Misplaced Modifiers

Front

What is a misplaced modifier?

Back

A misplaced modifier is a word, phrase, or clause that is improperly separated from the word it modifies, leading to confusion or ambiguity in a sentence.

Front

Why is it important to avoid misplaced modifiers?

Back

Avoiding misplaced modifiers is important because they can change the meaning of a sentence and lead to misunderstandings.

Front

Identify the misplaced modifier in this sentence: 'The dog ran quickly to the park that was barking.'

Back

The phrase 'that was barking' is misplaced; it suggests the park is barking instead of the dog.

Front

What is the correct way to phrase this sentence: 'I saw the man with the telescope.'?

Back

To clarify, it should be 'With the telescope, I saw the man.' or 'I saw the man who had the telescope.'

Front

How can you identify a misplaced modifier?

Back

Look for phrases that seem to modify the wrong noun or that create ambiguity in the sentence.

Front

What is an example of a correctly placed modifier?

Back

'The cat sat on the mat, purring softly.' Here, 'purring softly' clearly modifies 'the cat'.

Front

What is the effect of a misplaced modifier on a sentence?

Back

It can create confusion, mislead the reader, or change the intended meaning of the sentence.

Front

Rewrite this sentence to correct the misplaced modifier: 'She almost drove her kids to school every day.'

Back

'She drove her kids to school almost every day.'

Front

What is a dangling modifier?

Back

A dangling modifier is a word or phrase that modifies a word not clearly stated in the sentence, often leading to confusion.

Front

Provide an example of a sentence with a dangling modifier.

Back

'After reading the book, the movie was disappointing.' (It sounds like the movie read the book.)