Dangling & Misplaced

Modifiers
26th November, 2022 Week 17
Nafisa Afsara Chowdhury
ENG103
 Learning objectives
 Definition of Modifiers
 Definition of Dangling Modifiers
 Definition of Misplaced Modifiers
 Correcting Dangling & Misplaced
Modifiers

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 What is a Modifier?
 A modifier is a word, phrase, or clause that clarifies or
describes another word, phrase, or clause. That is, it gives
information about another word in the same sentence.
 Modifiers are adjectives, adverbs, or words or phrases that
function as adjectives or adverbs.
 What a modifier describes in a sentence depends not only
on what it says but also where it is put.

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 Modifier examples
 A modifier can be an adjective (a word that modifies a
noun, but it can also be an adverb (a word that modifies a
verb):
Example: The student carefully  proofread her draft. The
adverb "carefully" is the modifier in this example—it
modifies the verb "proofread," giving important details about
how the proofreading was conducted.
 A modifier can even be a phrase or clause, as in the
following example:
 Example: She studied in the library.
4 Here, the phrase "in
 Modifier examples
Example: Brown is the color that I like best.
That I like best is modifying the color by providing
additional information.

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TWO Common Types of
Modifier Errors
 TWO Common Types of
Modifier Errors
 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
7 constructions.
Dangling Modifiers
 What is a Dangling Modifier?
 A dangling modifier is a word or phrase within a sentence that
does not clearly refer to a specific subject or it is a phrase or
clause that is not clearly and logically related to the word or
words it modifies (i.e. is placed next to).
 It is a word or a phrase at the beginning of a sentence that
mistakenly modifies the word immediately following it.
 So, when a modifier is not modifying a specific word, we call
it a dangling modifier.
 When a modifier begins a sentence, the word it modifies must
come immediately after. Otherwise,
9 the modifier will be
 a Dangling Modifier
 So, a dangling modifier is a word or phrase that modifies a
word not clearly stated in the sentence. It is a phrase or a
clause that is not clearly attached to any word in the
sentence.
 When the subject is missing or the clause attaches itself to
another object in a sentence, the clause is seemingly
"hanging" on nothing or on an inappropriate noun. It thus
"dangles”. Here are some examples:
Dangling: Dipping below the horizon, I watched as the sun set.
Dangling: Confused and upset, the crowded store caused the
little girl to lose her mother.
 Correcting Dangling Modifiers
 To correct these sentences, we need to place the word being
modified immediately after the modifier and rewrite as
necessary. In other words, we have to name the
appropriate or logical doer of the action as the subject of
the main clause.
Correct: Dipping below the horizon, the sun set as I watched.
Correct: Confused and upset, the little girl lost her mother in
the crowded store.
Correct: Screeching, the owl flew away as we looked for our
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binoculars.
 Correcting a Dangling
Modifier
 So, a dangling modifier occurs when its headword – the word
it is meant to modify – is missing. Since a modifier always
needs a headword, it will attach itself to a false one if the
true one is not in the sentence.
 Dangling: After doing my homework, the dog was fed.
 To fix this kind of sentence, break it up into two sentences in
the active voice.
I did my homework
Then I fed the dog
 Then combine the sentences12by turning the first into a modifier
 Correcting a Dangling
Modifier
 After doing my homework, I fed the dog,
Or
 After I did my homework, I fed the dog.
So, there are two correction methods.
1. Leave the modifier as it is. Change the main part of the sentence so
that it begins with the term actually modified.  This change will put
the modifier next to the term it modifies
2. Change the dangling modifier phrase to a subordinate clause, creating a
subject and verb. Leave the rest of the sentence as it is
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 a Dangling Modifier
Having finished the assignment, the TV was turned on.
• "Having finished" states an action but does not name the
doer of that action. In this sentence, the modifier makes it
seem like ”the TV” is the doer of the action (the subject of
the main clause) even though its not.
• But TV sets don't finish assignments. Since the doer of the
action expressed has not been clearly stated, the phrase is
said to be a dangling modifier.
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 a Dangling Modifier
‐ Having arrived late for practice, a written excuse was
needed.
Who arrived late? This sentence says that the written excuse
arrived late. To revise, decide who actually arrived late. The
possible revision might look like this:
‐ Having arrived late for practice, the team captain needed
a written excuse.
The main clause now names the person (the captain) who did
the action in the modifying phrase (arrived late).
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 a Dangling Modifier
 An example of a dangling modifier appears in the sentence
"Turning the corner, a handsome school building appeared.”
 The modifying clause Turning the corner describes the
behavior of the narrator, but the narrator is only implicit in
the sentence.
 The sentence could be misread as the turning action
attaching either to the handsome school building or to
nothing at all
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 a Dangling Modifier
 The following three steps will help you quickly spot a dangling
modifier:
 Look for an -ing modifier at the beginning of your sentence or
another modifying phrase:
 Painting for three hours at night, the kitchen was finally finished
by Maggie. (Painting is the -ing modifier.)
 Underline the first noun that follows it:
 Painting for three hours at night, the kitchen was finally finished
by Maggie. 17

 .
 a Dangling Modifier
 Make sure the modifier and noun go together logically. If they do
not, it is very likely you have a dangling modifier.
 After identifying the dangling modifier, rewrite the sentence.
 Painting for three hours at night, Maggie finally finished the
kitchen.

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Misplaced Modifiers
 What is a Misplaced Modifier?
 As we already learned, a modifier tends to modify the
nearest noun. For example, notice how the meaning of the
following sentence changes as we move the modifier only:
He just baked a cake. (He did it a moment ago)
He baked just a cake. (He didn’t bake anything else, just a
cake).
 A misplaced modifier is too far from the word it is meant
to modify and, as a result, it doesn’t convey the correct
meaning or it gives the sentence an unintended, funny
meaning. It is a word, phrase, or clause that is improperly
separated from the word it20modifies / describes.
 So, when a modifier is ambiguously or illogically modifying
 Misplaced Modifier Examples
 Here are some examples of misplaced modifiers with
unintentional meanings:
Misplaced: The fisherman caught a bass with a chuckle.
Misplaced: I climbed a tree with new shoes on.
Misplaced: She bicycled to Burlington to visit her grandmother
wearing a bike helmet.

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 Misplaced Modifier Examples
 A misplaced modifier is corrected by rearranging the
sentence. You must reword the modifier or move it closer
to the word it modifies. In other words, it can usually
be corrected by moving the modifier to a more sensible place
in the sentence, generally next to the word it modifies. Here
are possible corrections:
With a chuckle, the fisherman caught a bass.
With new shoes on, I climbed the tree.
Wearing a bike helmet, she bicycled to Burlington to visit her
grandmother.
 To avoid the confusion of misplaced
22 modifiers, always place
 SQUINTING MODIFIER
 There are two types of misplaced modifiers as well.
 A squinting modifier is one placed where it could modify either
of two possible headwords.
Squiting modifier: The street vendor she saw on her way to school
ocassionally sold wild mushrooms.
 Did the writer see the vendor occasionally, or did the vendor
sell wild mushrooms occasionally?
EDITED: The street vendor she occasionally saw on her way to
school sold wild mushrooms.
EDITED: The street vendor she saw on her way to school sold wild
mushrooms occassionaly. 23
 Misplaced restricter
 A restricter is a one-word modifier that limits the
meaning of another word or a word group. Restricters
include almost, only, merely, nearly, scarcely, simply,
even, exactly, just and hardly.
 Usually a restricter modifies the word or phrase that
immediately follows it. Because these words limit what
follows, it is important where they occur in a sentence.

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 Misplaced restricter
 For example:
Only the Fabulous Fork serves brunch on Sundays.
The Fabulous Fork serves only brunch on Sundays.
The Fabolous Fork serves brunch only on Sundays.
A carelessly placed restricter leaves the meaning unclear.
Is brunch the only meal served on Sundays, or is Sunday the only
day on which brunch is served? To make the meaning clear, place
the restricter carefully, as following:
The Fabulous Fork serves brunch on Sundays only.
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 KEY TAKEAWAYS
 A common mistake when using modifiers is misplacing them,
which in turn modifies or describes the wrong word or word
group.
 A dangling modifier is a phrase or clause that is not clearly
and logically related to the word or words it modifies (i.e. is
placed next to).
 A misplaced modifier is a word, phrase, or clause that is
improperly separated from the word it modifies /
describes. Because of the separation, sentences with this
error often sound awkward, ridiculous, or confusing.
 Both terms refer to modifiers that are connected to the
wrong thing in a sentence. A misplaced modifier is too far
 Key Takeaways
 Misplaced and dangling modifiers make sentences difficult to
understand and distract the reader. There are several effective
ways to identify and correct misplaced and dangling modifiers.
 Unlike a misplaced modifier, a dangling modifier cannot be
corrected by simply moving it to a different place in a
sentence.
 In most cases, the dangling modifier appears at
the beginning of the sentence, although it can also come at
the end.
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