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LAB 206
Correcting Dangling and Misplaced Modifiers
Overview: Modifiers are words or phrases that describe something or someone. It may help you to think of modifying
as limiting or changing what is described.
I. Dangling modifiers usually occur at the beginning of sentences. They are meant to describe something or someone,
but that something or someone is never named in the sentence, so the modifiers are left hanging or dangling.
Example: After waiting for the bus, it drove by without stopping.
Who is waiting for the bus? That person is never named. In fact, according to the structure of the sentence, “it” is
waiting for the bus, yet “it” also refers to the bus. So the bus is waiting for itself. Obviously, that sentence doesn’t
make any sense.
Revised version: While I was waiting for the bus, it drove by without stopping.
Revised version: After waiting for the bus for twenty minutes, I was angry when it drove by without stopping.
II. Misplaced modifiers are also meant to describe something or someone, but the modifiers are in the wrong place in
the sentence.
Example: Susan put the cake on the table, which was chocolate.
The problem in that sentence is obvious. According to the structure of the sentence, the table is chocolate. The problem
arises because the modifying phrase which was chocolate is misplaced; it is next to table instead of next to the noun it
actually modifies, cake.
Revised version: Susan put the cake, which was chocolate, on the table.
Revised version: Susan put the chocolate cake on the table.
Practice: On another sheet of paper, revise the following sentences to correct dangling and misplaced modifiers. In
some cases, all you will need to do is place the modifying word or phrase closer to what it modifies, but sometimes
you will need to rewrite a sentence more substantially in order to correct the problem.
1.
She described her date as a six-foot-tall man with long legs weighing 200 pounds.
2.
While eating a mouse, I caught the cat.
3.
At age four, my grandmother came to live with us.
4.
You will appreciate the piano lessons your mother made you take someday.
5.
When reading the article, the author really makes us think about this issue.
6.
Finished with his homework, Billy’s grandfather took him to a ball game.
Additional Practice: Read through two or three paragraphs of your draft to see if you have created dangling or
misplaced modifiers. If so, use the examples above to help you rewrite those sentences.
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This handout is part of a library of instructional materials used in California State University, Long Beach’s writing center, the Writer's Resource Lab.
Educators and students are welcome to distribute copies as long as they do so with attribution to all organizations and authors. Commercial distribution is
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