1 MODIFICATION NOUN MODIFIERS 2 A modifier in linguistics is a word (adjective, adverb, noun) or a phrase that specifies the meaning of another word or phrase by giving more details and information about it. 3 A shirt A red shirt (adjective) Speak Speak quietly (adverb) 4 Students The students in the first row (phrase) Chocolate Milk chocolate (noun) red , an adjective quietly , an adverb in the first row , a phrase milk , a noun are modifiers: they modify the basic idea we receive from the noun they accompany. 5 6 Typical of English: Noun + noun modification The first noun modifies or describes the second, like an adjective: 7 Noun + noun modification: basic points. From the grammar book: