Vocabulary Lesson 24! Misplaced Modifiers!! by: Luis I. Ortiz (Louis) Claudia Bosch Diego Matias Rosner RAINBOW EDITION!

OMG?! What’s a Modifier ?!?! A modifier is a word or a phrase that describes something else. You should place it as close as possible to what it describes. If you don't, your intended meaning may not be clear. Consider the unintentional meanings in the following:

Examples of Incorrect Misplaced Modifiers: The young girl was walking the dog in a short skirt. The dog was chasing the boy with the spiked collar. You can see what's wrong!! The dog isn't "in a short skirt" and the boy doesn't have a "spiked collar." Because the modifier is misplaced, we have to think for a minute before we get the intended meaning.

Correct Examples of Misplaced Modifiers: *The young girl in a short skirt was walking the dog. *The dog with the spiked collar was chasing the boy. See how the proper placement clarifies the meaning?

Placement of Modifiers! You also need to watch the placement of modifiers such as almost, even, hardly, nearly, often, and only. A couple of examples should be enough: Big Dog almost ran around the yard twenty times. He nearly ate a whole box of treats.

Continuing… In both sentences--when he "almost ran" and "nearly ate"--nothing happened! He didn't quite get around to doing either thing. What is intended is: Big Dog ran around the yard almost twenty times. He ate nearly a whole box of treats.

Practice!! Which is correct?(Choose which one): Piled up next to the washer, I began doing the laundry. OR I began doing the laundry piled up next to the washer.

Practice!! Which is correct?(Choose which one): While John was talking on the phone, the doorbell rang. OR While talking on the phone, the doorbell rang.

MORE Practice!! Which is correct?(Choose which one): Standing on the balcony, the ocean view was magnificent. OR Standing on the balcony, we had a magnificent ocean view.

Answers: 1 ) 2 nd Choice (1rst Choice: Incorrect, this sounds as if “you” were piled up next to the washer). 2) 1rst Choice (2 nd Choice: Incorrect, How many doorbells can talk on the phone?) 3) 2 nd Choice (1rst Choice: Incorrect, So the “view” was standing on the balcony?)