请问如何判断英语中的修饰语修饰谁?

题目

请问如何判断英语中的修饰语修饰谁?
Mr Turner was directing the investigation from a very early
stage
这句话中：
from a very early stage修饰investigation可以吗?Turner先生领导一项从很早年代就开始的调研.
from a very early stage修饰was directing可以吗?从很早的时候,Tuner先生就一直领导着一项调研.
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就算我举的这个例子不太妥当,有明显之处可以确认from a very early stage到底修饰谁的,那么请问在英语中是否会出现这样的情况,一个修饰语认为它做名词的定语即可,作为动词的状语也可.那么此时应该如何判断?在位置上是否有讲究?

答案

这个句子的意思应该是,Turner先生从这个调研的初级阶段就一直在领导.
句子的主要成分是主谓宾,定状补都是附加成分,作用是使句子的意思更丰富表达更清晰.from a very early 是时间状语,说明谓语动词was directing 发生的时间,不是什么修饰关系.如果句子是这样的,Mr Turner was directing the difficult inverstigation from a very early stage.那么这个difficult 是修饰investigation的,意思是困难的调研.一般修饰语会紧跟着一个名词.Turner was directing the inverstigation which was given by his boss from a very early stage.那么which was given by his boss（老板给的）是修饰inverstigation的定语从句.