Initial modifiers, a la Shmoop. Essay got you feelin' down? Sentences sounding
more like a funeral march than a symphony in A major?
Mix it up with... initial modifiers!
Okay, so.... what IS an initial modifier?
A modifier is a word, phrase, or clause that can, well, modify your sentence. That is,
make it better.
And, just like it sounds, an initial modifier adds a little somethin' somethin' to the
beginning of your sentence.
It makes your sentence -- or sentences, if they can be combined into one -- do some grammatical
gymnastics, switching up the order of your words, so that your writing has more flow,
is more interesting...
... and doesn't sound like you're leading your sentences en masse to their deaths.
There are four types of initial modifiers.
An initial dependent clause starts your sentence with a word like although, because, or since.
An initial infinitive phrase opens your sentence with the infinitive of a verb. We'll explain
what that is in a bit..
An initial adverb starts you off with one of those words that end in "l-y" -- clearly,
happily...shmoopily..
...and finally, an initial participial phrase begins your sentence with the "i-n-g"
form of a verb. As in, "wanting a better explanation of initial modifiers."
Part one: initial dependent clauses.
Now would be a good time to brush up on your dependent clauses -- but it's basically
any phrase that can't stand on its own and starts with one of those words mentioned above.
Like "because my adorable kitten mistook my laptop for its litterbox."
Normally, you'd probably say something like "I don't have my final paper because my
adorable kitten mistook my laptop for its litter box..."
...probably followed by "I'm sorry" and "I don't understand why you're giving
me an F when it's clearly Cupcake's fault."
A perfect example for why you should use initial modifiers! You've got three sentences in
a row that start with the subject..."I" this, "I" that. Boooring.
So the initial modifier comes in and shakes things up. The dependent clause moves to the
front, and you get:
"Because my adorable kitten mistook my laptop for its litter box, I don't have my final paper."
Still kind of a flimsy excuse, but at least it flows better.
Part two: initial infinitive. An infinitive is just "to" plus a verb.
"I brought in the laptop. I wanted to avoid getting into trouble."
That stinks...both grammatically and literally. Stick an infinitive on the front:
"To avoid getting into trouble, I brought in the laptop."
Part three: the initial adverb. An adverb describes how you did something and usually
ends in "l-y."
"I was careful to keep the kitten from peeing on me on the way to school, too."
"Carefully keeping him from peeing on me, I brought the kitten to school."
And part four: the participial phrase initial modifier -- that is, a phrase starting with
a verb that ends with "i-n-g."
Like this:
"I brought Cupcake as proof. I hope you'll give me an extension."
"Hoping to get an extension, I brought Cukcake as proof."
Dang, that is some adorable proof.