x of y, modifier structure

Question

Hi,

Consider this structure: "x of y, modifier"
For example: ... door of class, which ....

Can the modifier modify y in this structure?! Or does it necessarily modify x (OR the whole x of y)?

Thanks,

chetan2u · Answer

hi,
i think which certainly modifies the immediate preceding word...
if it has to modify door in the above case.... it will be " door of class,door that was....."

apolo · Answer

Then what about the "mission critical modifier", that MGMAT mentions as one of the exception of the touch rule of noun modifiers?

DmitryFarberMPrep · Answer

A noun modifier does  not  always have to modify the preceding word, although it often does. We have to use meaning to make the decision. In the specific case you're asking about--"x of y"--it's pretty common for the x to be what we want to modify. Consider a few examples:

The king of Spain, who is visiting our country this month, will speak on TV tonight. 
Here, the modifier "who is visiting . . . " is clearly (and correctly) modifying "king."

That jar of peanut butter, which just shattered on the floor, was the last one I had. 
Same deal here--we're modifying "jar."

I was chased by a swarm of bees, to which I am highly allergic. 
This is a more typical noun modifier situation in that we  are  modifying the preceding noun. I'm allergic to bees, not the swarm.

Of course, this has all been about noun modifiers. If we're dealing with an adverbial modifier, it's going to modify an action, most likely in relation to the noun  before  the "of":

The owner of the nightclub, wishing to expand revenue, started keeping the club open late in violation of the law. 
Here, "owner" is the subject and "started" is the verb. The "wishing" modifier is modifying "started," and certainly has nothing directly to do with "nightclub."

apolo · Answer

Thanks.

So this structure is quite flexible and either X or Y can be modified, depending on the case. 
Btw,

1. Why in the last example, 'The owner of the nightclub ...', do you consider 'wishing to expand' a verb modifier rather than a noun modifier which modifies 'the owner of the nightclub' phrase? (Because it is separated from the rest of the sentence with commas?)
Would this modifier be a noun modifier, if there were no commas used in this sentence?

2. In those cases in which in 'X of Y, Modifier' structure, the modifier can modify the X (or the whole phrase 'X of Y', the 'of Y'  must  be a mission-critical modifier. Yes?

3. Consider this phrase: 'the door of the building, which is quite old ...'. In this sentence, the relative clause necessarily modifies ' the building'? Can this relative clause modify 'the door'?

x of y, modifier structure

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