A postmodifier is a word or group of words that gives more details or limits the meaning of a noun in some way. Postmodifiers always come after the noun they describe.
For example, in “the tall girl standing up,” “standing up” is the postmodifier for the noun “the girl.” We know it’s the postmodifier because it follows the noun and describes what the girl’s doing.
Postmodifiers differ from their counterparts, premodifiers, which are words that describe the noun before the noun.
In the same example, “the tall girl standing up,” “tall” is the premodifier, in this case, an adjective, describing “the girl.” We also know that “tall” is a premodifier because it comes before the noun it describes.
Let’s discuss different types of postmodifiers in English.
Prepositional phrases are phrases starting with prepositions. To identify them, it’s useful to know what a preposition is; for example, in, at, on, with, before, and below are common prepositions. Most commonly, prepositional phrases give information about the time or place of a noun, but they can give various kinds of information about a noun.
“At school” describes where the party will happen.
“In a tailored suit” describes what the man is wearing.
“By Maria” describes who should make the wedding cake.
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Postmodifiers beginning with -ing words, often gerunds, describe what the noun is doing.
These clauses use the past participle of verbs, which usually ends in -ed, to give more information about the noun.
An infinitive verb is to + the verb stem, like to know, to run, and to do. Infinitive clauses use the infinitive of a verb to give more details about the noun or indefinite pronoun (e.g., anyone, someone, anybody, and somewhere).
Relative clauses are dependent clauses, meaning they do not make a sentence on their own but give more information about a noun.
It is important to understand that there are two types of relative clauses: restrictive and nonrestrictive.
Restrictive clauses restrict or define a noun’s definition by giving specific information. In writing, restrictive clauses don’t use commas and are introduced with a relative pronoun (who, that, which, whom, and whose).
Nonrestrictive clauses provide additional information about the noun, but the information isn’t imperative to understanding the meaning of the sentence. Nonrestrictive clauses are always separated by commas and function like parenthetical information in writing.
There are several types of postmodifiers you can use to add more information and detail to your sentences. If you’re struggling with postmodifiers or any other English grammar, check out Proofed’s Writing Tips Blog, and if you still need help with your writing and want personalized feedback, then one of Proofed’s expert editors will proofread your first 500 words for free.
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