attribute

[Unregistered]

What is the difference between a pre-/post-modifier and an attribute?

[RonBee]

Modifiers
http://www.usingenglish.com/glossary...ier&btn=Search

Attribute - a word ascribing a quality; especially : adjective

An attribute can come before or after the word it describes.

~R

[andres99]

Oxford Concise Dictionary of Linguistics by P.H. Matthews (OUP, 1997):

'attribution = modification (1); likewise attribute = modifier. ...'

'modification (1). Type of syntactic construction in which a *head is accompanied by an element typically not required by it. ... Also called 'attribution' ...'

Since I understand that this may be a question of different doctrines or schools but I still need to know in general, please can anyone explain in more depth whether 'attribute' and 'modifier' are, in terms of syntax, related to each other:

(a) by being interchangeable (or more or less interchangeable);
(b) by 'attribute' being a type of modifiers;
(c) neither (a) nor (b), but then, is there any relation at all?

[EDIT: Question removed by me.]

Is it possible to give an example of:

(a) an attribute which is not a modifier;
(b) an adjunct which is not an attribute;
(c) an attribute which is not an adjunct;
(d) a modifier which is not an adjunct?

[EDIT: Question removed by me.]

Many thanks in advance.

[RonBee]

andres99, it is probably better to start a new thread with that one. Also, it is best to limit yourself to one or two (maybe three) questions.

[omasta]

What is the difference between a pre-/post-modifier and an attribute?

I'm not a teacher.

premodifier a word that comes before the noun it modifies, e.g. invited in an invited audience.

postmodifier a word which comes after the word which it modifies, e.g. invited in The people invited all came late.
(Practical English Usage by Michael Swan, 1980 edition)

attribute an adjective or noun placed before a noun to describe the noun, e.g. a rich man; an apple pie.

[andres99]

andres99, it is probably better to start a new thread with that one. Also, it is best to limit yourself to one or two (maybe three) questions.

I have removed my questions about 'adjunct' and 'apposition'. However, I see all this as quite interrelated. I have found that in order to understand seemingly similar but possibly different concepts, it is often best to observe them together.

Since there was no exhaustive answer to my questions yet, I decided to do some research myself. It seems that an 'adjunct' is a wider concept, meaning basically an optional word or clause connectible with (but not required by) another word or clause in the sentence.

And it seems (this is my guess, or deduction) that a modifier (which seems to be a word or clause expanding or specifying the meaning of the head) can attach to (practically) any type of word/phrase while an attribute seems to go only with a noun (or a nominal). However, by definition, it seems that an attribute can also appear either (usually) before or (sometimes) after the noun (or nominal). Thus, as for nouns, attribute and modifier seem to be more or less interchangeable ('modifier' having a more extensive meaning). Please correct me if I am wrong.

In the light of this, I still have not found out about any essential difference between 'modifier' and 'adjunct'.

[RonBee]

Thus, as for nouns, attribute and modifier seem to be more or less interchangeable ('modifier' having a more extensive meaning). Please correct me if I am wrong.

You are not wrong.
.

attribute - Definition from the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary
(See definition 3.)

As for adjunct, I am going to have to look that one up. (It's a good thing I don't pretend to be a grammarian.)

I suggest that you consult the UE glossary, then if you still have questions, PM Soup or Tdol or one of the other professional ESL teachers (preferably to respond on the forum).

[andres99]

I suggest that you consult the UE glossary, then if you still have questions, PM Soup or Tdol or one of the other professional ESL teachers (preferably to respond on the forum).

Thanks for the suggestion. The downloadable UE Glossary says that '[a]n adjunct is part of a Sentence and modifies the Verb to show time, manner, place, frequency and degree'.

It seems that an 'adjunct' may have several definitions, some of them more restrictive.

The Oxford English Dictionary (Second Edition, OUP, 1989) defines 'adjunct' as '[a]ny word or words expanding the essential parts of the sentence; an amplification or "enlargement" of the subject, predicate, etc.'. (This definition seems to be essentially the same as that of 'modifier'.)

The Oxford Concise Dictionary of Linguistics offers two definitions: '1. Any element in the structure of a clause which is not part of its nucleus or core. [...] 2. Used by Quirk et al., CGE [= 'A Comprehensive Grammar of the English Language'] of a range of adverbials including those of manner, place and time [...] But it is no longer in general use in that sense.'

The Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary defines 'adjunct' as 'a word or word group that qualifies, amplifies, or completes the meaning of another word or other words and is not itself one of the principal structural elements in its sentence'. (Which seems to — fully, or at least to some extent — overlap with the definition of 'modifier' by various sources, and that also gave rise to one of my questions above.)

Hence it seems that the UE Glossary offers only the second (i.e. the more restricted) definition. Basically, my problem with 'adjunct' and 'modifier' was not that much a problem of concise definition (there are plenty of definitions provided by a multitude of sources) but a problem of comparative linguistics concerning some conceptual details: I have to translate some specific linguistic terms between English and my language, Estonian, and I need to know the concepts (and their precise coverage) in order to find the correct equivalents. Grammatical theories vary from language to language, and each language has its own specifics in defining such terms.

[omasta]

Thanks for the suggestion. The downloadable UE Glossary says that '[a]n adjunct is part of a Sentence and modifies the Verb to show time, manner, place, frequency and degree'.

It seems that an 'adjunct' may have several definitions, some of them more restrictive.

The Oxford English Dictionary (Second Edition, OUP, 1989) defines 'adjunct' as '[a]ny word or words expanding the essential parts of the sentence; an amplification or "enlargement" of the subject, predicate, etc.'. (This definition seems to be essentially the same as that of 'modifier'.)

The Oxford Concise Dictionary of Linguistics offers two definitions: '1. Any element in the structure of a clause which is not part of its nucleus or core. [...] 2. Used by Quirk et al., CGE [= 'A Comprehensive Grammar of the English Language'] of a range of adverbials including those of manner, place and time [...] But it is no longer in general use in that sense.'

The Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary defines 'adjunct' as 'a word or word group that qualifies, amplifies, or completes the meaning of another word or other words and is not itself one of the principal structural elements in its sentence'. (Which seems to — fully, or at least to some extent — overlap with the definition of 'modifier' by various sources, and that also gave rise to one of my questions above.)

Hence it seems that the UE Glossary offers only the second (i.e. the more restricted) definition. Basically, my problem with 'adjunct' and 'modifier' was not that much a problem of concise definition (there are plenty of definitions provided by a multitude of sources) but a problem of comparative linguistics concerning some conceptual details: I have to translate some specific linguistic terms between English and my language, Estonian, and I need to know the concepts (and their precise coverage) in order to find the correct equivalents. Grammatical theories vary from language to language, and each language has its own specifics in defining such terms.

I'm not a teacher

Hi!

There are three definitions of the adjunct in The Oxford Dictionary of English Grammar, 1994 edition, by Sylvia Chalker and Edmund Weiner:

1. "In older usage"
2. "In present-day use, more specifically"
3. "In some modern grammar"