The Dangling or Misplaced Modifier

The Dangling or Misplaced Modifier By Jonathan C. Hart

In order to be able to identify a dangling or misplace modifier we must first be able to know what a modifier is…

So what is a modifier? • A modifier is a word, phrase or clause that provide description in sentences. Modifiers allow writers to take the picture that they have in their heads and transfer it accurately to the heads of their readers. Essentially, modifiers breathe life into sentences.

WITHOUT MODIFIERS Kelly dropped her wine glass. WITH MODIFIES Poor Kelly, who just needed to unwind after work, quickly dropped her wine glass on the floor, gasping in fear as a spider crept from her kitchen, a sight requiring a year of creepy crawly therapy. How Modifiers Can Improve A Sentence

Modifiers can be: -adjectives -adjective clauses -adverbs-adverb clauses -absolute phrases -infinitive phrases-participle phrases-prepositional phrases

Poor Kelly, who just needed to unwind after work, quickly dropped her wine glass on the floor, gasping in fear as a spider crept from her kitchen, a sight requiring a year of creepy crawly therapy. Adjective - poor Adjective Clause - who just needed to unwind after work Adverb - quickly Adverb Clause - as a spider crept from her kitchen Absolute Phrase - a sight requiring a year of creepy crawly therapy Infinitive Phrase - N/A Participle Phrase - gasping in fear Prepositional Phrase - on the Floor.

In clear, logical sentences, you will often find modifiers right next to either in front of or behind the target words they logically describe.

A modifier is considered dangling or misplaced when the sentence isn't clear about what is being modified. So what makes a modifier misplaced or dangling?

Example 1 How a sentence should be written: • Hoping to garner favor, my new boyfriend brought my parents a gift that sadly unimpressed them. How a sentence is sometimes “incorrectly” written: • Hoping to garner favor, my parents were sadly unimpressed with the gift. The Problem: • This is a dangling modifier because we do not know who or what was hoping to garner favor. It is unlikely that the parents were hoping to garner favor, since they wouldn't have given an unimpressive gift to themselves.

Example 2 How a sentence should be written: • Hoping to excuse my lateness, I wrote a note and gave it to my teacher. How a sentence is sometimes “incorrectly” written: • Hoping to excuse my lateness, the note was written and given to my teacher. The Problem: • Here, it seems as though we have a subject- my. However, my is part of the modifier and not the subject itself.

Avoid Using Misplaced and Dangling Modifiers By: • Name the appropriate or logical doer of the action as the subject of the main clause. • Change the phrase that dangles into a complete introductory clause by naming the doer of the action in that clause. • Combine the phrase and main clause into one.

Name the appropriate or logical doer of the action as the subject of the main clause. The Error: Having arrived late for practice, a written excuse was needed. The Reason: Who arrived late? This sentence says that the written excuse arrived late. To revise, decide who actually arrived late. The Correction: Having arrived late for practice, the team captain needed a written excuse.

Change the phrase that dangles into a complete introductory clause by naming the doer of the action in that clause. The Error: Without knowing his name, it was difficult to introduce him. The Reason: Who didn't know his name? This sentence says that "it" didn't know his name. To revise, decide who was trying to introduce him. The Correction: Because Maria did not know his name, it was difficult to introduce him.

The Answers • This is a misplaced modifier. Always eager for cake is modifying everyone. • This is also a misplaced modifier. The singer is the person who forgot the microphone was on. • This is correct. The puppy was the one wagging her tail. • This is a dangling modifier. We have no idea who or what painted all day. • This is correct. Mike is the person who was late as always.

Thanks Y’all.THE END. By Jonathan C. Hart

Which of the following sentences are correct and which have dangling modifiers? Fix the ones the ones that have dangling modifier • Always eager for cake, the birthday party was attended by everyone. • Forgetting that the microphone was on, the whole audience heard the singer's fight with his wife. • Wagging her tail, the new puppy climbed into my lap. • After painting all day, the bright new watercolor was drying in the sunshine. • Late as always, Mike made quite an entrance when he came to the party.

Combine the phrase and main clause into one. The Error: To improve his results, the experiment was done again. The Reason: Who wanted to improve results? This sentence says that the experiment was trying to improve its own results. To revise, combine the phrase and the main clause into one sentence. The Correction: He improved his results by doing the experiment again.

The Dangling or Misplaced Modifier