understanding English Grammar. Chapter 9. O’Connor, Flannery. “A Good Man is Hard to Find.” The Complete Stories. Farrar, Straus, and Giroux. New York: Shakespeare, William. Romeo and Juliet. Cambridge School of Shakespeare. Cambridge University Press. Cambridge, UK: Santa picture obtained from CreativeCommons.org, used with permission from artist, Andre-Pierre.