POST-MODIFIERS

Before saying more about the relationship and classification of the various premodifying words, we should consider the usage of post-modifiers. This might seem a contradiction since we have already observed that English does not normally permit the use of attributive adjectives in post-position to the headword, unless the copula (verb BE) is used. However, consider the following:- e.g. Amir and her sister sleep in the bedroom upstairs. Amir and her sister sleep in the upstairs bedroom.

There are some words like "upstairs" which may assume either pre- or post-position to the headword. Technically such words may be understood as adjectives when used attributively, and adverbs when in post-position. e.g. Amir and her sister sleep in the bedroom up there.

In the latter example there is no pre-modifying equivalent for the adverb of place "up there", but in other cases there may be a corresponding adjective for some adverbs. e.g. Amir wants an appointment immediately. Dhea wants an immediate appointment.

Words such as these which occur in post-position are called QUALIFIERS, (or simply "q"), and form part of the nominal group just as words at "m" do. In the case of the first of the above examples, there is really no necessary difference in meaning between "the bedroom upstairs" and "the upstairs bedroom" (although it is possible to think of contrasts that might be suggested by these alternatives). We can then represent the nominal group structure in each case as:-
(a)	the	bedroom	upstairs
	m	h	q
(b)	the	upstairs	bedroom
	m	m	h

In (a) "upstairs" is QUALIFIER, in (b) it is MODIFIER.

Words such as "upstairs", which can be freely used either in pre- or post-position in this way, are comparatively few in English. The typical qualifier is in fact more complex. Consider the following example:-

e.g. This is a textbook of French history.

This could be re-worded as:-

e.g. This is a French history textbook.

Thus the words "French history" actually function as modifiers of the headword "textbook", and this is true whether they appear in either pre- or post-position. When they occur in post-position they require the preposition "of", thereby forming a prepositional group. But the whole group functions as a post-modifier in the same way as "upstairs" in "the bedroom upstairs", and as such is actually a qualifier. This therefore forms part of the nominal group just as does "m", and the structure of the two examples can then be contrasted as follows:-
a	textbook	of French history
m	h	----------q----------

a	French	history	textbook