CHAPTER 15 / ESSENTIAL GRAMMAR SKILLS 559
Answer Key 12: Other Modifier Problems
15.most(ADV modifying ADJ likely);likely(ADJ);
lacrosse(ADJ);on the first bus(ADV prep phrase
modifying V left);first(ADJ)
16.almost(ADV modifying ADV never);never(ADV
modifying V watch);anymore(ADV modifying V
watch)
17.When we refer to history, we can see that whenever
an innovation is introduced, people rarely accept
the entire concept, at least not right away. When
something threatens the ways of the past, people
don’t part easily with their old ways. Although not
everyone needs to maintain the status quo, consis-
tency and predictability make people feel comfort-
able. Even when technology comes up with a way
to do things better, people often continue with their
older, less efficient ways. For instance, it’s not un-
common for people to use e-mail while continuing
to correspond via “snail mail.” If they would pause
for a moment, they would see that they can com-
municate more effectively through the Internet—
and save some trees!Concept Review 12
1.gentler
2.more precious
3.more gently
4.more lovely
5.quieter
6.sportier- absolutes: impossible, inevitable, ideal, complete,
final, universal, entire, sufficient, fatal, unique - Trick question! Of course, absolute modifiers are
absolutebecausethey have no comparative forms.
9.overwhelmingly(ADV modifying the ADJ beauti-
ful);beautiful(ADJ)
10.other(ADJ);far(ADV modifying the ADJ less con-
venient);less(ADV modifying the ADJ convenient);
convenient(ADJ);on the corner(ADJ prep phrase)
11.unknowingly(ADV);wrong(ADJ)
12.unfortunately(SMOD);hardly(ADV modifying
the V see);from our awful seats(ADV prep phrase
modifying V see);awful(ADJ)
13.best(ADJ);to do(ADJ infinitive); patiently(ADV)
14.personally(SMOD);vastly(ADV modifying V pre-
fer);to beef(ADV prep phrase modifying V prefer)
Worksheet 12
1.The latest political commercials make their points
more stronglythan previous ones.(Use adverb,
not adjective.)
2.My shirt smelled quite foulafter rugby practice.
(Here, the modifier is an adjective describing the
shirt. The verb smelledis acting as a linking verb.)
3.Recent technological advances have made it easier
to extract minuscule chemical traces from geologi-
cal samples.(Correct)
4.We rarelyget to go to such elegant restaurants.
(The use of neveris illogical.)
5.Although both of my parents have pretty level
heads, my father is the morepatient.(Usemore
when comparing two things.)
6.The third graders were hardlyinterested in going to
the museum after school.(Double negative)
7.I could always sing in front of a crowd more eas-
ilythan I could give a speech.(Use adverb, not
adjective.)
8.In many areas of the country, wind energy can be
converted to electricity even more efficientlythan
fossil energy.
9.I felt surprisingly well after Saturday’s ten-mile
run.(This is okay, but only if you mean that youarein a state of generally good health.If, however,
you mean to say that you don’t feel fatigued or
achy, it is better to use goodrather than well.)
10.The microscopic size of the fracture made it
impossible to detect, even with special instru-
ments.(Impossibleis an absolute adjective.)
11.The committee had never been so unifiedas they
were on the most recent vote.(Unanimousis an
absolute, but unifiedis not.)
12.These measures won’taddress the state’s deficit.
(Double negative)
13.The teacher didn’t tellus about the test until the day
before.(The use of neveris illogical.)
14.We weren’t reallysure that the plan would work.
(The modifier is an adverb modifying the adjec-
tivesure.)
15.Students rarelybother to examine the veracity of
the “facts” they are supposed to memorize in his-
tory class.(Never usuallyis illogical.)
16.Gena’s guess was the most nearlycorrect of any-
one’s in the class.(Correctis an absolute modifier,
but guesses can approachcorrectness in varying
degrees.)