Misplaced and Dangling Modifiers

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Welcome!

Welcome to the Learning Commons Quick Start Guide on misplaced and dangling modifiers!

Modifiers play an important role in explaining how all the words and phrases in a sentence are related to each other. So, a dangling or misplaced modifier can make your sentence look awkward or confusing. After this lesson, you will be able to identify a faulty modifier and thereby correct it.

This guide will explain:  

  • How to identify a misplaced or a dangling modifier.
  • Where to place a modifier in a sentence based on what it modifies.

Modifiers 101

 
Course Information

Course Level: Beginner

Time to Complete: <10 mins

Perfect for: Students in WRTG100/101, ENGL103, or anyone who needs a refresher.

Guide Creator: Alisha Devani

This video is a primer on modifiers:

  • What they do in a sentence
  • How they can go awry
  • How they can be fixed when misused

Topic 1: How to identify a dangling modifier

  • What is a modifier? A modifier can be a word (mostly adjectives or adverbs), a phrase, or a clause that provides extra information about a part (usually nouns or verbs) in a sentence.

Example

The cat with the black ears is stuck on the tree.

  • What is a dangling modifier? It is a modifier that is placed in the sentence in a way that it is not clear which subject it modifies or lack thereof. 

Examples

The boy is trying to get in the building, with a backpack. (Here, it is not clear whether the boy is using the backpack to get into the building or is he just wearing one.)

The cat is stuck on a tree with black ears. (Here, placing the modifier “with black ears” besides the “tree” and not the “cat” makes it confusing as to what it modifies.) 

Such mistakes can make your sentences unintentionally awkward and often a little bit funny.

Your Turn: Test Your Understanding

Think you have a grasp of the information above? Test yourself!

Topic 2: How to Identify a Misplaced Modifier

What a Misplaced Modifier is

A misplaced modifier is a modifier that is not clearly placed near the subject that it intends to modify, causing confusion.

Where a modifier should be placed:

  •  modifier should be placed closest to what it modifies. 
  • If it is an adverb, it should be placed closest to the verb.
    • Example: The man is running fast. 
  • If it is an adjective, it should be placed closest to the noun.
    • Ex. The cute little dog is looking at the squirrel.
  • If it is a phrase, it should be placed nearest to the subject that it modifies.
    • Ex. The squirrel, which is sitting on the tree, is being watched by the dog.

 

Your Turn: Test Your Understanding

Test yourself to see if you understand proper modifier usage.

 
Summative Activity

Self-Check

Congratulations!

Now, return to the Learning Commons Resource Moodle and do the exit quiz to confirm your new knowledge!

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Additional Resources

Below are some great links to follow if you want to learn more about modifiers:

Now, return to the Learning Commons Resource Moodle and do the exit quiz to confirm your new knowledge!