Putting Misplaced and Dangling Modifiers In Their Place

Putting Misplaced and Dangling Modifiers In Their Place

Misplaced Modifiers • Misplaced modifier: Sam bought a used car from a local dealer with a smoky tailpipe. • Corrected version: Sam bought a used car with a smoky tailpipe from a local dealer.

Misplaced Modifiers • A misplaced modifier is a modifier that is incorrectly separated from the word or words that it describes. • Misplaced modifiers seem to describe words that the author did not intend them to describe. • When modifiers are misplaced, the reader may misunderstand the sentence. • Generally, the solution is to place the modifier as close as possible to the word or words it describes.

Misplaced Modifiers • Misplaced modifier: The robin built a nest at the back of our house of grass and string. • Corrected version: The robin built a nest of grass and string at the back of our house.

Misplaced Modifiers • Misplaced modifier: Christie almost sneezed fifteen times last evening. • Corrected version: Christie sneezed almost fifteen times last evening.

Dangling Modifiers • A modifier that starts a sentence must be followed right away by the word that it describes. Otherwise, the modifier is said to be dangling, and the sentence takes on an unintended meaning.

Dangling Modifiers • Dangling modifier: Sitting in the dentist’s chair, the sound of the drill made Larry sweat. • Corrected version: As Larry was sitting in the dentist’s chair, the sound of the drill made him sweat. OR Sitting in the dentist’s chair, Larry began to sweat at the sound of the drill.

Dangling Modifiers • Dangling modifier: Soaring through the sky, Brenda watched the highpowered jet. • Corrected version: Brenda watched the high-powered jet soaring through the sky.

Quick Test Directions: In the items that follow, choose the sentence in which the modifiers are correctly placed. Let’s see what you can do.

Item 1 A. Sitting on the top shelf of the refrigerator, Desmond saw Mom’s pristine birthday cake. B. Desmond, sitting on the top shelf of the refrigerator, saw Mom’s pristine birthday cake C. Sitting on onthe thetop topshelfofofthe therefrigerator, Mom’s pristine birthdaycake caught Desmond’s attention.

Item 2 A. Loudly slurping the bowl of hot soup, Derrick’s impolite behavior annoyed the other diner patrons. B. As Derrick loudlyslurpedthe bowl ofof hothot soup, his impolite behavior annoyed the other diner patrons. diner C. patrons. Loudly slurping the hot soup, the other diner patrons C. were Loudly annoyed slurping bythe Derrick’s hot soup, impolite the other behavior. diner patrons were annoyed by Derrick’s impolite behavior.

Item 3 A. Seated by bythe thewindow, Barbara munched popcorn on the long bus popcorn on the ridelong home. bus ride home. B. Seated by the window, popcorn was munched by Barbara on the long bus ride home. C. Barbara munched popcorn seated by the window on the long bus ride home.

Item 4 A. Rosalind struggledupupthe thethree flights of of stairs in her in newnew her jeans, which were too tight too for tight comfort. for comfort. B. Too tight for comfort, Rosalind struggled up the three flights of stairs in her new jeans. C. In her new jeans, Rosalind struggled up three flights of stairs, which were too tight for comfort.

Item 5 A. Twisting in the strong wind, we knew the hurricane was close as we watched the trees. B. We knew thehurricanewas close asas wewe watched the trees the twisting in theinstrong the strong wind. C. We knew the hurricane was close, twisting in the wind, as we watched the trees.

Item 6 A. Applying red toenail paint, Will asked Rhonda if she could interrupt her beauty regimen to go to the mall. B. Will asked. Rhonda, whowas wasapplying redred toenail paint, ififshe paint, shecouldinterrupt herher beauty regimen to go to to the go to the mall. C. Will asked if Rhonda could interrupt her beauty regimen to go to the mall, which was applying red toenail paint.

Item 7 A. Struggling with the algebra problem, the pencil tapped nervously on Kenneth’s desk. B. Struggling with the algebra problem, Kenneth’s desk was tapped nervously with the pencil. C. Struggling withthe thealgebra problem, Kenneth nervously tappedhis hispencilononthethe desk.

Item 8 A. Marking his score sheet with care, the hope this week was that Byron would pass his vocabulary quiz. B. Markinghis hisscoresheetwithcare, Byron hoped that this week he would pass his pass vocabulary his vocabulary quiz. C. Hoping that this week he would pass his vocabulary quiz, the score sheet was marked carefully by Byron.

Item 9 A. Splashing in inthe thepuddlesleftbybythethe thunderstorm, Jayanti cooledher herhot hotfeet. B. Splashing in the puddles left by the thunderstorm, the cool water refreshed Jayanti’s hot feet. C. Splashing in the puddles, the thunderstorm cooled Jayanti’s hot feet.

Item 10 A. Huddled by the door, the rain made the wet kitten cry to come in. B. Crying to come in, the door is where the wet kitten huddled during the rain. C. Huddled by bythe thedoor, the thewet kitten cried to come to in from come inthe from rain. the rain.