10. Prepositional Phrases as Nominal Post-Modifiers

Prepositional phrases are a significant grammatical resource that is frequently employed in writing.  They commonly stay in a noun phrase after head noun as its descriptor. However, the choice of preposition in a prepositional phrase is not something simple. It is so because sometimes it is chosen for concrete locative meaning and at other times for abstract meaning. Prepositional phrases stay with noun heads in various patterns for the generation of multiple and subtle meanings of noun phrases. This post presents the use of prepositional phrases as post-modifiers of head nouns and indicates its various roles in noun phrase.

1. Prepositional Phrase in a Noun Phrase

A prepositional phrase (preposition + NP) commonly stays as a part of a noun phrase as a head noun descriptor. In other words, a prepositional phrase stays after the head noun and does the role of an adjective, i.e., it describes the head noun. For example:

1. We ate a cake with chocolate sprinkles.
2. The residents of this village are so friendly.

In example (a) with chocolate sprinkles and in (b) of this village are prepositional phrases that post modify head nouns cake and residents respectively.

2. Prepositional Phrases as Post-modifiers

The preposition of is frequently used after a noun to indicate location (concrete as well as abstract). However, the meaning created by this preposition are not easily understood as compared to the meaning of prepositions of location like in or on . This makes the learning writers use the prepositional phrase of location (with concrete meaning) more frequently. On the other hand, the preposition of (with abstract meaning) creates more noun phrase complexity. For example:

1. The borrowed book in the drawer
2. The journals of our university
3. The broad, soft multi-coloured leaves whose number is countless in spring
4. The soft multi-coloured leaves of the trees

In the examples given above prepositional phrases with various prepositions post-modify the head nouns.

3. Noun + Preposition + Complement (- ing Clause)

The prepositional phrases constructed on the basis of the prepositions like, in, of, for, on, with, etc. are used as noun post-modifiers. The phrases with these prepositions stay as nominal post-modifiers with an ing-clause as their complement. For example:

1. the significance of regular exercise in maintaining health
2. the investment in starting smart business
3. steps for updating the power distribution system

The examples given above indicate how prepositions as nominal post-modifiers stay with an –ing clause as their complement.

4. Controlling Noun or Prepositional Verb for ing-clause

Nouns and prepositional verbs can stay as controlling agencies of the prepositional phrases. For example:

In (a) examples, nouns and in (b) examples, prepositional verbs control the prepositional phrases.

5. Meaning Relations Signaled by PP Noun Modifiers 

In academic prose, the prepositions in and on can express concrete locative meanings (e.g. water flow in the canal; green trees on the mountain slopes). These can also express abstract meanings (evolution in teachers’ pedagogical thought; the impact of evolutionary ideas on the learners’ intellectual growth). The abstract meanings expressed by these prepositions are more prevalent in academic writing.

6. Prepositions’ Specialized Meanings Availed in Informational Writing

The prepositions in and on have gained a specialized abstract meaning that mark the modifying noun (object of preposition) as the semantic patient of the process described by the head noun. For example:

1. a deterioration in mutual understanding
2. impact on economy growth rate

In example (a), the process of deterioration (i.e., head noun) marks that mutual understanding (object of preposition) is the receiver of the said process. Similarly, in (b), the head noun (impact) is something that influences the growth rate.

In other words, the head nouns that precede in preposition, correspond to intransitive verbs. For example:

The examples given above indicate how head nouns correspond to intransitive verbs. 

7. Head Nouns + in + an NP (patient)

In this pattern, head noun precedes the preposition in and a noun phrase (patient). However, the behavior of all the head nouns is not similar. Some head nouns stay more frequently in this pattern. These nouns are increase, decrease, rise, fall, difference, variation and change. Some other head nouns stay less frequently in this pattern. These nouns are decline, reduction, advances, breakdown, development, evolution, growth, improvement and shift. For example:

1. a big difference in taste
2. to bring about change in attitudes
3. a minor decrease in the sleeping hours of men
4. a marked rise in the street crime
5. a sudden increase in pollution

The examples given above indicate the pattern how head noun precedes the preposition in and a noun phrase.

8. Head Nouns + on + an NP (patient)

In this pattern, head noun (process nouns) precedes the preposition on and a noun phrase (patient). Some head nouns stay more frequently in this pattern, e.g. emphasis, effect, etc. However, other head nouns stay less frequently in this pattern, e.g., impact, influence, limit, limitation, restriction, attack, constraint, debate, decision, discussion.

1. no effect on my zeal
2. their impact on the climate
3. researchers’ emphasis on the climate change

The examples given above indicate the pattern how a head noun precedes the preposition in and a noun phrase.

9. Correspondence of Head Nouns + on with Transitive Verbs

The head nouns that precede on preposition, correspond to transitive verbs . For example:

10.Head Noun + on + NP Vs Transitive Prepositional Verb + on + NP

Sometimes, the head nouns identify process. When these nouns precede preposition on and a noun phrase (patient), they correspond to transitional prepositional verbs that precede on and a noun phrase (patient). For example:

11. Difficulty in Using Prepositional Phrase

Sometimes, it is difficult to classify or determine the role of a prepositional phrase that follows an object, or the subject complement. This difficulty arises because some prepositional phrases presented in this position neither play a clear cut role of post-position, nor of an adverbial. For example:

a. There was a bird₁ on a rooftop_2a at a certain village_2b.

In this example, there are two possible roles for the prepositional phrase i.e., on a rooftop. First, it may be taken as a modifier of a bird. Second, it may be considered an adverbial of place. Likewise, whether at a certain village modifies the rooftop or the both (_{2a &2b}) one after the other post-modify the head noun. One solution can be that by classing two prepositional phrases as one locative adverbial in which the second specifies the first. Here an alternative word order can help us understand (On the rooftop at a certain village there was bird.) The instances of this kind are usually indeterminate and may be employed differently.

This post presents the use of prepositional phrase as a head noun post modifier is made. First, it indicates how the choice of a preposition we make when a prepositional phrase stays as a post-modifier. Second, the post explains how nouns or prepositional verbs control –ing clause. Third, meaning relations, i.e. concrete and abstract signaled by pp as noun post modifiers have been illustrated. Fourth, prepositions’ specialized meaning that informational writing avail have been explained. Fifth, two patterns of in and on use between head noun and preposition object have been made clear. Sixth, the correspondence that the preposition on indicates between various constructions has been elaborated. Finally, the difficulty in using the prepositional phrase in sentences has been highlighted. The points related the use of prepositional phrase as the post-modifier of the head noun express that the use of PPs as noun modifiers is a complicated task. However, the mastery over the subtleties of prepositional phrase use bring a unique expertise for the writers.

Sources Consulted

1. Biber, et al. (1999)
2. Biber and Gray (2011)
3. Dušková (2009)
4. Swierzbin (2014)