Modifiers

This chapter covers various types of modifiers: adverbs, prepositions, adjectives, and noun modifiers in noun-noun compounds.^20.1 These categories optionally modify other lexical items and phrases by adjoining onto them. In their modifier function these items are adjuncts; they are not part of the subcategorization frame of the items they modify. Examples of some of these modifiers are shown in ((336))-((338)).

(335)0(335

(336)

[_ADV certainly _ADV], the October 13 sell-off didn't settle any stomachs . (WSJ) 

(336)0(336

(337)

Mr. Bakes [_ADV previously _ADV] had a turn at running Continental . (WSJ) 

(337)0(337

(338)

most [_ADJ foreign _ADJ] [_N government _N] [_N bond _N] prices rose [_PP during the week _PP].  

The trees used for the various modifiers are quite similar in form. The modifier anchors the tree and the root and foot nodes of the tree are of the category that the particular anchor modifies. Some modifiers, e.g. prepositions, select for their own arguments and those are also included in the tree. The foot node may be to the right or the left of the anchoring modifier (and its arguments) depending on whether that modifier occurs before or after the category it modifies. For example, almost all adjectives appear to the left of the nouns they modify, while prepositions appear to the right when modifying nouns.