TED-ED: How misused modifiers can hurt your writing - Emma Bryce

The video tutorial explains common grammatical errors involving modifiers, such as misplaced, dangling, and squinting modifiers. It highlights how these errors can lead to ambiguity in sentences and provides strategies for correcting them. Misplaced modifiers are discussed with examples, showing how they can change the meaning of a sentence. Dangling modifiers are explained as phrases that don't clearly modify any word in the sentence, and squinting modifiers are described as those that can refer to two different parts of a sentence. The tutorial emphasizes the importance of clarity in writing to maintain grammatical accuracy.

What is a misplaced modifier?

• A word or phrase that is incorrectly separated from the word it modifies

• A word or phrase that is not needed in a sentence

• A word or phrase that modifies the wrong word in a sentence

• A word or phrase that adds unnecessary information to a sentence

How can a misplaced modifier be corrected?

• By changing the subject of the sentence

• By adding more modifiers to the sentence

• By rephrasing the sentence to clarify what the modifier is referring to

• By removing the modifier from the sentence

What is a dangling modifier?

• A modifier that is not clearly connected to any word in the sentence

• A modifier that is used to describe a noun

• A modifier that is used to describe an action

• A modifier that is placed at the end of a sentence

What is a squinting modifier?

• A modifier that can refer to two different parts of a sentence

• A modifier that is not needed in a sentence

• A modifier that is used to describe a verb

• A modifier that is placed at the beginning of a sentence

How can you resolve the ambiguity caused by a squinting modifier?

• By adding more modifiers to the sentence

• By rewording the sentence so the modifier clearly applies to one part

• By placing the modifier at the end of the sentence

• By removing the modifier from the sentence