Unit Eight Modifying Nouns with Adjectives
In conversation and
in writing, we often use descriptive words to add meaning to nouns to modify
them. Nouns are words that name persons, places, or things. A sentence subject
is usually a noun:
The mayor
spoke.
But all nouns do not act as
sentence subjects; one sentence can have several nouns with different functions
in the sentence:
The mayor
spoke to the reporters about his plans.
The doctor
spoke to the patient.
Then you will see one or more
sentences repeating those underlined nouns, providing you with new information
to use to modify the nouns in the base sentence. Be sure you find all the new
information. One way to do so is to cross out any repeated words and any forms
of the verb be in the sentences containing modifiers.
EXAMPLE: The doctor
spoke to the patient.
The
doctor was sympathetic.
The
patient was overweight.
Then add the adjective
modifiers to the basic sentence:
SOLUTION: The sympathetic
doctor spoke to the overweight patient.
In each set of the
sentences, your goal is to end up with one sentence. Always read your
combined sentences aloud to see if they sound correct to you. These exercises
will help you write more detailed, professional sentences.
NOTE: When
you add a modifier before a noun, you sometimes have to change the article in
the base sentence from a to an or an to a because the
modifier you add begins with a different letter than the noun does. Use a before
words beginning with vowel sounds, and an before
words beginning with consonant sounds.
Examples: a dog a
horse a
university
an apple
an hour an
umbrella
Exercise
One Never Too Young
1. Doctors are concerned about the population.
The doctors are diligent.
The population is American.
2. They have warned them to modify their diets
for years.
The diets are daily.
The years are many.
3. But Americans continue to eat too
much food.
The Americans are
stubborn.
The Americans are lazy.
The food is fatty.
The food is convenience.
4. Amounts of food can cause levels
that, in turn, can cause heart disease.
The amounts are large.
The food is high-fat.*
The levels are high.
The levels are
cholesterol.
5. Of course, not all people are at risk.
The people are healthy.
The risk is high.
6. In
particular, doctors believe that people who have a history of
disease should be concerned.
The doctors are
conscientious.
The people are
middle-aged.
The history is family.
The disease is coronary.
7. The thing for all people to do is cut
down on food.
The people are
health-conscious.
The food is fatty.
The food is highly
processed.
8. People
can start now to protect their health by eating more beef, chicken,
and fish, fruit and vegetables, and milk.
The people are younger.
The beef is lean.
The chicken is skinless.
The fish is broiled or
baked.
The fruit and vegetables
are fresh.
The milk is low-fat.
Verb Forms as Adjectives
In the previous exercise, each
modifier you added was a single adjective that you placed in front of the noun
it modified. But verb forms can also act like adjectives and modify nouns:
The movie is frightening the child. The
child is frightened (by the movie).
the
frightening movie
the
ftightened child
The -ing forms (present participles)
and the -ed forms
of verbs (past participles) can often modify nouns. Notice that when frightening
and frightened
are parts of
verbs in sentences, they follow forms of the verb be: am, is, are, was,
were, has been, have been, had been. But when these -ing and -ed ending verb forms modify
nouns, they are not parts of verbs any longer; that is, they do not show the
time, or tense, of sentences. The following are common verb form modifiers:
-Ing Form -Ed
Form
the interesting novel the
interested reader
the terrifying train ride the
terrified passengers
the annoying salesclerk the
annoyed shoppers
If the verb form modifier is a
single word, you can place it before the noun it modifies:
EXAMPLE: The farmer ran from the bull.
The farmer
was frightened.
The bull
was charging.
SOLUTION: The frightened farmer ran
from the charging bull.
Often though, we modify nouns
with modifiers that have more than one word:
-Ing Form -Ed Form
the man buying the book the
book bought at Green Apple
the woman building the
bridge the
bridge built by the woman
When the modifier is more than one word, it comes
after the word it modifies.
Exercise Two A Day in the Country
In this exercise, the nouns to be modified are underlined. Add the common adjectives and the verb form modifiers before or after the nouns they modify. One-word modifiers should come before the nouns they modify, and modifiers of more than one word should come after the nouns they modify.
EXAMPLE: Kim
drove to the farm.
The farm
was old.
The farm
was located in the middle of nowhere.
SOLUTION: Kim
drove to the old farm located in the middle of nowhere.
1. Californians don't spend
time on farms.
The Californians
are living in the city.
The farms are
working.
2. But on the farm, you can eat an egg.
The egg is fresh.
The egg is laid by a family chicken.
3. Chickens are a source of amusement for farmers.
The chickens are unusual.
The source is gratifying.
The farmers are bored.
4. For instance, some farmers keep hens.
The farmers are desperate.
The hens are ugly.
The hens are running around the barn.
5. Some even keep illegal chickens.
The chickens are fighting.
The chickens are used for gambling.
6. Most roads offer sights for drivers.
The roads are winding.
The roads are country.
The sights are peaceful.
The drivers are tired of concrete.
7. One of the roads is Highway 49.
The roads are the most beautiful.
Highway 49 is scenic.
Highway 49 is winding through the
Sierra foothills.
8. Highway 49 goes through towns.
The towns are many.
The towns are old.
The towns were built during the
California Gold Rush.
9. Drivers should be alert for animals.
The drivers are careful.
The animals are stray.
The animals are wandering onto the
road.
10. An armadillo is not a sight.
The armadillo is visiting.
The armadillo is smashed on the
highway.
The sight is not pleasing.
Exercise
Three Hairdos—The Assyrians and Us
In the following exercise, you
will continue adding adjectives and verb form modifiers to the base sentences,
but this time the nouns to be modified aren't underlined for you. In the
sentences containing modifiers, cross out repeated words and forms of the verb be—am,
is, are, was, and
were.
EXAMPLE: In
the ancient world, the Assyrians were the hair stylists.
The
Assyrians were inhabiting Iraq.
The
hair stylists were the first.
The
hair stylists were real.
SOLUTION: In the ancient world, the Assyrians
inhabiting Iraq were the first real hair stylists.
1. The Assyrians cut hair in layers, so a man's head
was like a pyramid.
The layers were graduated.
The man was fashionable.
The pyramid was Egyptian.
2. Hair was arranged in curls and ringlets.
The curls were cascading.
The ringlets were tumbling
over the shoulders.
3. Men grew beards.
The beards were neatly
clipped.
The beards were beginning
at the jaw.
The beards were layered in
ruffles over the chest.
4. Women also wore beards.
Women were high-ranking.
The beards were stylized.
The beards were fake.
The beards were designed
to make the women appear like powerful men.
5. Kings, warriors, and noblewomen had their
hair curled with a bar.
Their hair was abundant.
Their hair was flowing.
The bar was fire-heated.
The bar was iron.
6. Now people have hair styles or heads.
The people are young.
The hair styles are
sculpted.
The heads are partially
shaven.
The heads are decorated
with letters or designs.
7. But women don't wear beards.
The women are modern.
The beards are designed to
give them equal status to men.
* Hyphenated
adjectives like high-fat, health-conscious, or middle-aged act like one-word modifiers and go before the
nouns they modify:
Jack has been following a low-cholesterol diet for years.