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Dangling and Misplaced Modifiers

Dangling-and-Misplaced-Modifiers

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Anjo Robles
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47 views2 pages

Dangling and Misplaced Modifiers

Dangling-and-Misplaced-Modifiers

Uploaded by

Anjo Robles
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Dangling and Misplaced Modifiers

A modifier is a word, phrase, or clause that clarifies or describes another word, phrase,
or clause. Sometimes writers use modifiers incorrectly, leading to strange and
unintentionally humorous sentences. The two common types of modifier errors are
called misplaced modifiers and dangling modifiers. If either of these errors occurs,
readers can no longer read smoothly. Instead, they become stumped trying to figure
out what the writer meant to say. A writer’s goal must always be to communicate
clearly and to avoid distracting the reader with strange sentences or awkward
sentence constructions. The good news is that these errors can be easily overcome.
According to Laurie Kirszner and Stephen Mandell in the sixth edition of Writing First, “A
modifier is a word or word group that identifies or describes another word or word group in a
sentence.”

Modifiers can include the present participle of a verb (-ing) or the past participle of a verb (-ed).

A common mistake when using modifiers is misplacing them, which in turn modifies or
describes the wrong word or word group.

Misplaced modifier examples


Incorrect: Crying on the examination table, the doctor gave the small child his vaccine.
This is incorrect because it implies that the doctor was crying on the examination table, when it
was the child who was crying.

Correct: The doctor gave the small child crying on the examination table his vaccine.
The modifier now correctly describes the child as crying, not the doctor.

Incorrect: Lydia fed the pigs wearing her raincoat.


Correct: Wearing her raincoat, Lydia fed the pigs.

Incorrect: Dressed in a flowing gown, everyone watched the celebrity enter the room.
Correct: Everyone watched the celebrity, dressed in a flowing gown, enter the room.

Another common mistake when using modifiers is having a dangling modifier. This occurs when
the word that is being modified is not actually included in the sentence.

Dangling modifier examples


Incorrect: Using the Pythagorean Theorem, the math problem was easily solved.
Did the math problem use the theorem? Who did?
Correct: Using the Pythagorean Theorem, Wendy easily solved the math problem.
This version is correct because Wendy was the one who used the theorem.

Incorrect: Working through the night, the report was finished in time for class.
Correct: Working through the night, Jeremy finished the report in time for class.

Incorrect: Having finished the essay, a new Facebook status was uploaded.
Correct: Having finished the essay, Sandra uploaded a new Facebook status.

Fixing Misplaced Modifiers


Rearranging sentence parts will often fix a misplaced modifier. Remember that most
modifiers come as close to their targets as possible:

Here is the original error:


Sucking warm water from a rubber hose, envious looks were shot
Roland's way as the other picnickers quenched their own thirst.

If we move things around, the modifier hits the right target:


Sucking warm water from a rubber hose, the other
picnickers quenched their own thirst as they shot envious looks
Roland's way.

Now we have picnickers drinking from the rubber hose, which is clear and logical!

Fixing Dangling Modifiers

To fix a dangling modifier, you will need to add a target to the sentence and then tweak
the remaining words to make sense.

Here is the original error without a logical target:


W ith a sigh of pleasure , consumption of cucumber sandwiches
commenced.

Notice that the addition of a target makes the sentence clear:


W ith a sigh of pleasure, Roland began to consume cucumber
sandwiches.
After Roland sighed with pleasure, he began to consume cucumber
sandwiches.

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