Misplaced and Dangling Modifiers

Dangling and Misplaced Modifiers

By DeLayna Basham

Watch the video on the next slide.

As you watch, take notes over dangling and misplaced modifiers.

Multiple Choice

What is a modifier in a sentence?

• a phrase that changes one's action

• a word that explains an action

• a word, phrase, or clause that provides more information

• a word, phrase, or clause that provides less information

Multiple Choice

What is a misplaced modifier?

• a word or word group that is incorrectly separated from the word(s) it is supposed to modify

• when a modifier's subject is not defined in the sentence

• when a phrase is describing a clause

• when a phrase is describing a cat

Multiple Choice

What is a dangling modifier?

• A word, phrase, or clause that does not clearly and sensibly modify a word or a word group in a sentence

• A word, phrase, or clause that seems to modify the wrong word or word group in a sentence

• A pause at the end of a clause

• A clause at the end of a pause

Multiple Choice

Which of the following sentences is correct?

• Having jumped up, the cat pounced.

• The cat pounced when the mouse jumped up.

• Having jumped up, the cat pounced the mouse.

• Having up jumped the cat, the mouse pounced.

The phrase "having jumped up" is intended to describe the mouse.

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The only sentence that makes this clear is "The cat pounced when the mouse jumped up."

Multiple Choice

What is the best way to correct this sentence?

Having finished studying, the cookies began baking.

• Having finished studying, the cookies begun baking

• While finishing studying, the cookies began baking

• Once I finished studying, I began baking cookies.

•  

  There is no error in this sentence.

Since cookies can't study, we need to clarify who finished studying.

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The only sentence that makes this clear is "Once I finished studying, I began baking cookies."

Multiple Choice

What is the best way to correct this sentence?

Looking up, the large umbrella blocked the sun.

• Blocking the sun, the umbrella looked up.

• Looking up at the large umbrella, we noticed that it blocked the sun.

• Looking up, the large umbrella blocked the sun for us.

•  

  There is no error in this sentence.

Since umbrellas can't look up, we need to clarify who was looking.

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The only sentence that makes this clear is "Looking up at the large umbrella, we noticed that it blocked the sun."

Multiple Choice

What is the best way to correct this sentence?

Using cranes and climbing ropes, scientists study the tops of the trees.

• Using cranes and climbing ropes, the trees were studied by scientists.

• Studying the tops of trees, scientists use cranes and climbing ropes.

• The trees were studied by scientists.

•  

  There is no error in this sentence.

This sentence is already correct.

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The modifying phrase "using cranes and climbing ropes" is describing the scientists. Leaving the sentence alone makes the most sense.

Multiple Choice

What is the best way to correct this sentence?

Understanding just part of the rain forest, something becomes clear.

• Understanding just part of the rain forest, something becomes clear to the scientists.

• Understanding just part of the scientists, something becomes clear about the rainforest.

• Something becomes clear to people who have an understanding of just part of the rain forest.

•  

  There is no error in this sentence.

This sentence needs lots of help. We need to know who is understanding.

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The sentence "Something becomes clear to people who have an understanding of just part of the rain forest" is the best way to clarify the dangling modifier.

Multiple Choice

Which modifying phrase in the following sentence is misplaced?

An elm fell across the house that had been uprooted in the storm.

• in the storm

• across the house

• that had been uprooted in the storm

• An elm

"That had been uprooted in the storm" is not describing the house, so it is the phrase we need to move.

​

Open Ended

How would you rewrite the following sentence?

An elm fell across the house that had been uprooted in the storm.

Your answer should look something like this:

​

​An elm that had been uprooted in the storm fell across the house.​

Multiple Choice

Which modifying phrase in the following sentence is misplaced?

I bought a book at that store that describes the history of the Alamo.

• that describes the history of the Alamo.

• I bought

• at that store

• I bought a book at that store

"That describes the history of the Alamo" is not describing the store, so it is the phrase we need to move.

​

Open Ended

How would you rewrite the following sentence?

I bought a book at that store that describes the history of the Alamo.

Your answer should look something like this:

​

I bought a book that describes the history of the Alamo at that store.

Multiple Choice

Which modifying phrase in the following sentence is misplaced?

The deer looked at me with white spots.

• The deer

• with white spots

• looked at me

• white spots.

"With white spots" is not describing the word "me", so it is the phrase we need to move.

​

Open Ended

How would you rewrite the following sentence?

The deer looked at me with white spots.

Your answer should look something like this:

​

The deer with white spots looked at me.

Multiple Choice

Which modifying phrase in the following sentence is misplaced?

Alice picked up the puppy with a grin.

• picked up

• Alice

• with a grin

• the puppy

"With a grin" is not describing the puppy, so it is the phrase we need to move.

​

Open Ended

How would you rewrite the following sentence?

Alice picked up the puppy with a grin.

Your answer should look something like this:

​

With a grin, Alice picked up the puppy.

Multiple Choice

Which modifying phrase in the following sentence is misplaced?

On the windowsill, I watched my cat sleep.

• I watched

• my cat

• sleep

• on the windowsill

"On the windowsill" is not describing the word "I", so it is the phrase we need to move.

​

Open Ended

How would you rewrite the following sentence?

On the windowsill, I watched my cat sleep.

Your answer should look something like this:

​

I watched my cat sleep on the windowsill.