Misplaced and Dangling Modifiers

Misplaced and Dangling Modifiers

1. Eager for the day to begin, I had my backpack ready to go and waiting by the door.

2. Eager for the day to begin, my backpack was ready to go and waiting by the door.

​

​Which sentence best represents this image?

1. Eager for the day to begin, I had my backpack ready to go and waiting by the door.

2. Eager for the day to begin, my backpack was ready to go and waiting by the door.

​

​Which sentence best represents this image?

​Correct!

​The way the sentence is written, it seems as if the BACKPACK is the one eager to go to school.

1. Abby built a bookcase for her uncle made entirely out of cherry wood.

2. Abby built a bookcase made entirely out of cherry wood for her uncle.

​

​Which sentence best represents this image?

1. Abby built a bookcase for her uncle made entirely out of cherry wood.

2. Abby built a bookcase made entirely out of cherry wood for her uncle.

​

​Which sentence best represents this image?

​Correct!

​The way the sentence is written, it seems as if the uncle is made of cherry wood.

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A dangling modifier is a word or phrase that modifies a word not clearly stated in the sentence.

Driving in traffic, my head began to ache. (dangling modifier) 

Driving in traffic, I felt my head begin to ache. (correct) 

Dangling Modifier

A misplaced modifier is a word, phrase, or clause that is improperly separated from the word it modifies/describes.

The man was stopped for speeding in the blue sweater. (misplaced modifier) 

The man in the blue sweater was stopped for speeding. (correct) 

Misplaced Modifier

Misplaced and Dangling Modifiers

Is this modifier misplaced or dangling?

Winston saw monkeys and peacocks on vacation in India.

How would you fix this?

Winston saw monkeys and peacocks on vacation in India.

Misplaced Modifier

On vacation in India, Winston saw monkeys and peacocks. 

Move it to where the modifier is directly before or after the noun it is modifying

Is this modifier misplaced or dangling?

Trying to fall asleep, the sheets felt uncomfortably hot.

Trying to fall asleep, the sheets felt uncomfortably hot.

How would you fix this?

Dangling Modifier

Trying to fall asleep, I felt uncomfortably hot in the sheets .

The noun that is being modified needs to be added (in this case "I")

Let's test your understanding...

Multiple Choice

Which sentence is correct?

• Ancient Egyptians enjoyed a type of candy -- similar to today's marshmallows -- made from the sap of the marsh-mallow plant.

• Similar to today's marshmallows, Ancient Egyptians enjoyed a type of candy made from the sap of the marsh-mallow plant.

Did you get this wrong?

Answer explanation

The second sentence has a misplaced modifier. Because the modifier similar to today's marshmallows is adjacent to Ancient Egyptians, this sentence wrongly suggests that Ancient Egyptians are similar to today's marshmallows.

Similar to today's marshmallows, Ancient Egyptians enjoyed a type of candy made from the sap of the marsh-mallow plant.

The first sentence is correct because similar to today's marshmallows is adjacent to a type of candy, which is what it should modify.

Ancient Egyptians enjoyed a type of candy—similar to today's marshmallows—made from the sap of the marsh-mallow plant

Multiple Choice

Which sentence is correct?

• Scanning the locker room, she realized that her gym bag was nowhere to be found among the benches and chairs heaped with discarded clothing and towels.

• Scanning the locker room, her gym bag was nowhere to be found among the benches and chairs heaped with discarded clothing and towels.

Did you get this wrong?

Answer explanation

The second sentence has a dangling modifier. Because the modifier scanning the locker room is adjacent to her gym bag, this sentence wrongly suggests that her gym bag was scanning the locker room.

Scanning the locker room, her gym bag was nowhere to be found among the benches and chairs heaped with discarded clothing and towels.

The first sentence is correct because scanning the locker room is adjacent to she, which is what it should modify.

Scanning the locker room, she realized that her gym bag was nowhere to be found among the benches and chairs heaped with discarded clothing and towels.

Multiple Choice

Which sentence is correct?

• Gently brushing away the layers of sediment, the archaeologist revealed the contours of the dinosaur fossil.

• Gently brushing away the layers of sediment, the contours of the dinosaur fossil were revealed.

Multiple Choice

Which sentence is correct?

• In August 2013, an airplane powered by solar energy named Solar Impulse flew across the United States.

• In August 2013, an airplane named Solar Impulse, powered by solar energy, flew across the United States.

Multiple Choice

Which sentence is correct?

• The space station buzzed in anticipation of the launch scheduled for 6:15am the next morning.

• Scheduled for 6:15am the next morning, the space station buzzed in anticipation of the launch.

Did you get this wrong?

Answer explanation

The second sentence has a misplaced modifier. Because the modifier scheduled for 6:15 A.M. the next morning is adjacent to the space station, this sentence wrongly suggests that the space station was scheduled for 6:15 A.M. the next morning.

Scheduled for 6:15 A.M. the next morning, the space station buzzed in anticipation of the launch.

The first sentence is correct because scheduled for 6:15 A.M. the next morning is adjacent to the launch, which is what it should modify.

The space station buzzed in anticipation of the launch scheduled for 6:15 A.M. the next morning.

Multiple Choice

Select the misplaced or dangling modifier in this sentence.

A squirrel monkey named Miss Baker had a striking number of fans, among the first animals to survive being launched into outer space.

• A squirrel monkey

• named Miss Baker

• had a striking number of fans

• among the first animals to survive being launched into outer space.

Did you get this wrong?

Answer explanation

Among the first animals to survive being launched into outer space is a misplaced modifier because it appears to modify fans. The sentence wrongly suggests that the fans were among the first animals to survive being launched into outer space.

A squirrel monkey named Miss Baker had a striking number of fans, among the first animals to survive being launched into outer space.

Multiple Choice

Select the misplaced or dangling modifier in this sentence.

Olivia concentrated fiercely on the trajectory of the baseball with squinted eyes.

• Olivia concentrated

• fiercely

• on the trajectory

• of the baseball

• with squinted eyes.

Did you get this wrong?

Answer explanation

With squinted eyes is a misplaced modifier because it appears to modify the baseball. The sentence wrongly suggests that the baseball, not Olivia, had squinted eyes

Olivia concentrated fiercely on the trajectory of the baseball with squinted eyes.

Multiple Choice

Select the misplaced or dangling modifier in this sentence.

Olivia concentrated fiercely on the trajectory of the baseball with squinted eyes.

• Olivia concentrated

• fiercely

• on the trajectory

• of the baseball

• with squinted eyes.

If you are still struggling, go through the presentation again...
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