1. Andrea Lunsford Everyday Writer
Modifier Placement
Andrea Lunsford
Everyday Writer

2. Misplaced modifiers Keep modifiers close to words they modify.
She teaches a seminar this term on voodoo at Skyline College.
on voodoo
She teaches a seminar this term on voodoo at Skyline College.

3. Misplaced modifiers
Billowing from every window, he saw clouds of smoke.
billowing from every window.
Billowing from every window, He saw clouds of smoke.

4. Limiting modifiers
Be careful with limiting modifiers such as almost, even, just, merely, and only.
The court only hears civil cases on Tuesdays.
The court hears only civil cases on Tuesdays.
The court hears civil cases on Tuesdays only.

5. Squinting modifiers
If the modifier can refer to either the word before or after it, it is a squinting modifier.
Students who practice writing often will benefit.
Students who often practice writing will benefit.
Students who practice writing will often benefit.

6. If they are cooked too long, vegetables will
Disruptive modifiers
These modifiers interrupt connections between parts of a sentence.
Vegetables will, if they are cooked too long, lose most of their nutritional value.
If they are cooked too long, vegetables will
Vegetables will, if they are cooked too long, lose most of their nutritional value.

7. Driving nonstop, Salishan Lodge is located two hours from Portland.
Dangling modifiers
These modifiers modify nothing in particular in the rest of a sentence.
Driving nonstop, Salishan Lodge is located two hours from Portland.
Driving nonstop from Portland, you can reach Salishan Lodge in two hours

8. Dangling modifiers
Reluctantly, the hound was given away to a neighbor.
Reluctantly, our family gave away the hound to a neighbor.
As a young boy, his grandmother told stories of her years as a country schoolteacher.
When he was a young boy, his grandmother told stories of her years as a country schoolteacher.
Thumbing through the magazine, my eyes automatically noticed the perfume ads.
My eyes automatically noticed the perfume ads as I was thumbing through the magazine.