Misplaced and Dangling Modifiers

1. MODIFIERS

2. What are modifiers?
Take a look at these sentences:
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I'm going to the Augustinian Café for a vegetarian burger.
I'm going to the Café for a burger.
The highlighted words are considered modifiers.
So, what are those?

3. modifiers
A modifier is a word, phrase, or clause
that describes, clarifies or modifies—that
is, gives information about—another
word in the same sentence.
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4. A modifier can be an adjective (a word that modifies a
noun, like "burger"),
but it can also be an adverb (a word that modifies a
verb):
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I'm going to the Augustinian Café for a vegetarian burger.
I'm going to the Café for a burger.
The student carefully proofread her draft.

5. A modifier can even be a phrase or clause, as in the
following example:
5
She studied in the library.

6. proximity matters!
Remember:
Put modifying phrases and clauses close to
what they modify. Sometimes a misplaced
modifier can result in a sentence that is
ambiguous. In that case, the author must
decide which meaning is intended and correct
the problem accordingly.
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7. Examine these examples:
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A. Only Martin eats pears.
B. Martin eats only pears.
Where is the modifier?
What does sentence A mean? How about B?

8. Examine these examples:
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Only Jack eats ice-cream.
(Jill does not.)
Jack only eats ice-cream.
(Jack does not throw the ice-cream.)
Jack eats only ice-cream.
(Jack does not eat strawberries.)

9. Which sentence indicates that everyone in
the class failed the exam?
A. Almost everyone in the class passed the
calculus exam.
B. Everyone in the class almost passed the
calculus exam.
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10. Which sentence indicates that Jean-Luc
earned some money?
A. Jean-Luc nearly earned $100.
B. Jean-Luc earned nearly $100.
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11. “
Again: As a rule, modifiers and
the words they modify should
be kept close together in a
sentence.
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12. What happens if a modifier
used in a sentences is not
in its correct place?
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13. Answer:
It can make the
sentence confusing.
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14. Examine the sentence:
14
Lucy called her adorable kitten opening
the can of food and filled the bowl.

15. Check:
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Opening the can of food, Lucy called her
adorable kitten and filled the bowl.

16. Sentences can be erroneous when
modifiers are:
A. Misplaced
B. Dangling

17. misplaced modifiers
A misplaced modifier or squinting
modifier is a word, phrase, or clause
that is separated from the word it
describes, creating confusion and
ambiguity.
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18. Examine the sentence:
18
Denzel discovered an ancient Mayan
civilization using astronavigation
Who is using astronavigation? Denzel or
the Mayan civilization?

19. Correct:
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Using astronavigation, Denzel discovered an ancient
Mayan civilization.
Or
Denzel discovered an ancient Mayan civilization that
used astronavigation.
Place the modifier close to what/who it
modifies.

20. Examine the sentence:
20
Dale napped with her cat, tired after a
long day at work.
Correct or wrong?

21. 21
Tired after a long day at work, Dale
napped with her cat.

22. How to fix a misplaced modifier:
To fix a misplaced modifier in your
writing, you simply have to rearrange the
words in a sentence. Remember,
modifiers are supposed to appear next to
the words they describe, so just move a
misplaced modifier before or after the
right word.
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23. Fix the misplaced modifier:
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There’s nothing like a chocolate cone of ice
cream on a hot day.
There’s nothing like a cone of chocolate
ice cream on a hot day.

24. Fix the misplaced modifier:
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We glued together the vase we broke quietly.
We quietly glued together the vase we
broke.

25. Fix the misplaced modifier:
25
My uncle had to see a doctor with indigestion.
My uncle with indigestion had to see a
doctor.

26. Fix the misplaced modifier:
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Our food stayed in the bag while it was hot.
While it was hot, our food stayed in the
bag.

27. Fix the misplaced modifier:
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The king returned to the clinic where he had
undergone heart surgery last year in a limousine
sent by the White House.

28. Fix the misplaced modifier:
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Traveling in a limousine sent by the White
House, the king returned to the clinic where he
had undergone heart surgery last year.

29. dangling modifiers
These are words of phrases that do
not sensibly modify anything in the
sentence. The modifier is present,
but it has nothing to modify.
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30. Examine the sentence:
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Opening the window to let out a huge
bumblebee, the car accidentally swerved
into an oncoming car.
Who or what is being modified?
Remember, modifiers go next to the words
or phrases they modify.

31. Fix:
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When Jairus opened the window to let out
a huge bumblebee, the car accidentally
swerved into an oncoming car.
You can see that the first sentence omits
the doer. To correct the dangling
modifier, insert the doer.

32. How to fix a dangling modifier:
Having finished dinner, the basketball
match was turned on.
What is the modifier modifying?
Remember, modifiers go next to the
words or phrases they modify.
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33. How to fix a dangling modifier:
A. Name the appropriate doer of the action as
the subject of the main clause.
Having finished dinner, the basketball match
was turned on.
Having finished dinner, Jairus turned on the
basketball match. 33

34. How to fix a dangling modifier:
B. Place the subject of the action within the
dangling modifier:
Having finished dinner, the basketball match
was turned on.
After Jairus finished dinner, he turned on the
basketball match. 34

35. How to fix a dangling modifier:
C. Combine the phrase and clause:
Having finished dinner, the basketball match
was turned on.
Jairus turned on the rugby match after finishing
dinner.
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36. Fix the sentence:
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Upon entering the doctor’s office, a
skeleton caught my attention.
As I entered the doctor’s office, a skeleton
caught my attention

37. Fix the sentence:
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Though only sixteen years old, the UP
Diliman accepted Zeus’s application.
Though Zeus is only sixteen years old, his
application was accepted by the UP
Diliman.

38. Fix the sentence:
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Bankrupt, the land was sold to a
neighboring farmer.
Bankrupt, the family sold the land to a
neighboring farmer.

39. Fix the sentence:
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As a young boy, his aunt told stories of her
years as a country doctor.
When he was a young boy, his aunt told
stories of her years as a country doctor.

40. Fix the sentence:
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Thumbing through the magazine, my eyes
automatically noticed the perfume ads.
My eyes automatically noticed the perfume
ads as I was thumbing through the
magazine.

41. Fix the sentence:
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A rabbit’s teeth are never used for defense
even when cornered.
Even when cornered, a rabbit never uses
its teeth for defense.

42. Fix the sentence:
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Playing solitaire on the computer for three
hours, Michael’s paper was not finished.

43. Possible solutions:
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 Playing solitaire on the computer for three
hours, Michael did not complete his paper.
 Because Michael played solitaire on the
computer for three hours, he did not complete
his paper.
 Michael did not complete his paper because he
played solitaire on the computer for three hours.

44. What’s the difference between a misplaced
modifier and a dangling modifier?
Dangling modifiers describe a word or
phrase that is not included in the
sentence. Misplaced modifiers describe a
word or phrase that is in the sentence,
but in the wrong place.
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45. Fix the error of modifiers:
1. Always eager for cake, the birthday party was
attended by everyone.
2. Water from the sprinklers started to rust the
brand-new child’s bike.
3. Driving to the party, the gift rattled around in
the car.
4. Wagging her tail, the puppy climbed into my
lap.