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Misplaced and Dangling Modifiers
Adapted from the Study Guide, St. Thomas
University
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A modifier is a word or group of words that describes another word and
makes its meaning more specific. Often modifying phrases add information
about "where", "when", or "how" something is done. A modifier works best
when it is right next to the word it modifies. For example, consider the
modifiers in the following sentence (they are underlined for you): |
"The awesome dude rode a wave breaking on the shore."
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The word "awesome" is an adjective (or, a one-word modifier). It sits right
next to the "dude" it modifies. Also, the phrase "breaking on the shore"
tells us where he rode the wave; thus, "breaking on the shore" is a modifying
phrase that must be placed next to the "wave" it modifies. |
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Below are some examples of poorly placed modifiers. See if you can identify
the problems: |
Roger looked at twenty-five sofas shopping on Saturday.
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Obviously twenty-five sofas were not shopping on Saturday. Because Shopping
on Saturday is meant to modify Roger, it should be right next to Roger,
as follows: |
Shopping on Saturday, Roger looked at twenty-five sofas.
The woman tore open the package she had just received with her
fingernails.
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Had the woman really received the package with her fingernails? The writer
meant that she tore open the package with her fingernails. |
With her fingernails, the woman tore open the package she had just
received.
The waiter brought the pancakes to the table drenched in blueberry
syrup.
What's drenched according to the sentence? Actually, the pancakes were
drenched. The waiter brought the pancakes, drenched in blueberry syrup, to
the table.
Lying in a heap on the closet floor, Jean found her son's dirty
laundry.
It sounds as if Jean was lying on the closet floor when she found her
son's laundry! Jean found her son's dirty laundry lying in a heap on the closet
floor.
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