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Misplaced Modifier

The document discusses misplaced and dangling modifiers. A misplaced modifier seems to modify the wrong word in a sentence, creating ambiguity or humor unintentionally. This can be fixed by moving the modifier closer to the word it intends to modify. A dangling modifier refers to a word or phrase that is supposed to describe a certain part of the sentence but that part is missing, so the modifier "dangles" and unintentionally describes something else. Examples are provided to illustrate misplaced and dangling modifiers, along with corrections.

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Hazel Joyce Morales Curay
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133 views50 pages

Misplaced Modifier

The document discusses misplaced and dangling modifiers. A misplaced modifier seems to modify the wrong word in a sentence, creating ambiguity or humor unintentionally. This can be fixed by moving the modifier closer to the word it intends to modify. A dangling modifier refers to a word or phrase that is supposed to describe a certain part of the sentence but that part is missing, so the modifier "dangles" and unintentionally describes something else. Examples are provided to illustrate misplaced and dangling modifiers, along with corrections.

Uploaded by

Hazel Joyce Morales Curay
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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MISPLACED MODIFIER

ADJECTIVE
ADVERB
A misplaced modifier seems to modify the
wrong word in the sentence.
 They bought a car for my sister they
call Pumpkin.
 In this sentence, Pumpkin is the car’s name, not
the sister’s, but this isn’t clear. This confusion
and unintentional humor is the result of a
misplaced modifier. To correct this error, move
the modifier closer to the noun it modifies:
 They bought a car they call Pumpkin
for my sister.
Only Jessica wants pizza.
 This sentence implies that Jessica is
the only person who wants pizza.
Jessica wants pizza only .

 On the other hand, the sentence above


indicates that Jessica wants pizza and nothing
else.
 A misplaced modifier can be fixed by
moving it so that it is connected to
the right subject.
 The waiter presented a steak to the
guest that was medium rare.
 The waiter presented a steak that
was medium rare to the guest.

In this example, the misplaced modifier implies that the guest was
medium rare. Moving the modifier correctly indicates that it was the
steak that was medium rare.
Joseph planted a tree in his
backyard with full of roots.
 (The backyard had full of roots)
 Joseph planted a tree with full of roots in
his backyard.

 (The words describing the tree are now placed next to tree.)
 The short story won in the national
competition that was written by my
classmate.
 (The national competition was written by my classmate)
The short story that was written
by my classmate won in the
national competition.
 (The words describing the short story are placed next to it.)
 Peter nearly gained one hundred
thousand pesos last month.
 (Peter just missed gaining one hundred
thousand pesos, but in the fact gained
nothing.)
 Peter gained nearly one hundred
thousand pesos last month.
 (The meaning is now clear that Peter gained a little under a
thousand pesos.)
 EXPLANATION
 To avoid faulty modifications, place the
word’s close to what they describe.
 Wrong: The letter, was a hoax,
received by my classmate.
 Correct: The letter received by my
classmate was a hoax.
 A DANGLING MODIFIER “
DANGLES” BECAUSE THE WORD
DANGLING
OR WORDS IT IS SUPPOSED TO
MODIFIER
DESCRIBE ARE NOT IN THE
SENTENCE.
 A MODIFIER THAT STARTS A
SENTENCE MUST BE FOLLOWED
RIGHT AWAY BY THE WORD THAT
DANGLING IT DESCRIBES. OTHERWISE, THE
MODIFIER MODIFIER IS SAID TO BE
DANGLING, AND THE SENTENCE
TAKES ON AN UNINTENDED
MEANING.
EXAMPLE 1  Jogging in the park, a dog bit me.
 Jogging in the park, a dog bit me.
 ( The dog wasn’t jogging in the park; the
EXAMPLE 1
actual jogger is missing from the
sentence)
Jogging in the park, I got bitten
by a dog.
CORRECT
While I was jogging in the park, a
dog bit me.
EXAMPLE 2  Soaring through the sky, Brenda watched the high- powered jet.
CORRECT  Brenda watched the high- powered jet, soaring through the sky.
 On her way to work, Elaine saw the silver woman’s earring laying
EXAMPLE 3 on the park bench.
 On her way to work, Elaine saw the silver woman’s earring laying
on the park bench.
EXAMPLE 3
 - This sentence implies that there is a silver woman who eft her
earring on the park bench, not the earring itself is silver.
 On her way to work, Elaine saw the woman’s silver earring laying
CORRECT on the park bench.
 - now the earring is silver instead of the woman.
 The stolen man’s wallet was placed on the police department’s
counter
EXAMPLE 4
 - was the man stolen, or was the wallet stolen?
 The man’s stolen wallet was placed on the police department’s
counter.
CORRECT
 - so now the wallet was stolen and not the man.
 Staring out over the ocean, the hurricane force winds were
daunting.
EXAMPLE 5  The hurricane is not alive, and it is not a machine . It cannot stare
any where. ADD A PERSON.
 Staring out over the ocean, Joyce saw the daunting hurricane
CORRECT force winds.
TRY THESE  When in third grade, my mother went back to college.
EXAMPLES.
 Looking toward the west, a funnel shaped cloud stirred up dust.
 Walking to the movies, the cloudburst drenched Jim.
 When nine years old, my father enrolled in medical school.
 After reading the original study, the article remains convincing.

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