DanglingandMisplacedModifiers

DANGLINGMODIFIERS
Adanglingmodifierisaphraseorclausethatdoesnotlogicallymodifyanywordinthesentenceinwhichit
appears.Althoughmostcommonlyfoundatthebeginningofthesentence,thedanglingmodifiermaybe
locatedattheendofthesentence,too.
Example:Swimmingoutintothelake,thewatergrewcold.
(Theonlynouninthemainclauseis"waterThewaterwasnotswimming.)
Correctadanglingmodifierinoneoftwoways:
1.Supplythenounorpronounthatitshouldmodifyandplacethemodifiernexttotheword.
Example:Swimmingoutintothelake,Ifeltthewatergrowcold.
2.Changethedanglingconstructionintoacompleteclause.
Example:AsIswamintothelake,thewaterfeltcold.
Danglingmodifiersusuallytakeoneoffourforms:
I.DanglingParticipialPhrase(An"ing"verbform)
Example:Steppingintotheboat,mycameradroppedintothewater.
Revision:Steppingintotheboat,Idroppedmycameraintothewater.
WhileIwassteppingintotheboat,mycameradroppedintothewater.
Example:Themountainsweresnowcoveredandcloudless,flyingovertheRockies.
Revision:WhenIflewovertheRockies,themountainsweresnowcoveredandcloudless.
FlyingovertheRockies,Isawthatthemountainsweresnowcoveredandcloudless.
Example:Drivingthroughthemountains,manybearswereseen.
Revision:
2.DanglingGerunds(An"ing"verbformusedasanoun)
Example:Afterdrivingallday,themotelwasawelcomesight.
Revision:Afterdrivingallday,wewelcomedthesightofthemotel.
Afterwehaddrivenallday,themotelwasawelcomesight.
Example:Beforeexploringthedesert,ourwatersupplywasreplenished.
Revision:
3.DanglingInfinitives("To"plusarootverb)
Example:Towriteeffectively,practiceisnecessary.
Revision:Towriteeffectively,onemustpractice.
Ifonewishestowriteeffectively,practiceisnecessary.(or...onemustpractice.)
Example:Toexaminethebrakes,thewheelmustberemoved.

Revision:
4.DanglingEllipticalClauses(Aclauseinwhichthesubjectorverbisunderstood)
Example:Whilecombingmyhairthismorning,aman'sfaceappearedatthewindow.
Revision:Whilecombingmyhairthismorning,Isawaman'sfaceappearatthewindow.
WhileIwascombingmyhairthismorning,aman'sfaceappearedatthewindow.
Example:Whenababy,mygrandfathergavemeasilvercup.
Revision:
Manyphrasesarewellestablishedintroductoryexpressionsandarepermissibleinformalwriting.
Examples:Judgingfrompastexperience...Inthefirstplace...Consideringthesituation...Grantedthe
results...Tosumup...
MISPLACEDMODIFIERS
Becausewordorderisoftenimportanttothemeaningofasentence,amodifier,beitaphraseoraword,
shouldbeplacedascloseaspossibletotheworditmodifies.Manymodifierscanbemovedtovarious
positionsinthesentence,butifambiguityresults,thewordordermustbecorrected.
Misplacedmodifiersgenerallytakeoneoffourforms:
1.MisplacedAdverbs
Example:Thiswillonlytakefiveminutes.
Inearlyearnedahundreddollars.
Revision:Thiswilltakeonlyfiveminutes.
Iearnednearlyahundreddollars.
Example:Ihavefollowedtheadvicefaithfullygivenbythemanual.
Revision:
2.MisplacedPhrasesandClauses
Example:Helostthechancetomakelargeprofitsthroughtheworkofimitators.
Revision:Throughtheworkofimitators,helostthechancetomakelargeprofits.
Example:Hesearchedaroundandfoundanoldbusscheduleinthedrawerthatwasoutofdate.
Revision:Hesearchedaroundandfoundinadraweranoldbusschedulethatwasoutofdate.
Example:IheardthatSenatorJoneshadbeenshotonthemorningbroadcast.
Revision:
3.SquintingModifiers(Awordorphraseplacedinapositionsothatitmodifieseitheraprecedingwordor
thewordafterit)
Example:Readingabookfrequentlywillchangethewholecourseofaman'slife.
Revision:Readingabookwillfrequentlychangethewholecourseofaman'slife.
Example:Thechildwholiesinninecasesoutoftenisfrightened.

Revision:
4.SplitInfinitives(Amodifierofoneormorewordsplacedbetweenthe"to"andtherootverb)
Example:Itwasmycustomtoatleastonceamonthvisitmygrandmother.
Revision:Itwasmycustomtovisitmygrandmotheratleastonceamonth.Example:Shetriedto
carefullyhandlethekitten.
Revision:
PRACTICEA
Usingthefollowingphrasesandellipticalclausesasintroductorymodifiers,writecompletesentences.
Example:Havingweededthegarden,myfathersatdowntoadmirehishandiwork.
1.Whenputtingthemicrofilmonthereader,
2.Skiingbehindtheboat,
3.Tobeontimeformyfirstclass,
4.Beforeplacingtheoverseascall,
5.Havinglinedupbythefountain,
6.Frequentlyinterruptedbyotherslivinginthedormitory,
7.Notwishingtodisturbthestudentworkinginthereferenceroom,
8.Whileexploringtheattic,
9.Tomakegoodcoffee,
10.Thinkingrealisticallyaboutthefuture,
PRACTICEEXERCISEB
Revisethefollowingsentencestocorrectanydanglingormisplacedmodifiers.
Writethecorrectioninthespacesabovethesentences,usingarrowsifnecessarytoshowthecorrectposition
ofthemodifier.Write"C"ifthesentenceiscorrect.
Example:HesentusthefullstoryofhisrescuefromtheOzarks.
1.Burnedtoacinder,Icouldnoteatthetoast.
2.Donotapplythepaintuntilthoroughlystirred.
3.Whilesleeping,thecoverswerekickedoffthebed.
4.Afterbarkingatthemoonpastmidnight,theNortonsdecidedtocomplaintothedog'sowners.
5.ToappreciateD.W.Griffith'sfilms,theperiodinwhichtheywereproducedmustbeunderstood.
6.Attheendoftheperiodweweretoldtopromptlyhandinourbluebooks.

7.Concernedbytheinternationalnews,WashingtonwasthebestplaceforthePresident.
8.Sheworearibboninherhairwhichwasalightpink.
9.ThefilmaboutthelifeoftheseaotterwhichIsawdowntownwasveryinteresting.
10.HewrotehisbookongamblinginIowa.
11.Whentryingtomakethehookshot,thefloorprovedtobetooslipperyforClarence.
12.Therainbegantofallimmediatelyafterplantingthegrass.
13.Whileexaminingthesapphire,theexperiencedjewelerdetectedthescratch.
14.Tobecomethoroughlyfamiliarwiththeresourcesofalargelibrary,yearsofexperiencearerequired.
15.NeverhavingbeentoHongKong,itwasfoolishforhertochooseitasthesettingofhershortstory.
16.Whilelecturingonhisfavoritesubjectforthethirdday,studentsnappedorwroteletters.
17.Thetermreactionarycanbeappliedtopolitical,social,oreconomic(oracombinationofthethree)
beliefs.
18.Afternickingasubmergedrock,thecanoebegantoslowlybutsteadilyleakandtograduallysettle
deeperinthewater.
19.ShetoldhimtoforHeaven'ssakeshutup.
20.HavingcomeacrosstheworkofbothHenryJamesandSamuelClemensintheoldmagazines,a
fascinatingpastimewasexploringotherissues.
21.Whenwaitingforthedentist,everysoundfromtheofficeisnervewracking.
22.Aftercorrectingmyoriginalcalculations,theproblemwasfinallysolved.
23.HavingseenBeckett'sWaitingforGodot,myattitudetowardmoderndramahaschangedcompletely.
24.Thedirectionswereclear,andmytroublecouldhavebeenprevented,iffollowedcorrectly.
25.Towriteasuccessfulresearchpaper,oneshouldfollowcertainprescribedsteps.