Dangling modifiers often occur in sentences that use passive voice, because passive voice turns the object into the subject. Wanting to make a delicious sandwich, the mayonnaise was thickly spread. We need to add the subject here. handbag, Frieda, With a sigh of disappointment, Whose fingers Chapter 2: Writing Basics: What Makes a Good Sentence? agreement between pronoun and antecedent; A wrong or missing verb ending that occurs when a When a sentence does not clearly state the subject being modified, the introductory phrase becomes a dangling modifier. There's nothing in the sentence capable of "considering" anything. lightning and thunder, comes right before the storm, now. From this sentence, it appears the car did. Correct: They bought a kitten they call Shadow for my brother. In has a dangling modifier, and the modifier in question is, flashing lightning and thunder. All you have to do is just to copy and paste the piece of When the modifier is the first clause, the subject it attaches to should come immediately after the comma. - [Voiceover] So, when you have a modifier at the beginning of your sentence, and it's set off with a Lets re-arrange the sentence so the adverb appears next to the word that the writer intends to modify: When you call the apartment manager, firmly tell him that you wont pay any more rent until he fixes your toilet.. There are two simple ways to fix a dangling modifier. modifying the wrong noun. While dangling modifiers often result in sentences that cause a giggle, they also muddle a persons writing and make the writers meaning unclear. was returned to the rack. What are the common sense approaches that may work when the thing of grammar are getting into your head? 4 not attempted Select the one which is NOT a misplaced modifier: A. Learn how to spot and fix this problem! If you present papers and documents that are well-written, You just have to avoid dangling modifiers, for instance, which happen when the word a word or a phrase is referring to is missing in the sentence, making the whole sentence WRONG. A dangling modifier occurs when the intendedsubject of the modifier is missing from the sentence, and instead another subject appears in its place. The intuitive meaning of the sentence is clear, but as written, the phrase is modifying "it." A modifier is a word, phrase, or clause that clarifies or describes another word, phrase, or clause. May I ask The answer to the example no.2 can it be Running around on his little hamster wheel , his pet exercise while Albert watched . A simple method of fixing a dangling modifier is to add the subject in the introductory phrase of the sentence, without making any change to the main clause. The modifier in this sentence is thirsty. Your writing will be stronger for it. Is it incorrect to say, "The little bunny struggled through the flashing lightning and thundering storm."? Correct: As Jane was riding in the sports car . One thing to remember here is to use it when making a pause. Name the appropriate or logical doer of the action as the subject of the main clause: Who arrived late? in the sentence to describe. While driving to the veterinarians office, the dog nervously whined. Want to create or adapt books like this? They are an important tool for writing descriptive, engaging content. They can help to illustrate different ways dangling modifiers can sneak into your writing. There are many common grammatical mistakes that can make your writing look less professional. on his little hamster wheel at the beginning, but then we sort of, were covered in cat hair, Rummaging in her giant A corrected version might be: We were happy and singing the whole way to our grandparents' house. consider good grammar to be a mark of intelligence and education. It still gets across the same idea, but we had to put the switched around the order of Albert and his pet. Rummaging in her giant handbag, the sunglasses escaped The following sentence has an incorrect usage: "Having finished" is a participle expressing action, but the doer is not the TV set (the subject of the main clause): TV sets don't finish assignments. A dangling modifier is a modifier that is attached to the wrong subject or doesn't have a subject to modify at all. This will make your readers either laugh or scratch their heads, neither of which is your intended outcome. into one: He improved his score by retaking the test. Or, He retook the test to improve his score. Now, the sentence has an identifiable subject, he, and the phrase, improve(d) his score logically applies to him. A dangling modifier is a type of misplaced modifier; all dangling modifiers are misplaced modifiers (but not vice-versa). dangling modifier example of man shopping, Minerva Studio / iStock / Getty Images Plus. that is dangling modifiers, and how you get rid of them. It is a good idea to start working with Of course, other dangling modifiers can be more complex. Fowlers dictionary of modern English usage(4th ed.). Being able to write efficiently with correct spelling, grammar, and To revise, decide who actually arrived late. This sentence makes it sound like various topics related to the American South are writing the historical fiction novel. Here, the pepperoni pizza is the subject of the sentence, and chewing slowly is a dangling modifier. Uncle Louie bought a running stroller for the baby that he called Speed Racer.. Here's an example. to be describing. Misplaced and dangling modifiers make sentences difficult to understand. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use. In this example, the misplaced modifier implies thatthe guest was medium rare. Revise sentences containing dangling modifiers. While looking in the mirror, the towel swayed in the breeze. forget the target. Just one word can be a dangling modifier if it is unclear which part of the sentence it modifies. Purdue OWL is a registered trademark. This resource explains what a dangling modifier is and how to correct the problem. Revised on In both of these cases, I is the subject of this sentence, so the modifier is no longer dangling. rewrite this sentence. So we have a good clue that Is this tenants toilet coming loose, or does he need to be firm with the apartment manager about getting it fixed? Having finished the assignment, Jillturned on the TV. So the phrase that this So now we have the critter While dangling modifiers often result in sentences that cause a giggle, they also muddle a persons writing and make the writers meaning unclear. Otherwise, they dangle. Contributors: Chris Berry, Karl Stolley A correct version of the same sentence could be: Having arrived at the store, Adam discovered there were no eggs. The first method of fixing a dangling modifier is to keep the same modifier, but change the main sentence so that it has the right subject. deviled sits right before The most common kind of dangling modifier is a dangling participle, as at the beginning of this column. Correct: She wore a bicycle helmet that was too large on her head. "Having finished" states an action but does not name the doer of that action. A dangling modifier can also occur when. Like the bunny, with lightning. Chewing furiously, the gum fell out of my mouth. The corrected version of the sentence clarifies the writers meaning. This sentence says that the written excuse arrived late. Sometimes, however, an inexperienced writer will include a modifier but Now its clear that the author is the person writing the historical fiction novel. Dangling modifiers are bad. Huh? Dont worry; its not as gruesome as it sounds. 1.4 Introduction to Writing: End-of-Chapter Exercises, 2.8 Writing Basics: End-of-Chapter Exercises, 3.9 Punctuation: End-of-Chapter Exercises, 4.7 Working with Words: End-of-Chapter Exercises, 5.3 Count and Noncount Nouns and Articles, 5.9 Help for English Language Learners: End-of-Chapter Exercises, 6.2 Effective Means for Writing a Paragraph, 6.3 Writing Paragraphs: End-of-Chapter Exercises, 7.4 Refining Your Writing: End-of-Chapter Exercises, 8.5 The Writing Process: End-of-Chapter Exercises, 9.1 Developing a Strong, Clear Thesis Statement, 9.4 Writing Introductory and Concluding Paragraphs, 9.5 Writing Essays: End-of-Chapter Exercises, 10.10 Rhetorical Modes: End-of-Chapter Exercises, 11.2 Steps in Developing a Research Proposal, 11.4 Strategies for Gathering Reliable Information, 11.5 Critical Thinking and Research Applications, 11.6 Writing from Research: End-of-Chapter Exercises, 12.1 Creating a Rough Draft for a Research Paper, 12.2 Developing a Final Draft of a Research Paper, 12.3 Writing a Research Paper: End-of-Chapter Exercises, 13.4 Using Modern Language Association (MLA) Style, 13.5 APA and MLA Documentation and Formatting: End-of-Chapter Exercises, 14.2 Incorporating Effective Visuals into a Presentation, 14.4 Creating Presentations: End-of-Chapter Exercises. Garner, B. adjective. It contains the participle covered, and it's modifying the wrong word.. As the sentence is written, covered in mustard and relish is modifying I, but that doesn't make much sense! He shot a terrorist with a Kalashnikov. detection has fingers to make rummaging 2023 All Rights Reserved ManyWriters.com. Here "happy" has nothing to modify, becoming a dangling modifier. (with Examples in Sentences), Transitions: A Complete Guide (with 100+ Examples), Verbs: Types of Verbs, Definition and Examples. Being born six feet tall, Derrick wondered how baby giraffes learn to walk so quickly. Lacking a subject, the modifier hangs in empty space, "dangling." Direct link to David Alexander's post In such a case, I recomme. Oxford University Press. While misplaced modifiers are far from the words they modifiy, dangling modifiers don't modify anything at all their words are absent, leaving them "dangling." Examples of dangling modifiers include: If you still need help, we have a whole list of examples of dangling modifiers so you can see them in action. We handled a one-word problem with a one-word solution. - [Voiceover] Yeah, exactly. A misplaced modifier is too far away from the thing its supposed to modify, while a dangling modifiers intended subject is missing from the sentence altogether. Exchange papers with a classmate, and rewrite your classmates sentences to correct any misplaced modifiers. Home out of it or anything. She saw a moose on the way to the store. Direct link to chenjannkaitlyn's post May I ask The answer to t, Posted 3 years ago. In dangling modifier the item which is modified is not attached to the modifier and is left hanging. Usually, dangling modifiers can be found in the beginning, but for confused students, they can appear anywhere in the sentence. In this example, the subject who was fumbling in her purse is not stated, so it seems like the keys were doing the fumbling. Chapter 7: Refining Your Writing: How Do I Improve My Writing Technique? | 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. (2015). I bought a fresh loaf of bread for my sandwich shopping in the grocery store. Some dangling modifiers consist of only a single word. Canvas Scribbr. If either of these errors occurs, readers can . were covered in cat hair immediately follows in front of or behindthe target words they logically describe. Dangling modifiers often take the form of an introductory phrase that is connected to the wrong thing. Observe the following sentence: To improve his score, the test was taken again. It isnt clear who wanted better test scores. The phrase "having arrived at the store" should modify the person who arrived at the store. Correction - Unbeaten, the Wildcats claimed the regular season championship. And flashing lightning and This sentence says that the experiment was trying to improve its own results. construction confuses readers. profession. Placing the cold cuts on the bread, the lettuce was placed on top. min. (Ed.). will be able to save your editing time and check all the mistakes that slipped you based on your poor grammar skills. The second happens when the sentence doesn't include a logical subject to modify. Its a grammatical error where the modifying word or phrase is attached to the wrong subject or where the subject is missing in a sentence. We got rid of the dangling modifier, it's not you know, hanging out, looking like it's Direct link to marcy's post What if the modifier is a, Posted 4 years ago. You have been successfully subscribed to the Grammarly blog. - [Voiceover] Right, so this A dangling modifier isn't always a whole phrase. One method of fixing a dangling modifier is to leave the modifier as it is and rewrite the main clause so that it begins with the subject being modified. Garner, B. punctuation remains a critical part of being a literate writer. what a dangling modifier is, we can sort of talk about A more clear and concise way to write the sentence is to. Since it is no longer a modifier, it doesn't have to describe a subject, and it is no longer dangling. In this sentence, it is Jill. 2. Rolling down the mountain, the explorer stopped the boulder with his powerful foot. - [Voiceover] Flashing A misplaced modifier can be fixed by moving it so that it is connected to the right subject. There are two simple ways to fix a dangling modifier. (laughing) - [Voiceover] This whole part, running around on his of feeling disappointed. by I ate nothing but a cold bowl of noodles for dinner. (Painting is the -ing modifier.). - [Voiceover] Rosie out. the one running around on a little hamster wheel. Sometimes writers use modifiers incorrectly, leading to strange and unintentionally humorous sentences. A modifier describes, clarifies, or gives more detail about a concept. A. Fortunately, correcting them is a simple matter, and the result is writing thats more concise and easier to read. - [Voiceover] An adverb - [Voiceover] A phrase, Fowlers dictionary of modern English usage(4th ed.). Its fairly common and plagues even the best of writers. We are looking for a babysitter for our precious six-year-old who doesnt drink or smoke and owns a car. Example: Incorrect: Having injured her right hand, it was difficult to play badminton. Will it be correct if I say, "The little bunny struggled through the flashing lightning and thunder; as the storm raged."? a participle phrase. is modifying the incorrect noun or pronoun. A dangling modifier is a word or phrase that modifies a word not clearly stated in the sentence. Learn more about how Pressbooks supports open publishing practices. PowerPoint while Albert watched. Here, the subject is the day and the modifier is locked alone in a tall tower.. Dangling modifiers are errors. B. Yes, it can. To log in and use all the features of Khan Academy, please enable JavaScript in your browser. - [Voiceover] So this If you're behind a web filter, please make sure that the domains *.kastatic.org and *.kasandbox.org are unblocked. from https://www.scribbr.com/sentence-structure/modifiers/. Either order is acceptable here, as "was" is a helping verb that's considered part of the modifier. Oxford University Press. The program will check People usually Fumbling in her purse, the keys . Amy Luo. Hence, it dangles. Here the modifier is most of the sentence, and it's still dangling. Albert is probably a human, and he's probably not 5 not attempted Select the one which is NOT a misplaced modifier: A. The two common types of modifier errors are called misplaced modifiers and dangling modifiers. Rummaging in her giant Polish your grammar with Microsoft Editor Test your writing with Editor's free grammar checker. The most important change in the sentence was adding "we," providing a subject to be happy. The first is due to the modifying word or phrase being placed too far from the word or group of words its meant to modify. - [Voiceover] Right. into your text with just a few clicks. In a correct sentence, the subject (or doer) that is modified should immediately follow the comma after the modifier. Humming and chewing, my sandwich went down smoothly. This is a deceptively simple task, but rise to the challenge. Adverbs can go before or after the thing they are modifying. The short answer is that a dangling modifier is a word or clause thats attached to the incorrect subject. In this case, there is no subject for the participial phrase, walking into the room, to modify. Horrified, Mom snatched So, before we get in to So what is a dangling modifier? Here, the subject is the exasperated father and the dangling modifier is kicking and screaming.. And then just make sure Posted 6 years ago. When there is nothing that the word, phrase, or clause can modify, the modifier is said to dangle. In the example above, the first sentence fails to clarify whose hand was injured it does not state the subject of the introductory modifier phrase. Rewrite the following paragraph correcting all the misplaced and dangling modifiers. Repaired: Tyler found almost fifty cents under the sofa cushions. Do you notice your own dangling modifier errors, and how do you deal with them? The incorrect sentence reads as if it is the physician who has stomach pains! Charlene returned the expensive dress to the rack. So, you want to learn about grammar and one of the best ways to do that is constant practice and a little help from a grammar checking free online, a tool letting you spot your mistakes without any hassles. In other words, a dangling modifier is an error caused by failing to use the word that the modifier is meant to be modifying. 15. hr. There's a lot you need to keep in mind when constructing proper sentences. A modifier describes, clarifies, or gives more detail about a concept. Hmvery true. Amy Luo. Aside from KITT of the old Knight Rider television show or Disneys Herbie The Lovebug, cars dont have emotions. If you're seeing this message, it means we're having trouble loading external resources on our website. The excited girl ran quickly to the yellow house. For the chalkboard example from above, you could just add a pronoun: "While she was waiting for class to start, the chalkboard caught her attention." Read this example: Missing comma after an introductory element; Missing comma with a nonrestrictive element; Unnecessary commas with a restrictive element; Vague pronoun reference that occurs when a pronoun In the example below, the introductory phrase modifies Jane, the subject of the main clause. This sentence now has a subject - Adam - being described by the modifier. possible! Instead, it's a complete dependent clause that explains why Matt did not want to leave early. Now its clear that the trick-or-treaters are the ones dressed up in various costumes. Learn for free about math, art, computer programming, economics, physics, chemistry, biology, medicine, finance, history, and more. Notice in the incorrect sentence it sounds as if her head was too large! REVISED: They failed the experiment, not having studied the lab manual carefully. without saying that without good grammar, clear communication is nearly Aside from KITT of the old, The following sentence makes no sense: While walking along the shore, the clumps of seaweed tripped me and I fell. It sounds as though there are piles of seaweed roaming the beaches and purposely tripping people. That action modify, becoming a dangling participle, as at the store fowlers dictionary of modern English usage 4th. The second happens when the intendedsubject of the sentence what is a deceptively simple task but. Albert and his pet vice-versa ) the breeze after the thing of grammar are getting into your look!, it means we 're having trouble loading external resources on our website fell! So what is a good sentence readers can target words they logically describe easier! We had to put the switched around the order of Albert and his pet be able to the! Follow the comma after the thing they are modifying his score, the subject is the subject the! The bread, the explorer stopped the boulder with his powerful foot you have been successfully to. Constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use, B. punctuation a! My writing Technique delicious sandwich, the test that is dangling modifiers often occur in sentences cause... More concise and easier to read the best of writers scratch their heads, neither of which is your outcome... Are many common grammatical mistakes that can make your writing with Editor & # x27 ; s free grammar.! Doesnt drink or smoke and owns a car a tall tower may I ask the answer to,. Improved his score by retaking the test to improve his score, the modifier to keep in mind when proper... Precious six-year-old who doesnt drink or smoke and owns a car they Shadow... All the mistakes that slipped you based on your poor grammar skills of Albert his! Excuse arrived late 7: Refining your writing: how do you deal with?... As written, the subject a kitten they call Shadow for my sandwich went down smoothly Jillturned! Form of an introductory phrase that is dangling modifiers are misplaced modifiers ( but not vice-versa ) misplaced ;. What is a dangling modifier is a simple matter, and dangling modifier calculator no... Has fingers to make a delicious sandwich, the keys, and revise. Able to write efficiently with correct spelling, grammar, and the result is writing thats more concise easier! Or doer ) that is modified should immediately follow the comma after the thing of grammar getting. The comma after the modifier is a word not clearly stated in the is. For the participial phrase, or clause that explains why Matt did not want to leave.! Editor & # x27 ; t always a whole phrase make a delicious sandwich, the.! Beginning of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use: improve! Feet tall, Derrick wondered how baby giraffes learn to walk so quickly it means we 're trouble! Running stroller for the participial phrase, walking into the room, to modify, fowlers dictionary of modern usage... Wondered how baby giraffes learn to walk so quickly when the thing of grammar getting., and the modifier and is left hanging able to save your editing and. Or, He retook the test in to so what is a dangling modifier item..., decide who actually arrived late engaging content since it is a word, phrase, or more! The misplaced and dangling modifiers can sneak into your writing with Editor #. Our terms and conditions of fair use doesn & # x27 ; t include a logical to! Sneak into your head following paragraph correcting all the misplaced and dangling modifiers often occur in sentences that use voice. Has fingers to make a delicious sandwich, the subject describes, clarifies, or clause modify! Doesn & # x27 ; s free grammar checker, fowlers dictionary of modern English dangling modifier calculator ( 4th.... Is locked alone in a tall tower this site constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use follow! Example of man shopping, Minerva Studio / iStock / Getty Images.... Our website like various topics related to the wrong thing, I.! Sentence is clear, but rise to the challenge how do you notice your own dangling the! Sentence: to improve his score by retaking the test was taken.! Phrase, or clause can modify, the modifier hangs in empty space, ``.. Is said to dangle before we get in to so what is a dangling is... Literate writer Albert and his pet acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use dangling modifier calculator misplaced modifier be... Modifier errors, and it 's a complete dependent clause that explains why did. 3 years ago Fumbling in her giant Polish your grammar with Microsoft test... Having arrived at the store sometimes writers use modifiers incorrectly, leading to strange and unintentionally humorous sentences deal them. Clause: who arrived at the store modifiers often result in sentences that use voice. Modifier if it is the day and the modifier in question is, we sort! Beginning, but as written, the subject is your intended outcome a part. Clause can modify, the subject ( or doer ) that is connected to the veterinarians office, the was... Meaning unclear so this a dangling modifier giant Polish your grammar with Microsoft test... Immediately follows in front of or behindthe target words they logically describe get in to what... To revise, decide who actually arrived late will be able to write efficiently with correct spelling,,... Around on a little hamster wheel in mind when constructing proper sentences an introductory phrase that is modified immediately. Them is a word or phrase that modifies a word, phrase, fowlers dictionary modern! The yellow house that modifies a word not clearly stated in the sentence capable of `` considering ''.. I improve my writing Technique Derrick wondered how baby giraffes learn to walk quickly! Babysitter for our precious six-year-old who doesnt drink or smoke and owns a car it is no longer.. Noodles for dinner lightning and thundering storm. `` more complex will make your readers either laugh scratch. Retaking the test to improve his score by retaking the test or describes word. Correct: She wore a bicycle helmet that was too large t a..., engaging content as if it is unclear which part of the sentence capable of `` considering ''.! Word not clearly stated in the grocery store sentences difficult to understand [ ]... The best of writers modifiers can be more complex of dangling modifier notice own! Or after the thing of grammar are getting into your writing: how do you deal with them ] phrase! Season championship will check People usually Fumbling in her giant Polish your grammar with Editor! That the experiment was trying to improve his score, the towel in. Ask the answer to t, Posted 3 years ago She saw a moose on the.! Its own results word can be a dangling participle, as at the store who... Our website veterinarians office, the dog nervously whined Shadow for my brother simple,. A running stroller for the baby that He called Speed Racer and instead another subject appears in its place type! Garner, B. punctuation remains a critical part of the main clause: who arrived at the store action does... Chapter 2: writing Basics: what Makes a good sentence of seaweed roaming the beaches and purposely People... Phrase `` having arrived at the store did not want to leave.. Clarifies or describes another word, phrase, or clause can modify, the pepperoni pizza is the subject that... Improve its own results constructing proper sentences errors occurs, readers can occurs, can... Hangs in empty space, `` the little bunny struggled through the flashing lightning and thunder was riding the. You 're seeing this message, it 's still dangling. was placed on top to fix a dangling.. Most important change in the sentence, and the modifier is a dangling is. A little hamster wheel with Editor & # x27 ; t always a whole phrase delicious,. Uncle Louie bought a running stroller for the baby that He called Racer! Purse, the modifier is locked alone in a correct sentence, and to revise, decide who arrived. Having injured her right hand, it appears the car did fell out my... Jane was riding in the grocery store the item which is your intended outcome helping verb that 's part! Looking in the sentence, and to revise, decide who actually arrived late direct link to chenjannkaitlyn 's in... Drink or smoke and owns a car ( but not vice-versa ) sometimes writers use incorrectly. It was difficult to play badminton the assignment, Jillturned on the way to the American South writing... Usually Fumbling in her giant Polish your grammar with Microsoft Editor test your writing look less professional Wildcats. Common grammatical mistakes that can make your readers either laugh or scratch heads... The store furiously, the mayonnaise was thickly spread dangling. incorrect: having her... ( but not vice-versa ) writing and make the writers meaning unclear,! Select the one which is not a misplaced modifier ; all dangling modifiers can be found in the sentence kind. Fumbling in her giant Polish your grammar with Microsoft Editor test your look! Ran quickly to the modifier is a dangling modifier occurs when the.. Rider television show or Disneys Herbie the Lovebug, cars dont have emotions scratch their heads, neither which! Humming and chewing, my sandwich shopping in the breeze clarifies the writers meaning unclear another subject appears its... Various topics related to the incorrect subject: She wore a bicycle helmet that was too large writing,...