Modifier Confusion

[pratapravi.singh19]

From the verbal guide:
The man CLEANING the steps is my uncle.

Why can't this sentence be also interpreted as [I know this sounds silly]:
steps modifying my uncle i.e. steps are actually my uncle and not the man.

I always get confused with such modifiers. What to take as the modifying word/phrase and what not.

Also, can clauses act as modifiers?

Here are 2 examples from GMAT Prep questions:
Subject, modifier1, modifier2...
In this example: reportory modifies both Monroe and views
Bluegross musician Bill Monroe, whose repertory, views on musical collaboration, and vocal style influenced generations of bluegrass artists, also inspired many musicians, including Elvis Presley and Jerry Garcia, whose music differed significantly from his own.

Had the form been:
Subject, modifer1, to be verb [or verb]...
Then the rest of the sentence is not a modifier, right?
Will the sentence: "˜the man cleaning the steps is my uncle’ fall in this form then?

Another forms is:
Modifier1, subject, modifier2...
In the above form, both the modifiers modify subject.
In this example: why wouldn't 'probably' modify 'wings'?
One of the earliest known birds with a beak and contour feathers, Confuciusornis sanctus, had large clawlike "thumbs" on its wings, probably to help it climb up to a launching position for flight.

Had the form been:
Modifier1, subject, to be verb [or verb]...
then the rest of the sentence is not a modifier, right?

Please clarify. Thanks!

[messi10]

Hi Pratapravi,

I will try and help as best as I can. I will try and answer your questions first:

The man CLEANING the steps is my uncle.

Why can't this sentence be also interpreted as [I know this sounds silly]:
steps modifying my uncle i.e. steps are actually my uncle and not the man.

You know this from the context that "steps" cannot be your uncle. If you are looking for a rule here, then I don't know of any. "my uncle" follows the main verb of the sentence "is". "steps" cannot jump around the main verb to modify "my uncle".

SuBluegross musician Bill Monroe, whose repertory, views on musical collaboration, and vocal stylebject, modifier1, modifier2...
In this example: reportory modifies both Monroe and views
influenced generations of bluegrass artists, also inspired many musicians, including Elvis Presley and Jerry Garcia, whose music differed significantly from his own.

Not exactly. Check out this post: bluegrass-musician-bill-monroe-whose-repertory-t1118-15.html

Modifier1, subject, modifier2...
In the above form, both the modifiers modify subject.
In this example: why wouldn't 'probably' modify 'wings'?
One of the earliest known birds with a beak and contour feathers, Confuciusornis sanctus, had large clawlike "thumbs" on its wings, probably to help it climb up to a launching position for flight.

"probably" is an adverb. "probably to help it climb up to a launching position for flight" is an adverbial clause that modifies the action of the preceding clause. The meaning of the sentence is that the bird Confuciusornis sanctus had large clawlike thumbs to help it climb up to a launching position.

Subject, modifer1, to be verb [or verb]...
Then the rest of the sentence is not a modifier, right?
Will the sentence: "˜the man cleaning the steps is my uncle’ fall in this form then?

Yes, the sentence falls into that category but what you have stated as the structure is not a rule. Subject, modifier1, verb...
does not mean that there cannot be other modifiers after the verb either modifying the verb itself or another noun.

If you are having trouble identifying modifiers then I suggest you you first understand all the parts of the speech that make up a sentence. Nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, clauses etc. Once you are confident about those and are able to identify them in any given sentence, you will be able to understand modifiers better. Then check out this resource: http://www.writingcentre.uottawa.ca/hyp ... ifier.html

If you need all this in a book, then I suggest you buy the verbal foundations book by MGMAT.

Regards

Sunil

[pratapravi.singh19]

Thanks Sunil for your help!

Instructors:
I'm pretty ok with my basics. Currently I'm getting 40 in my verbal tests. [I understand as per the rules, this is not an attempt to seek advice how to score better :)]

However, I'm quite not clear with modifiers. Still need to understand them...Thanks much!

[jnelson0612]

Thank you Sunil!