Ideally, they should be directly next to the thing being modified, either before or after, sometimes with a helping verb. Create a word for the modifier to describe. From henceforth, you’ll be the one to ask tricky grammar questions like this. While driving to work, Jane witnessed a car accident on the highway. After reading the great new book, Anna thought the movie based on it was sure to be exciting. Example 5 with Participle Phrase. Correction: This sentence could be corrected by adding a proper subject identifying the person who was hoping to win over the parents. Once we add the culprit (or culprits), the sentence becomes clear. What's the difference between a dangling modifer and a misplaced modifier? It’s embarrasing, but it happens — even when you know better. In the example below, the introductory phrase modifies Jane, the subject of the main clause. 1st form of verb + ing) or a past participle (2nd form of verb).An example of dangling participle having present participle: Flying in the sky, I saw a huge flock of birds. “Not having studied the lab manual carefully, the experiment was a failure.”. And since you don’t want to confuse your readers, you need to know not only how to spot them but how to fix them, too. Unbeaten, the Wildcats claimed the regular season championship. However, modifiers don't always have to be simple words or phrases like "happy," and sentences aren't always simple. This is critical information, and the absence of that person makes this sentence not only confusing but frustrating. The one modified by “not having studied the lab manual carefully” is conspicuously absent (how convenient). Because of the placement of walking to the movies, this sentence suggests that the cloudburst is walking to the movies even though a possible walker - Jim - is mentioned later. Phrases can also act as modifiers, providing additional information about something else in the sentence. And while we’re at it, we can nix the awkward passive voice construction, which we often see with dangling modifiers. Now, at least, you’ll be better able to spot those mistakes during editing. A dangling modifier does not have anything to modify because the word or words it should modify have been omitted from the sentence.These sentences should be restructured to include the words the modifiers describe.Dangling Modifier Examples: 1. Example 2 with a Participle Phrase. If you’re ready for more examples, check out our post with examples of misplaced modifiers. Unbeaten, the regular season championship belonged to the Wildcats. And do you know what to say when someone asks, “So, what’s the difference between a dangling modifier and misplaced modifier?”. Having finished the assignment , Jill turned on the TV. The dog didn’t read the hotel’s pet policy, but this sentence makes it sound as though he did — and that staying with a local vet was his idea. Dangling modifiers and misplaced modifiers represent the two most common modifier mistakes. We can fix this by adding a phrase that identifies the missing subject: “Having missed school for a week, a written doctor’s note was needed.”. Logically, it's "people" who are stuck standing in line, but with the way this sentence is structured, grammatically that phrase must refer to "the elevator," making the sentence nonsensical. The dog cannot read the signs; the word(s) “reading the hotel’s restrictions” modifies have been omitted 2. At other times the dangling modifier is placed next to the wrong noun or noun substitute. I am the person who is hoping to excuse my lateness, so I wrote a note and gave it to my teacher. Being explicit makes writing clearer and easier to understand. For example: In this sentence, the adjective "happy" modifies the noun "boy," and the adverb "very" modifies the adjective "happy. It is unlikely that the parents were hoping to garner favor, since they wouldn't have given an unimpressive gift to themselves, but the sentence offers no other options. After reading the great new book, the movie based on it is sure to be exciting. What is a dangling modifier? In this sentence the doer (the subject) of the action is missing. Let’s start first with the definition of a modifier. Misplaced modifiers are positioned so that they appear to modify something other than what they’re meant to describe. Dangling modifiers: definition and examples. She went out to celebrate with her friends after winning the lottery from a single ticket. After all, who would ignore their own grand gesture? Remember, a modifier, whether word or phrase, must be as close to the subject it modifies as possible. Dangling Modifier Examples. Probably not the failed experiment — which is the victim in all this. Problem: Here, it seems as though we have a subject: "my lateness." Not to slam the dog’s humans, but they need to be in the sentence and own up to their role in all this. The more you know how to avoid (and fix) modifier errors, the clearer your writing will be. Recognizing dangling modifiers In a correct sentence, the subject (or doer) that is modified should immediately follow the comma after the modifier. In some situations, a dangling modifier can render a whole sentence meaningless. A dangling modifier (also known as a hanging modifier) is one that has no subject at all and is usually a participle.It is also called illogical participle. This sentence implies that the sun was the “doer of the action”, that the sun was driving past The Break Box Café. Example: Swimming out into the lake, the water grew cold. Robert laughed hard when he his friend cracked a joke at him. Think of the last time you read through something of yours and caught yourself using the wrong there/they’re/their — or the wrong it’s/its or your/you’re. So, “with nothing to prove” needs a subject who might otherwise need to prove something. The pie wasn’t hungry, but someone sure was. Examples of Misplaced or Dangling Modifiers. ", Here, the adverb "quickly" modifies the verb "ran," and the adverb "very" modifies the adverb "quickly. 11 Examples of Dangling Modifiers. “Reading the regulations” is a dangling modifier. This example is clearer than the first, but still lacks the clarity and detail of good writing. Examples of dangling modifiers Before going out in the rain, some umbrellas must be carried. Whether a word or a whole phrase, a dangling modifier can confuse meaning and complicate writing. In this sentence, the phrase having finished the assignment is the dangling modifier. “I wore my favorite pants to the job interview, which accidentally picked up road salt from the side of … Consider the following sentence: Putting on my pajamas, a mouse ran across the floor. Modifiers need to be as close as possible to what they're modifying. It will be easiest for you to understand the problem of the dangling modifier if I show you some examples. The modifier thus dangles because it has nothing in the sentence to describe. Hoping to excuse my lateness, the note was written and given to my teacher. Dangling modifiers will have nowhere to hide. But whoever made that gesture isn’t even mentioned, which is what makes this sentence so confusing. In this example, the subject who was fumbling in her purse is not stated, so it seems like the keys were doing the fumbling. Do you know a dangling modifier when you see it? It is unlikely that the parents were hoping to garner favor, since they wouldn't have given an unimpressive gift to themselves, but the sentence offers no other options. Enjoy the following examples of dangling modifiers. They are incorrect and the reason is explained after the given example. Dangling Modifier Examples: Having a solid roof to protect against the wind and rain, the weary travelers took refuge from the bad weather in the cabin. Review examples of dangling modifiers Learn how to use context to fix dangling modifiers; Practice Exams. Dangling Modifier Examples. Example 3 with a Participle Phrase. Having finished the assignment, Jill turned on the TV. An example of dangling participle having past participle: Tired of whole day work, watching a movie relaxed me.Note. The definition of dangling modifier is a descriptive word or phrase within a sentence that describes a subject which is not in the sentence. How to repair dangling modifiers – two options: 1. Happy writing! Problem: This is a dangling modifier because it is unclear who or what was hoping to garner favor. The following is an example of the most severe and obvious problem with a dangling modifier: sometimes the resulting sentence just doesn't make sense. A modifier is a word, phrase, or clause that gives you more information about a subject or concept. In the case of adverbs, adverbs should modify the nearest verb or the subsequent adverb or adjective in the same sentence. Correction: We need a subject that is modified by "hoping to excuse my lateness," since obviously the note itself didn't have any hopes, because it's a note. Example 4 with a Participle Phrase. 1. However, "my lateness" is part of the modifier, rather than being part of the subject itself. Misplaced and dangling modifiers … Hoping to excuse my lateness, I wrote a note and gave it to my teacher. This situation is called a dangling modifier. All Rights Reserved. Hoping to garner favor, my parents were sadly unimpressed with the gift. Example: Incorrect: Hearing the good news, happiness was mine. Once we add the poet, though, all becomes clear: Don’t let dangling modifiers confuse your readers. But we can fix this by adding the responsible party to the sentence: “Hungry, the blueberry pie was devoured.”. Example 7 with an Adjective. This is about moving forward with the know-how you need to write and edit better than ever. A misplaced modifier is a type of ambiguous grammatical construct whereby a grammatical modifier could be misinterpreted as being associated with a word other than the one intended. So, it seems to modify something else, but it doesn’t make sense. “Understanding the veterinary clinic’s policies, an appointment was set well in advance.”. Example: After leaving the house, the car was started. Incorrect: Reading the regulations, the dog did not enter the park. The prepositional phrase “without knowing the recipe” should modify a person, but not a single person appears in this sentence. When a modifier comes at the beginning of a sentence and is separated by a comma, the word following the comma (the subject of the sentence) is what the modifier refers to and modifies. Participles are modifiers just like adjectives, so they must have a noun to modify. If you did, people would immediately ask you, "The happy what?" A modifier does exactly what it sounds like: it changes, alters, limits, or adds more info to something else in the sentence. In other words, if a modifier (word or phrase) modifies (changes the meaning) different word rather than the targeted one, it will be called dangling modifier. A modifier is considered dangling when the sentence isn’t clear about what is being modified.For example, “The big” doesn’t make sense without telling what is big which leaves “big” as a dangling modifier; but, “the big dog” is a complete phrase. Who didn’t study the lab manual? Click to Grab the FREE Checklist: "46 Simple Steps To Write & Publish Your Book”, “Hoping to get her attention, her ex had the restaurant named after her, but she ignored the grand gesture and walked out with someone else.”, “Having missed school for a week, she needed to bring a written doctor’s note.”, “Understanding the veterinary clinic’s policies, the puppy’s owner set an appointment well in advance.”, “Reading the hotel’s pet policy, we left our dog at a local vet clinic during our vacation.”, “Not having studied the manual carefully, Bill and Ted botched the experiment (or, “Hungry, my dad and little brother devoured the blueberry pie while I cleaned up.”, “Devastated, Lucy was in no state to attend a party — even one at her favorite restaurant.”, “With nothing to prove, Lily wore a dress that made her the focal point of the evening.”, “With a gasp, Dr. Jefffers quickly resealed the lid.”, “Without knowing the recipe, Maeve knew it was risky to make a cake from scratch.”, “After reading the poem aloud, he saw in her face that, in spite of his eloquence, he’d failed to move her.”, Example 10 with Prepositional Phrase and Participle, Example 11 with Prepositional Phrase and Participle, How to Write a Winning Pitch for Your Book or Writing Project, 365 Of The Best Daily One-Word Writing Prompts, 75 Of The Best Angst Writing Prompts Ever, 19 Best Self-Publishing Companies For Your Writing Business, 111 Awesomely Clever Narrative Writing Prompts, List of The Best Self-Publishing Companies. 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