IDENTIFYING AND ELABORATING THE REFERENT
The post-modifier
SUMMARY
1 The function of the post-modifier is essentially that of providing further information about the referent of the nominal group in order to identify and define it further, or to furnish supplementary information.
2 For this reason, most of the units (clauses, phrases, groups) which occur in post-head position of the NG can be either defining (integrated) or non-defining (supplementive). Defining post-modifier units are embedded in the NG structure, whereas non-defining units are not embedded. The latter are classed as supplementives.
3 The post-modifier is realized by a wide variety of units, including the following, which are here presented as defining:
PPs the house on the corner, a new album by a top musician
finite relative clauses the man who is standing in the corridor non-finite
relative clauses
the man standing in the corridor (-ing cl.)
the man to consult is Jones (to-inf. cl.)
the email I sent this morning (-en cl.)
adj or adjG a room full of furniture; the best hotel available
adverb the flat upstairs apposition
NG my friend the doctor
reflexive pronoun the doctor himself
4 Complements of nouns are a different type of post-head element.
