首先，名词或其短语可代替介词短语修饰动词，如：
　(1) Member countries began their ministerial meeting on Monday. →Member countries began their ministerial meeting Monday.
　(2) Those fashionable cars were made in Japan. →Those fashionable cars were Japan made.
　(3) Tom is heavier than his brother by five pounds. →Tom is five pounds heavier than his brother.
　其次，名词或其短语可以代替副词分句修饰动词或形容词，如：
　(4) The metal sheets are as thin as paper. →The metal sheets are paper thin.
　(5) The water has turned as pink as rose. →The water has turned rose pink.
　名词或名词短语修饰动词的语意有三：

    1. 表示程度
　这类修饰语大多数是表示数或量的名词。例如：
　(6) Today's temperature rose five degrees.
　(7) Tom's car got bogged down in the mud and could not move a step further.