Modifiers Flashcards
What is a squinting modifier?
Modifier between two words or phrases, either of which the modifier could modify. For a sentence to be effective, it must be clear what any modifiers in the sentence modify.
Where must a noun and prepositional modifier be placed?
A noun and prepositional modifier must be placed as closely as possible to what it modifies.
What is a relative clause?
Relative clause are clauses that relate or connect parts of a sentence to each other and begin with relative pronouns.
Relative pronouns that are commonly used “that,” “which,” “who,” “whose,” and “whom”
When is the relative pronoun “that” used?
When it introduces restrictive relative clauses. A restrictive relative clause somehow restricts the meaning of the noun that the restrictive relative clause modifies. The information that a restrictive relative clause adds is essential to the meaning of the sentence.
When is the relative pronoun “which” used?
When it introduces nonrestrictive relative clauses. A nonrestrictive relative clause does not restrict the meaning of the noun that it modifies. It added information to the sentence but is not vital to the sentence’s meaning. A nonrestrictive relative clause must always be set off from the rest of sentences by commas.
When to use “whom”?
In a relative clause, “whom” is used as an object. The object pronoun “whom” is acted upon.
What can the relative pronoun “whose” refer to?
“Whose” can refer to things or people. “Whose” is the English language’s only positive relative pronoun.
Ex. The dog whose paws are big also have a loving heart.
My mother, whose bracelet I borrowed, has always been willing to share.
What is an appositive?
An appositive is an element of a sentence that modifies or further describes another element of a sentence by renaming it.
A positive generally appear on the the GMAT in the form of nouns, pronouns, noun phrase, or noun clauses that modify other nouns, pronouns, noun phrases, or noun clauses.
How to identify an appositive?
Replace the noun being modified with its modifier.
What is a participle?
A verb form that functions as a modifier. Participles come in two varieties: present participles, which always end in -ing, and past participles, which usually end in -en or -en.
Can never on its own function as the main verb (finite verb) in a clause. So, a sentence in which the only verb form is a participle will not be complete.
How are most present participial phrases used?
- Used to restrictively modify specific nouns.
- Appear at the beginning of in the middle of clauses are nonrestrictive, and can be treated as noun modifiers for the purpose of placement.
- Appear at the end of clauses and usually, but not always, modify the preceding clauses.
How can we tell that a present participial phrase modifies the noun that immediately precedes it?
There is no comma between the phrase and the immediately preceding noun.
Participial phrases that modify specific nouns generally modify those nouns restively, meaning that the phrases somehow further define the nouns.
How do we treat a present participial phrase that appears at the beginning or isn’t he middle of a clause and is set off from the rest of the clause by a comma or commas?
Can be treated as nonrestrictive noun modifier.
Present participial phrases that appear at the ends of clauses and modify entire clauses often describe what?
The results of the actions mentioned in the preceding clauses,
The causes of the events described in the preceding clauses, or
Events that were occurring while the events described in the preceding clause were occurring.
How are past participial phrases used in sentences?
- Used to restively modify nouns, in which cases the phrases are placed directly before or after the nouns that they modify and are not separate from the nouns by commas.
- Used to nonrestrictively modify nouns, in which cases the phrases may appear directly before or directly after the nouns that they modify and are separated from the nouns and other sentence elements by comma.
