Exchange papers with a classmate, and rewrite your classmates sentences to correct any misplaced modifiers. Chewing furiously, the gum fell out of my mouth. A modifier provides a concept's definition, clarification, or more information. Which of the following sentences contains a dangling modifier? Some animals, such as male frogs, only use their vocal organs to attract a mate. After identifying the dangling modifier, rewrite the sentence. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use. Writing, grammar, and communication tips for your inbox. This modifier placement makes it clear that the "civilization" used astronavigation. Published on A dog appeared in my dreams that sang like an angel. See APA 7, Section 4.23 for more explanation and examples. As we mentioned above, modifiers can be single words, phrases, or clauses. For a quick refresher on how to fit these components together to build sentences, read our post on sentence structure. The definition of Passage is a portion or section of a written work; a paragraph, verse, etc.. See additional meanings and similar words. The modifier "vegetarian" gives extra information about what kind of burger it is. The adverb "carefully" is the modifier in this exampleit modifies the verb "proofread," giving important details about how the proofreading was conducted. | Examples & How to Eliminate, Because John had injured his dominant hand, a car accident caused a traffic jam on the highway, Because we required more data for the study, questionnaires were collected from an additional 200 people, the darkness obscured the details of the room. This modifier placement makes it clear that "Dolger" is the one using astronavigation. How do you specify what somebody looks like? Rewrite the following paragraph correcting all the misplaced and dangling modifiers. Dangling modifiers (practice) | Khan Academy Assessing his set as clumsy and inelegant, not a single compliment was received What Is a Misplaced Modifier? | Examples & How to Fix - Scribbr Incorrect: To win the spelling bee, Luis and Gerard should join our team. The two common types of modifier errors are called misplaced modifiers and dangling modifiers. The Problem With Phrases and cried. After being thoroughly cooked, we enjoyed a delicious lobster dinner. A dangling modifier (or simply a dangler) is a word, phrase, or clause that describes something that has been left out of the sentence. If they do not, it is very likely you have a dangling modifier. This page is brought to you by the OWL at Purdue University. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use. Home a. du b. au c. de la 3. In the context of the passage as a whole, "address" is closest in Uncle Louie bought a running stroller for the baby that he called Speed Racer.. Arriving early to class, Leslie had time to finish her homework. Typically, modifiers are adjectives and adverbs, but they can also be prepositional phrases or even entire clauses. To revise, decide who was trying to introduce him. This is an example of how dangling modifiers can result in nonsensical sentences. kicked him to the surface where he gulped a much-needed breath of air. Watching the game with her friends, her favourite soccer team won the championship. Usually, this means right before or after the noun: This is also true when theyre modifying a verb or adjective: When a modifier isnt in this position, it can make the sentence confusing for a reader or listener. A dangerous and foolhardy activity, Modifier Placement For example, in the following sentence, the word "burger" is modified by the word "vegetarian": Example: I'm going to the Saturn Caf for a vegetarian burger. Solved DANGLING AND MISPLACED MODIFIERS Dangling Modifiers | Chegg.com Make sure the modifier and noun go together logically. This situation is an example of a dangling modifier error, since the modifier (the participial phrase) is not modifying any specific noun in the sentence and is thus left "dangling." These details, depending on how this sentence fits into a larger conversation, could serve as foreshadowing, clarification, distinction between this and another statement, or a means to, The second sentence contains both a modifier and a modifier phrase. Ideally, modifiers appear next to the word or phrase they describe, either directly before or after it. Hybrid cars use an electric motor, which can draw power from the car's battery when accelerating. The materials collected here do not express the views of, or positions held by, Purdue University. Crawling across the floor, the baby knocked over the blocks. Dangling modifiers describe a word or phrase that is not included in the sentence. When a modifier improperly modifies something, it is called a "dangling modifier." By employing verbalswords derived from a verbalong with other grammatical elements, an author can craft clauses that function as an adjective, modifying nouns and pronouns. dangling modifier is a word or phrase that modifies a word not clearly stated in the sentence. she asked poor Tommy the reason for his pain. We returned the wine to the waiter that was sour. Chapter 2: Writing Basics: What Makes a Good Sentence? The corrected version of the sentence clarifies the writers meaning. How do you describe how an action is being performed? Since a person must be doing the carrying for the sentence to make sense, a noun or pronoun that refers to a person must be in the place immediately after the participial phrase, as in the second sentence. If either of these errors occurs, readers can no longer read smoothly. Print Worksheet. A modifier is a word, phrase, or clause that describes another part of a sentence. Handouts Rules The good news is that these errors can be easily overcome. What's Actually Tested on the ACT English Section? - PrepScholar Tommy explained that he had A participial phrase is set off with commas when it: b) interrupts a sentence as a nonessential element. One day C) Several students walk home together in the evening. A dangling modifier occurs when the intendedsubject of the modifier is missing from the sentence, and instead another subject appears in its place. Clearer ways of writing these sentences are: Dangling modifiers arent the only type of misplaced modifier. Amy Luo. In this correctly composed sentence, the reader knows that the team captain arrived late and needs a written excuse. Which sentence contains a dangling modifier? (5 points - Brainly Incorrect: The patient was referred to the physician with stomach pains. Saying Repaired: Tyler found almost fifty cents under the sofa cushions. While Marinas After Tommy bemoaned his ineptitude on a surfboard, Marina If the participle or participial phrase comes in the middle of a sentence, it should be set off with commas only if the information is not essential to the meaning of the sentence. Often this error is a result of a main clause written in the passive voice. However, if we place the modifying phrase next to the word it describes, the sentence becomes correct. Fundamentally, modifiers purpose is to make sentences more descriptive or detailed. Which of the following sentences contains a dangling gerund phrase? This will make your readers either laugh or scratch their heads, neither of . Read the sample sentence, and then answer the questions. Correct: As Jane was riding in the sports car, the world whizzed by rapidly. The adjectival phrase tired after a long day at work is next to the word cat, not Mei like it should be. Of course, the writer is referring to the helmet, not to the persons head. 2) He uses these techniques at the same time. Chapter 11: Writing from Research: What Will I Learn? Because a car accident appears where the subject should be, the sentence now suggests that a car accident was driving to work. You guessed itwith modifiers. How do you specify what somebody looks like? In the first sentence, there is no clear indication of who or what is performing the action expressed in the participle carrying. Which one of these options completes the sentence in a way that makes the most sense? J'adore le marche ___________ Ville! Ecstatic about his new How do you communicate where, when, or how something happened? The modifier "vegetarian" gives extra information about what . Both of the example sentences above are complete sentences, but only one provides additional details about the train ride. 3. The clown at the party was very nice. 3. Furthermore, misplaced modifiers can describe the wrong word or phrase, giving your reader the wrong impression and creating wild scenarios. Dangling Modifiers and How To Correct Them - Purdue Writing Lab They frequently include an -ing word (gerund) and to + verb (infinitive) phrase near the start of a sentence. When printing this page, you must include the entire legal notice. Garners modern English usage (4th ed.). See APA 7, Section 4.23 for more explanation and examples. These, too, are generally either adverbial or adjectival and can look like: Here are a few examples of modifier phrases in action: And here are some examples of modifier clauses working in sentences: Typically, modifiers are placed right beside the noun theyre modifying. Modifiers are words, phrases, or clauses that describe other words and phrases. While swimming the mile back to shore as Consider using more-specific words in your revision. Naturally, theyre often used as modifiers: can also be used as modifiers. Correct: As Jane was riding in the sports car . Writing Coherent Sentences (ed2020) Flashcards | Quizlet Check our our FAQ. 5.3: Misplaced and Dangling Modifiers - Humanities LibreTexts The priceless painting drew large crowds when walking into the museum. In the example above, the cat is tired after a long day at work! . And like adjectival phrases, adverbial phrases are often used by writers to make descriptions more vivid: Writers also modify sentences with adverbial clauses like: Prepositional phrases can also be used as modifiers. Here are the same two sentences with their modifiers in the correct positions: One type of misplaced modifier is known as a dangling modifier. Present participles end in -ing. Misplaced modifiers are a major grammar mistake writers should avoid. Take a look at these two examples: The second sentence is more descriptive because of the modifiers it contains. After identifying the error (if there is one), fix the sentence. When writing a proposal, an original task is set for research. She decided to buy the blue vintage Cadillac. 3) His use of the techniques emphasizes important ideas. Some of the sentences contain a misplaced or dangling modifier. Words that are often used as limiting modifiers include: You use modifiers in your everyday speech and. Not sure what a modifier is? My mother asked me for two weeks to visit the family cottage. How many syllables in passage?