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situation, we, as speakers, focus on the end or the completion of the activity itself, not beginning of the activity. For example:
Example : - Ardal baked a cake - Joan built a yacht.
2.2.4 Modifier
Modifier is a part of sentence structure which gives more explanation of the sentence. Modifier is sometimes in the form of adjective. The word large, in the
phrase the large dog, is the modifier in which the word gives more explanation about the noun dog. Miller 2002:2 gives some examples about modifier, namely: sad and
big . The adjective sad and big possibly needs the word very, for example, to give
more explanation, as becomes very sad, very big. Therefore, the word very is called as modifier.
Furthermore, modifier is divided into two kinds, namely: obligatory modifier which is commonly named as complement and optional modifier which is usually
called as adjunct. 2.2.5
Complement
According to Quirk and Greenbaum 1973:170, complement can be defined as follows:
“Complement is a noun phrase, an adjective phrase, or a clause with nominal function, having a co-referential relation with the
subject or object; follows the subject, verb phrase, and object; does not become subject through the passive
transformation.” Quirk and Greenbaum, 1973:170
Complement is used to explain the verb or activity in a sentence. The existence of complement is very important mostly in completing the intransitive verb. Miller
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2002:49 say that “complements ‘complete’ the meaning of the verb, giving it both syntactic and semantic complement”.
For example: - Brown bread is good for you. - The spaniel was playing in the garden.
Complement can also be in the form of noun, pronoun, adjective, adverb, and prepositional phrase.
For example: This is my brother.
Who is it? Intransitive verb with the
He is alive. pattern be+complement
He is here. It is in the garden
2.2.6 Adjunct
Adjunct is a preposition or prepositional phrase which function as a modifier or to give more additional information in a sentence. Using adjunct in a sentence is
optional, which means that the omitting of the adjunct will not lose any sense or meaning of the sentence, but if it is attached, it will give more information. Adjunct
can be in the form of adverb of time and adverb of place. Example: Sarah devoured the cakes in the kitchen last night.
From the example above, the phrase ‘in the kitchen last night’ is called as adjunct- ‘in the kitchen’ as adverb location and ‘last night’ as adverb of time. Actually, the
adjunct in the sentence above can also be omitted, and the sentence is still meaningful, as Sarah devoured the cakes
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2.3 Semantics
