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