BENG101P Wint 22-23 Modifier

Modifiers (Review and Practice)

Is the modifer misplaced? Is the modifier dangling?

13-Mar-2023

Multiple Choice

What is a modifier?

• A word, clause, or phrase that combines two independent clauses.

• The word, clause, or phrase that describes another element in the sentence.

• The target of the what a word, clause, or phrase describes.

• The target and modifier in a sentence.

Examples:

• The hat on the table belongs to Frosty. (On the table gives more information/describes the hat)

• Up on the housetop, reindeer pause.

• The children eagerly waited for winter break.

Multiple Choice

Where should the modifier be in the sentence?

• Before the semicolon

• The first word of the sentence

• Right before or after the target (aka what it's describing)

• The last word of a sentence

Misplaced Modifiers

(Warning: may lead to SILLY sentences)

Multiple Choice

Does this sentence contain a misplaced modifier?

In her sock drawer, Angela found her missing wallet.

• Misplaced modifier

• No error

Multiple Choice

Which sentence does NOT contain a misplaced modifier?

• Charles saw a dog washing the car.

• While washing the car, the dog is what Charles saw.

• While washing the car, Charles saw a dog.

• Charles saw the dog while he was washing the car.

Multiple Choice

Does this sentence contain a misplaced modifier? Why/why not?

Billy ate the spicy bag of chips.

• Misplaced modifier --- Billy is spicy.

• Misplaced modifier --- The bag is spicy.

• No error --- The chips are spicy.

Dangling Modifiers

More examples:

• In the chair, the lamp made Josh's reading easier.

• To improve his essay, each page was proofread.

• After camping all weekend, the city feels chaotic.

Multiple Choice

Does this sentence contain a dangling modifier?

Helping the mother find her ticket, the train left.

• Dangling modifier

• No error

Multiple Choice

Which sentence contains a dangling modifier?

• Hungry, the pizza was devoured.

• The pizza was devoured by the hungry students.

• The hungry students devoured the pizza.

• Hungry, the students devoured the pizza.

Multiple Choice

MODIFIERS: Misplaced or Dangling

"Aisha stumbles while heading to school upon the road bumps."

• Misplaced Modifier

  "while heading to school"

• Misplaced Modifier

  "upon the road bumps"

• Dangling Modifier

  "while heading to school"

• Dangling Modifier

  "upon the road bumps"

• This sentence is grammatically correct.

Multiple Choice

MODIFIERS: Misplaced or Dangling

"Before I could finish taking notes, the teacher already erased everything on the blackboard."

• Misplaced Modifier

  "finish taking notes"

• Misplaced Modifier

  "already erased everything"

• Dangling Modifier

  "finish taking notes"

• Dangling Modifier

  "already erased everything"

• The sentence is grammatically correct.

Multiple Choice

MODIFIERS: Misplaced VS Dangling

"With falling debris, we remained underneath our beds for safety"

• Misplaced Modifier

  "with falling debris"

• Misplaced Modifier

  "remained underneath our beds"

• Dangling Modifier

  "with falling debris"

• Dangling Modifier

  "remained underneath our beds"

• This sentence is grammatically correct.

Fill in the Blank

What is the correct verb tense?

"(Has, Had) Ika done her homework yet?"

CLUE: YET

Fill in the Blank

What is the correct verb tense?

"I (will have, will be) starting debate training this week."

Open Ended

Create your own sentence WITH CORRECT VERB TENSE using these words:

Subject - You (Ikaw mismo so you will use the pronoun "I"(Ako)),

Predicate/Verb - Learn

You can write anything as long as it uses the subject and verb I gave!

Examples: I learned (Simple Past Tense) about how confusing modifiers are!

After today's lesson, I have learned the importance of grammar in writing clearer sentences.

Open Ended

CORRECT MISPLACED MODIFIERS:

The Principal in the middle of the exam surprised the students by entering abruptly.

Open Ended

CORRECT DANGLING MODIFIERS:

Through the harsh water currents, families were saved from the floods.

Multiple Choice

What does the red phrase modify (or describe) in the following sentence?

The shoes with the yellow stripes are expensive.

• expensive

• shoes

Multiple Choice

Does the following sentence contain a misplaced modifier, or a dangling modifier?

Driving up a rock-strewn Mountain, the tire went flat.

• Dangling Modifier

• Misplaced Modifier

Multiple Choice

Does the following sentence contain a misplaced modifier or a dangling modifier?

Jessica put her coat on before she reached for the door with the fur hood.

• Dangling

• Misplaced

Multiple Choice

Which sentence contains a dangling modifier?

• The house was dark when I got home.

• I got home late.

• Coming home late, the house was dark.

• The house was dark.

Multiple Choice

What is the modifier in the following sentence?
Brian, the man with the bushy red beard, is Lydia's husband. 

• Brian
• the man with the bushy red beard
• is
• Lydia's husband

Multiple Choice

What is the dangling modifier in the sentence below?
Running to catch the bus, his lunch box was dropped.

• was dropped
• his lunch box was dropped
• running to catch
• running to catch the bus

Multiple Choice

What is the dangling modifier?
Before waking up, the lights were flickering in the room. 

• Before waking up
• waking up
• the lights were flickering in the room
• were flickering

Multiple Choice

What is a misplaced modifier?

• A clause that is separated by more than one adjective.
• when a phrase is describing a clause 
• A description that is improperly separated from the word its describing.
• when a modifier's subject is not defined in the sentence

Multiple Choice

What is the misplaced modifier?
Covered in dirt, I gave my dog a bath. 

• a bath
• Covered in dirt
• Covered
• I gave my dog a bath

Multiple Choice

What's the problem with the modifiers in this sentence?

Scrubbing the tile grout with bleach and an old toothbrush, the mildew stains began to fade.

• We don't know who scrubbed the tile grout.

• The mildew stains were scrubbing the tile grout.

• A toothbrush was scrubbing the tile grout.

Multiple Choice

The car on the bridge which is green is mine.

• Dangling Modifier

• Misplaced Modifier

• Correct

Fill in the Blank

Rewrite the following sentence to correct the misplaced modifier:

The young lady was walking the dog on the telephone.

Fill in the Blank

Rewrite the following sentence to correct the dangling modifier:

Expecting rain, the umbrella was propped up against the wall.

Tip: Use "Nancy" as the subject.