0
Believer Posted 18 years ago
Grammar

intensifier and premodifier

0Hi,02br
02br
00I think some, if not all, intensifiers can be said to be adverbs. One example could be this:02br
02br
00I 01u00really02u00 don't trust him. 02br
02br
00Here, 'really' seems to be an intensifier that is an adverb. Then, while looking at some online grammar help site, I came across the term 'premodifier' and the examples for that looked very similar to the 'intensifier' case. Can you help me to see the difference more clearly? Thank you. What is a premodifier? 0-
  

Top answer

0 Hi,02br 00We are talking about the position of a word relative to the word it modifies. 02br 00A 01b 00premodifier02b 00 is a word that is placed 01i 00before the word it modifies02i 00: 02br 00- a01b 00 beautiful02b 00 rose (01i 00beautiful02i 00 modifies 01i 00rose)02i 02br 02br 00- a 01b 00really02b 00 01b 00enjoyable02b 00 evening (both really and enjoyable are premodifiers - 01i 00enjoyable02i 00 modifies 01i 00evening02i 00; 01i 00really02i 00 modifies 01i 00enjoyable02i 00)02br 02br 00Contrastingly, a 01b 00postmodifier02b 00 is a word that is placed 01i 00after the word it modifies02i 00: 02br 00- I'd like to speak to all the people 01b 00involved 02b 00(01i 00involved02i 00 modifies 01i 00people02i 00)0-

— Hoa Thai

  • 0 Hi,02br 00We are talking about the position of a word relative to the word it modifies.
  • 02br 00A 01b 00premodifier02b 00 is a word that is placed 01i 00before the word it modifies02i 00: 02br 00- a01b 00 beautiful02b 00 rose (01i 00beautiful02i 00 modifies 01i 00rose)02i 02br 02br 00- a 01b 00really02b 00 01b 00enjoyable02b 00 evening (both really and enjoyable are premodifiers - 01i 00enjoyable02i 00 modifies 01i 00evening02i 00; 01i 00really02i 00 modifies 01i 00enjoyable02i 00)02br 02br 00Contrastingly, a 01b 00postmodifier02b 00 is a word that is placed 01i 00after the word it modifies02i 00: 02br 00- I'd like to speak to all the people 01b 00involved 02b 00(01i 00involved02i 00 modifies 01i 00people02i 00)0-
Free · every Monday

Get the Weekly English Kit 📬

New words, one handy idiom, and a 2-minute quiz — delivered to your inbox to keep your streak alive.

2 Answers
0
0 Hi,02br
00We are talking about the position of a word relative to the word it modifies. 02br
00A 01b00premodifier02b00 is a word that is placed 01i00before the word it modifies02i00: 02br
00- a01b00 beautiful02b00 rose (01i00beautiful02i00 modifies 01i00ros
0
0
0In most systems of analysis for English grammar that I am familiar with, 01i00intensifier02i00 is another name for 01i00adverb of degree02i00. These are used to modify adjectives and other adverbs but rarely to modify verbs.02br
00Premodifiers are modifiers which occur before the element they modify.02br
00There is, of cours
0

Related Questions