1. Misplaced and Dangling Modifiers

2. Q: What is a modifier?

3. A: a word or phrase that qualifies (modifies) a word, phrase or clause
Types:
adjectives (modify nouns and pronouns) (for example: the RED house)
adverbs (modify verbs) (for example: he ran QUICKLY)
modifier phrases (modify an action or an actor) (LOOKING AT THE CLOCK, he noticed that he was late)

4. Q: What is a misplaced modifier?

5. A: A word or word group whose placement suggests that it modifies one word or phrase when it is intended to modify another. A modifier should be closest to the noun it modifies, not to another noun

6. Misplaced Modifiers Slowly removing his cap, the gentleman bowed.
Rolling his eyes, the boy agreed with his mother.
Giving up completely, she quit college.
Our church, flooded last year, is still recovering.
More beautiful than any human being, the explorer noticed the mermaid.
Wild and untamed, Jack entered the jungle.
Moaning in haunting voices, the house contained many ghosts.

7. Q: How do I fix it?

8. A: Revise the sentence, taking care to put modifying words, phrases, and clauses in a position that clearly identifies the headword and that does not awkwardly interrupt a sentence.

9. Examples:
Incorrect: More beautiful than any human being, the explorer noticed the mermaid.
Correct: The explorer noticed the mermaid, which was more beautiful than any human being.

10. Examples: Incorrect: Wild and untamed, Jack entered the jungle.
Correct: Jack entered the wild and untamed jungle.

11. Examples:
Incorrect: Moaning in haunting voices, the house contained many ghosts.
Correct: The house contained many ghosts that moaned in haunting voices.

12. Q: What is a dangling modifier?

13. A: A dangling modifier is a word or phrase that cannot logically describe, limit, or restrict any word or word group in the sentence. The word it modifies does not exist in the sentence

14. Dangling Modifiers
Using a variety of pedagogical techniques, the students were taught grammar.
To improve his essay, each page was proofread.
While reading the novel, the pages that contain important information should be marked.

15. Q: How do I fix it?

16. HINT: You must usually change the subject of the main clause.
A: Add a word or word group that the dangling modifier can logically modify.
HINT: You must usually change the subject of the main clause.

17. Examples:
Incorrect: Using a variety of pedagogical techniques, the students were taught grammar.
Correct: Using a variety of pedagogical techniques, the teacher taught the students grammar.

18. Example: Incorrect: To improve his essay, each page was proofread.
Correct: To improve his essay, David proofread each page.

19. Examples:
Incorrect: While reading the novel, the pages that contain important information should be marked.
Correct: While reading the novel, you should mark the pages that contain important information.

20. What is wrong with the following sentences?
Self Test:
What is wrong with the following sentences?

21. 1. The professor posted the notes for the students covered in class.
2. Changing the oil every 3,000 miles, the car seemed to run better.

22. 3. Bright and full of flowers, Jenny entered the meadow.
4. With three minutes to write, the exam was nearly finished.
5. Careful not to make a tear, the delicate paper was wrapped around the gift.

23. 6. Carrying many books, his foot slipped.
7. My computer, making a strange groaning noise, needed to be replaced.
8. Longing for some human company, I cradled the little abandoned puppy.
9. Killed for her beliefs, the martyr died a heroic death

24. Modifiers
Use them sparingly. Too many modifiers have the tendency to weaken a piece of writing. They often become crutches for writers preventing them from finding stronger nouns and verbs. Which sentence is stronger?
“The small tan toy dog with a high pitched bark walked lazily.”
“The yapping Chihuahua loped.”

25. Misplaced Modifiers
The second sentence is stronger because it creates a clearer word picture in the reader’s mind. A small tan toy dog could be any type of dog from an Affenpinscher to a Yorkshire Terrier, but using its proper name instead of an adjective phrase creates a specific image in the mind of the reader.
“When you find an adjective, kill it,” Mark Twain.

26. Limiting Modifiers
Writers must use limiting modifiers carefully. Limiting modifiers are words that change the sentence’s meaning depending upon where they are placed. They are words such as only, not only, just, not just, almost, hardly, nearly, even, exactly, merely, scarcely, and simply.

27. Limiting Modifiers Just Spock drank a Pepsi.
Spock was the only one drinking Pepsi.
Spock just drank a Pepsi.
Spock recently drank a Pepsi.
Spock drank just a Pepsi.
One Pepsi was the only thing Spock drank.
Each time the limiting modifier “just” was moved the meaning of the sentence changed.

28. Limiting Modifiers -Only she ate the pudding.
She, no one else, ate it.
-She only ate the pudding.
She only ate the pudding, not anything else
-She ate only the pudding.
She ate nothing but the pudding
-She ate the pudding only.

29. Limiting Modifiers Only John hit Peter in the nose.
John hit only Peter in the nose.
John hit Peter only in the nose.
John only hit Peter in the nose.

30. Where does ONLY really go?
The budget can only be balanced if programs are cut for next year. 
2. Many animals hibernate in the winter, only waking occasionally for nourishment. 
3. The team only scored two runs in the first seven innings

31. Visit the Writing Centre:
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