ExtMod?

[nschneid]

As @BrettRey and I discussed today, PreDetMod seems too specific as a function, but it would be nice to distinguish all external modifiers. How easy would it be to find them all?

[BrettRey]

External modifiers in NPs should have an NP as a sibling.

The rest is spitballing:
By analogy, any mod with a clause as a sibling might be an external modifier, so any pre-marker modifier in a clause. Not, even, just, also, and a few other adverbs might commonly appear as peripheral modifiers in other phrases (e.g., even after eliminating outliers).

[nschneid]

We have a case of "literally" modifying an NP

[BrettRey]

I think that's a good example of an external modifier.

[nschneid]

Chris Traeger would agree.

[BrettRey]

literally

[nschneid]

I see you put Mod_ext in the doc. That works for me.

[nschneid]

Looking at CGEL, it seems the use of the term "external modifier" is limited to NP structure. Is it equivalent to saying a Mod outside the Nom? If so I suppose we don't need to designate a separate function.

Focusing modifiers are not limited to NPs, but I'm not sure we want to broaden the term "external modifier" to include them when they modify VPs, PPs, etc.

[BrettRey]

Yes, only in NPs in CGEL, but I think it would be useful to say that even in Even that he could is in question is an external modifier, or even after dark.

[nschneid]

Here are words marked as adverbial modifiers of non-copular nominals (including PPs) in UD: http://universal.grew.fr/?custom=62fd6a084013d

Several interesting constructions here.

[BrettRey]

Can you say more about these?

[BrettRey]

Here is a list of "adverbs" that occur at the start of a sentence before a that clause. Some of them are obviously the result of mistagged that. The only cases that strike me a external modifiers are just, also (?), and even; to these I would add simply. I think maybe, perhaps, and somehow, are not semantically modifying the that clause but a higher VP, and, while namely certainly is, syntactically it has to follow another that clause.

On the other end (post-head), too and even again, maybe anyway, also, and indeed.

[nschneid]

And a similar list for UD: http://universal.grew.fr/?custom=62fe4681ea5a8

[BrettRey]

So, what's your feeling about external modifiers for non-NPs?

[nschneid]

I think it's worth exploring as an enhancement, but not as high-priority as other tasks.

[BrettRey]

Fair enough!