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Misplaced & Dangling Modifiers. What is a modifier?. A modifier is a word or group of words that describes, limits, or qualifies the meaning of another word. Modifiers can be a word, a phrase, or a clause. For example: The silver fish (word) The fish in the pond (phrase)
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What is a modifier? • A modifier is a word or group of words that describes, limits, or qualifies the meaning of another word. • Modifiers can be a word, a phrase, or a clause. • For example: • The silver fish (word) • The fish in the pond (phrase) • The fish that he caught (clause) • What are the modifiers? • The little boy standing by the concession stand reminds me of my brother.
The purpose of modifiers: • To add detail to sentences • To make sentences more interesting • To create clearer communication when correctly used
Good and Evil • Modifiers can be used for good or evil. When used incorrectly, modifiers can cause problems such as: • Misplaced modifiers • Dangling modifiers • These modifier problems can result in sentences that are awkward, misleading, or unintentionally humorous.
Misplaced Modifiers • Misplaced modifiers are separated from the word or words that they describe. They can describe the wrong word and change the intended meaning of the sentence. • For example: • Covered in mud, Mark wiped off the trembling puppy. • Who is covered in mud? • Mark wiped off the trembling puppy covered in mud.
Avoiding Misplaced Modifiers • Make sure to place the modifier as close to the item it modifies as possible. • For example: • Smelling sour, Tamara threw away the milk. • Tamara is not smelling sour; the milk is. “Smelling sour” is the modifier, and “milk” is the item being modified. • Tamara threw out the sour-smelling milk. • Smelling sour, the milk had to be thrown out.
Another example: • Shooting lasers out of his eyes, the scientist was no match for the robot. • Was the scientist shooting lasers out of his eyes? That’s just silly. • Corrected: • The scientist was no match for the robot shooting lasers out of his eyes. • Shooting lasers out of his eyes, the robot was too powerful for the scientist.
Another example: • Hidden in a fortune cookie, Sue found the engagement ring. • Was Sue hiding in the fortune cookie? That’s weird. • Corrected: • Sue found the engagement ring hidden in a fortune cookie.
Trouble with Single-word Modifiers • Jamie almost decided that $90 was too much to pay for a ticket. Vs. • Jamie decided that almost $90 was too much to pay for a ticket. • What is going on here??? Did Jamie almost decide not to buy the ticket, or did she think that a price close to $90 was too expensive?
The Dangling Modifier • Misplaced modifiers are not the only way to mess up the magic of modifiers. • When a modifier describes a word that does not appear in the sentence, we say the modifier is “dangling.”
How do dangling modifiers occur? • Here is a correct sentence that uses a modifier: • Falling asleep, Trisha steered the car into the trees. • What happens if the connection between “falling asleep” and “Trisha” is severed? • Answer: Confusion happens! We would then get a sentence that looks like the following: • Falling asleep, the car steered into the trees. • Can a car fall asleep? Not in real life.
What is wrong with this sentence? • While waiting for the bus, the sky turned dark and threatening. • Who is waiting for the bus? The sky? That’s just not logical. • Corrected: • While waiting for the bus, we watched the sky turn dark and threatening. • While we waited for the bus, the sky turned dark and threatening.
Another example: • After running the marathon, exhaustion overcame me. • Did exhaustion run the marathon? Don’t be ridiculous. • Corrected: • After I ran the marathon, exhaustion overcame me. • After running the marathon, I was overcome by exhaustion.
