GRAMMAR MISPLACED MODIFIERS DANGLING MODIFIERS WHAT ARE MODIFIERS

GRAMMAR: MISPLACED MODIFIERS DANGLING MODIFIERS

WHAT ARE MODIFIERS? Example Modifiers are word or a group of words that describes, limits or qualifies the meaning of another word or phrase. Modifiers can be a word or a phrase or clause. The silver fish (word) The fish in the pond (phrase) The fish that he caught (clause)

MODIFIERS ADD LIFE TO SENTENCE One cannot imagine a sentence without modifiers. A sentence without modifiers can be very boring. Example 1. He gave her the rose. He gave her the scarlet red rose he picked from the sweet smelling garden. 2. She watched the sunset. She watched the blood red sun quickly sink below the horizon.

WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF MODIFIERS? • To add details to sentences • To make sentences more interesting • To create clear communications when correctly used.

USE OF MODIFIERS Modifiers can be used for both in the good sense and the bad sense. Example When used incorrectly modifiers can cause problems such as: • Misplaced modifiers • Dangling modifiers

INCORRECT USE OF MODIFIERS Example The incorrect modifiers can result in sentences that are awkward, misleading or unintentionally humorous. Covered in mud, Mark wiped off the trembling puppy.

MISPLACED MODIFIERS Misplaced modifiers are modifiers that are not put in the right place in a sentence. Example Covered in mud, Mark wiped off the trembling puppy.

MISPLACED MODIFIERS They can describe the wrong word and can also change the intended meaning of a sentence. Example Covered in mud, Mark wiped off trembling puppy. Who is covered in mud? Correct sentence: Mark wiped of the trembling puppy covered in mud.

AVOIDING MISPLACED MODIFIERS To avoid misplaced modifiers, the modifier must be placed close to the item or word that it modifies. Example Smelling sour, John threw away the food. John is not smelling sour but the food is. “Smelling sour” is the modifier and the “food” is the item or word being modified.

PLACING THE MODIFIER CORRECTLY Sometimes it is difficult to understand where to place the modifier in a sentence. A closer study of the sentence can help us correct it. Example Smelling sour, John threw away the food. Corrected sentence: John threw away the sour smelling food.

PLACING THE MODIFIER CORRECTLY IN COMPLICATED SENTENCES Sometimes it is difficult to determine where to correctly place the modifier in a complicated sentence. Original sentence: Broken and dusty, Rita found an old compute in a garage. Corrected sentence: In the garage, Rita found an old computer that was broken and dusty.

PLACING THE MODIFIER CORRECTLY IN COMPLICATED SENTENCES The meaning of the sentence totally changes, if the modifiers are not placed correctly. Example Original sentence: Hidden in a fortune cookie, sue found the engagement ring. Corrected sentence: Sue found the engagement ring hidden in a fortune cookie.

ACTIVITY 1 Read the sentence carefully and rewrite it correctly: 1. Shooting laser out of his eyes, the mad scientist was no match for the robot. 2. Sam followed the recipe, but the cake still came out exactly flat. 3. Wild and untamed, Jack entered the jungle.

ACTIVITY 1 Read the sentence carefully and rewrite it correctly: 5. Moaning in haunting voices, the house contained many ghosts. 6. Sam bought a used car from a local dealer with a smoky tailpipe

ANSWERS TO ACTIVITY 1 1. The doctor was no match to the robot shooting laser out of his eyes. 2. Sam followed the recipe exactly, but the cake still came out flat. 3. Jack entered the wild and untamed jungle.

ANSWERS TO ACTIVITY 1 5. The house contained many ghosts that moaned in haunting voices. 6. Sam bought a used car with a smoky tailpipe from a local dealer.

WHAT ARE DANGLING MODIFIRES A modifier describes, clarifies, or gives more detail about a concept. When a modifier describes a word that is not appear in a sentence that modifier is called dangling. A dangling modifier is a word or phrase that modifies a word not clearly stated in the sentence.

CHARACTERISTICS OF DANGLING MODIFIRES • The dangling modifiers most frequently occur at the beginning of a sentence. • It is often an introductory clause or a phrase. • Sometimes they also appear at the end of the sentences.

BASIC PRINCIPLES OF DANGLING MODIFIERS Example Modifiers fall in love with anything they are next to. Make sure that the modifiers are next to the word they are intended to modify. Original sentence: Changing the oil every three thousand miles, the car seemed to run better. Modified sentence: Changing the oil every three thousand miles, Fred found he could get better gas mileage.

WHERE DO DANGLING MODIFIERS OCCUR ? As already stated, dangling modifiers can occur in the beginning or end of a sentence. Example Falling asleep, the car steered in to the bushes. This sentence means that the car was asleep and it went into the bushes. Falling asleep is the modifier but the item being modified is missing. Correct : Falling asleep, Trisha steered the car into the bushes.

ACTIVITY 2 Write the following sentences correctly. 1. Having finished the main course, desserts were eaten. 2. The fundraiser was a success, having run 100 laps for $ 10, 000. 3. Using a variety of pedagogical techniques, the students were taught grammar.

ACTIVITY 2 Rearrange the following sentences correctly: 5. To improve his essay, each page was proofread. 6. While reading the novel, the pages that contain important information should be marked. 7. To improve his results, David performed the experiment again.

ANSWER TO ACTIVITY 2 1. Having finished the main course, the family ate the desserts. 2. The volunteers, having run 100 laps for $ 10, 000, made fund raising a success, 3. Using a variety of pedagogical techniques, the teacher taught the students grammar.

ANSWER TO ACTIVITY 2 5. To improve his essay, David proofread each page. 6. While reading the novel, you should mark the pages that contain important information. 7. He improved his result by doing the experiment again.

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