Misplaced and Dangling Modifiers
A misplaced modifier is a word, phrase or clause that is improperly separated from the word it modifies/describes.
Because of the separation, sentences with this error often sound awkward, ridiculous, confusing, or illogical.
Example: On her way home, Jamie found a gold man's watch.
So, a gold man owns a watch? The modifier should be placed next to the word it modifies. In this case, gold should
come before watch.
Types of Misplaced Modifiers:
1. Misplaced adjectives are incorrectly separated from the nouns they modify. This almost always distorts the
meaning of the sentence.
EX: The child ate a cold dish of cereal for breakfast this morning.
The dish was cold? Cold should be in front of cereal.
CORRECTION: The child ate a dish of cold cereal for...
2. Placement of adverbs can also change meaning in sentences.
EX: We ate the lunch that we had brought slowly.
CORRECTION: We slowly ate the lunch that we had brought.
Watch for adverbs such as only, just, nearly, merely, and almost. They are OFTEN misplaced.
3. Misplaced phrases may cause a sentence to sound awkward and may create a meaning that does not make sense.
EX: The dealer sold the Cadillac to the buyer with leather seats. CORRECTION: The dealer sold the Cadillac with leather
seats to the buyer.
4. Misplaced clauses may cause a sentence to sound awkward and may create a meaning that does not make sense.
Put clauses next to the noun they are supposed to modify.
EX: The waiter served a dinner roll to the woman that was well buttered.
CORRECTION: The waiter served a dinner roll that was well buttered to the woman.
Be careful when correcting misplaced modifier errors because you do not want to create a sentence with two possible
meanings.
EX: The teacher said on Monday she would return our essays.
return the essays on Monday?
Did the teacher say this on Monday OR will she
DANGLING MODIFIERS
A dangling modifier is a phrase or clause that is NOT clearly and logically related to the word or word it
modifies. Keep the following in mind:
Unlike a misplaced modifier, a dangling modifier cannot be corrected by simply moving it to a different place in a
sentence.
In most cases, the dangling modifier appears at the beginning of the sentence, although it can also come at the end.
Check out these INCORRECT examples with dangling modifiers:
Looking toward the west, a funnel shaped cloud stirred up dust.
When nine years old, my mother enrolled in medical school.
Having been fixed the night before, Priscilla could use the car.
the cloud looked to the west?
Mother enrolled in medical school when she was 9?
Priscilla was fixed the night before?
How to Fix Dangling Modifiers:
Method #1
 Leave the modifier as is
 Change the main part of the sentence so that it begins with the term actually modified
 This will then put the modifier next to the term it modifies
EX: Looking toward the west, a funnel shaped cloud stirred up dust.
dangling modifier
Correction: Looking toward the west, I saw a funnel shaped cloud stir up dust.
Method #2
 Change the dangling modifier phrase to a subordinate clause, creating a subject and verb.
 Leave the rest of the sentence as it is
EX: When nine years old, my mother enrolled in medical school.
dangling modifier
Correction: When I was nine years old, my mother enrolled in medical school.
subject verb
Practice Sentences:
First, highlight the modifier and then rewrite the following sentences to correct misplaced OR dangling modifiers. In the
margin, note which type of error occurred in the sentence - misplaced or dangling.
1.The pre-school needs a 3-year old teacher.
2. After driving for 50 years, Mr. Smith ran into a telephone pole.
3. Barbara munched popcorn seated by the window on the long bus ride home.
4. The man was stopped for speeding in the blue sweater.
5. Joe promised to mow the lawn running out the door.
6. Fighting off an attack of hay fever, the grass was mowed.
7. Hidden among the fresh daffodils, I found a plastic flower.
8. Running to catch the school bus, my books fell in a puddle.
9. Lying in the gutter, scummy and dirty, I picked up my books and stuffed them into my backpack.
10. Struggling with the algebra problem, the pencil taped nervously on Kenneth's desk.