which sentence in the passage contains a dangling modifier
a metallic green tail replaced Tommys legs! Tom nervously watched the woman, alarmed by her silence. Misplaced In other words, there is no referent in the sentence. Arriving late for the movie, Jack quietly took a seat. A participial phrase or clause is a wonderful tool for writers because it gives color and action to a sentence. Moving to Montreal has been a difficult experience because I left my father at home, who is a recent widower. All rights reserved. Il y a des marches ________ Etats-Unis? Example The example above suggests that a gold manowns a watch. A dangling modifier is a word, phrase, or clause that modifies an element that is missing from a sentence. Chapter 11: Writing from Research: What Will I Learn? Incorrect: The patient was referred to the physician with stomach pains. In the corrected sentence, the dangling modifier is replaced with a complete clause that clearly states the subject who is doing the action. Bent over backward, the posture was very challenging. Or was the civilization he discovered using astronavigation?". Your writing will be stronger for it. Some animals, such as male frogs, only use their vocal organs to attract a mate. Both of the example sentences above are complete sentences, but only one provides additional details about the train ride. A modifier is a word, phrase, or clause that describes, defines, or qualifies something else in a sentence. Misplaced modifiers are closely related to another common grammar mistake, dangling modifiers. Note that if the participial phrase is essential to the meaning of the sentence, no commas should be used: If a participial phrase comes at the end of a sentence, a comma usually precedes the phrase if it modifies an earlier word in the sentence but not if the phrase directly follows the word it modifies. 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 hook the listeners attention. You guessed itwith modifiers. walking (participle) I cut the sandwich in half with a knife turning on the radio. Rei R. Noguchi, in his book Grammar and the Teaching of Writing, recommends two methods for testing your sentences. Take a look at these examples: , the kids who played at the playground bought ice cream. A woman's body needs time to heal after a traumatic event such as childbirth, which can take many weeks. The sentence "John wants to really do well on this exam" contains which of the following errors? "Having finished" states an action but does not name the doer of that action. Birth defects are common among addicted mothers, such as chronic lung diseases. One morning I shot an elephant in my pajamas. With modifiers. Combine the phrase and main clause into one: Who wanted to improve results? Often, they can be found at the beginning of sentences, though they can also appear at a sentence's end. Humming and chewing, my sandwich went down smoothly. Incorrect: Riding in the sports car, the world whizzed by rapidly. On a separate sheet of paper, rewrite the following sentences to correct the misplaced modifiers. A. Exchange papers with a classmate, and rewrite your classmates sentences to correct any misplaced modifiers. This sentence has a misplaced or dangling modifier! A modifier describes, clarifies, or gives more detail about a concept. B. The participial phrase contains a participle and the other words in the phrase that modify the noun or . In this sentence, the intended target of the modifier, Jane, is missing. Scrubbing the tile grout with bleach and an old toothbrush, the mildew stains began to fade. Misplaced modifiers make the sentence awkward and sometimes unintentionally humorous. Incorrect: To win the spelling bee, Luis and Gerard should join our team. Example Neil Armstrong made history as the first man to step on the moon in 1969. Here are a few examples of misplaced modifiers: In the first sentence, who is Pumpkin? Chapter 13: APA and MLA Documentation and Formatting, Chapter 14: Creating Presentations: Sharing Your Ideas, Next: 2.8 Writing Basics: End-of-Chapter Exercises, Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. in the water. a. de la b. des c.du 5. Because of the separation, sentences with this error often sound awkward, ridiculous, or confusing. When this happens, things can get very confusing! or The mechanics worked hard to prepare the car for the race and finished second. Printed from Placing the cold cuts on the bread, the lettuce was placed on top. When printing this page, you must include the entire legal notice. DANGLING MODIFIER: When we begin a sentence with a modifying word, phrase, or clause, we must make sure the next thing that comes along can, in fact, be modified by that modifier. Write PPP above each proper noun and CCC above each common noun. (a) mockery, (b) derision, (c) decision, (d) contempt. See answers Advertisement WorldlyGlass49 Take a look at these examples to see a variety of ways modifiers operate in sentences: Before school starts, the teachers all drink, Modifiers work by adding descriptive language to sentences, either just before or just after the words they are modifying. Note for Purdue Students: Schedule a consultation at the on-campus writing lab to get more in-depth writing help from one of our tutors. Retrieved May 1, 2023, The local residents often saw Ken wandering through the streets. After thoughtlessly Repaired: Tyler found almost fifty cents under the sofa cushions. REVISED: Relieved of your responsibilities at your job, you should be able to relax at home. Ideally, modifiers appear next to the word or phrase they describe, either directly before or after it. Which of the following sentences contains a dangling participial phrase? To raise a good dog, patience is useful. Dangling modifiers describe a word or phrase that is not included in the sentence. Chapter 5: Help for English Language Learners, Chapter 6: Writing Paragraphs: Separating Ideas and Shaping Content. The passage continues claiming . A dog appeared in my dreams that sang like an angel. Sentence 3: Change "he" to "they" Sentence 4: Change "it" to " a test." Which sentence contains a dangling modifier? Return to The Concise Canadian Writer's Handbook 3e Student Resources. Correct: She wore a bicycle helmet that was too large on her head. The adjectival phrase tired after a long day at work is next to the word cat, not Mei like it should be. Modifiers are words, phrases, or clauses that describe other words and phrases. To revise, decide who was trying to introduce him. 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. Learn how to correct misplaced and dangling modifiers. Moving slowly, Bowie stalked the rabbits. Dangling modifiers change the meaning of the sentence in an unintended way. This modifier placement makes it clear that "Dolger" is the one using astronavigation. Chewing furiously, the gum fell out of my mouth. The mysterious woman walked toward the car holding an umbrella. by Modifiers should appear next to the words they describe. A misplaced modifier is a word, phrase, or clause that, because of its incorrect position within a sentence, modifies the wrong thing. Divide passage into syllables: pas-sage. Correct: They bought a kitten they call Shadow for my brother. Sophie va aller ________ supermarche ce matin. 3) I suggest that if people want to do well, he should try studying, too. Both of the example sentences above are complete sentences, but only one provides additional details about the train ride. Directions: Read the sentence below. Our food stayed in the bag while it was hot. Take a look at these two examples: The second sentence is more descriptive because of the modifiers it contains. A participial phrase consists of a participle plus modifier(s), object(s), and/or complement(s). These, too, are generally either adverbial or adjectival and can look like: Typically, modifiers are placed right beside the. While Marinas Correct: As Jonas was walking home at night, the trees looked like spooky aliens. My studies have been focused on the social sciences, having taken two political science courses and one sociology course. C. When taking a grammar quiz, concentration is everything. Correct: The trees looked like spooky aliens as Jonas was walking home at night. But the purpose of an adjective is to describe a noun, and an adjective phrase ultimately describes a noun by providing a more vivid description than a single adjective can. "Having finished" states an action but does not name the doer of that action. When writing a proposal, an original task is set for research. A misplaced modifier is improperly positioned in relation to the word, phrase or clause it is supposed to describe. See Answer. The revision might look something like this: INCORRECT: After reading the original study, the article remains unconvincing. Furthermore, misplaced modifiers can describe the wrong word or phrase, giving your reader the wrong impression and creating wild scenarios. Is it the sister or the car? On completing the grammar quiz, spiking your pencil is acceptable. A. While a modifier is a single word that alters a sentences meaning, a modifier phrase is a phrase that functions as a modifier. A misplaced modifier is a word, phrase, or clause that is separated from the word it describes, creating confusion and ambiguity. For example, heres how the word, Demonstrative Pronouns: Definition and Examples. With a modifier. To revise, decide who actually arrived late. We strongly encourage students to use sources in their work. A dangling modifier is a modifier that doesnt modify any specific word in the sentence. Watching the game with her friends, her favourite soccer team won the championship. Many readers objected to the newspaper's picture of a young man posed beside a dead whale wearing running shoes and holding a gun. Having finished the assignment, Jill turned on the TV. The materials collected here do not express the views of, or positions held by, Purdue University. The revision might look something like this: The phrase is now a complete introductory clause; it does not modify any other part of the sentence, so is not considered "dangling.". 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. Popping You might hear or read that adjective phrases describe adjectives, and this is true in a pedantic sensean adjective phrase does replace a single adjective by describing what that single adjective would communicate. (a) After the dogs had obedience training, the brothers let them play in the park. Oxford University Press, 2023. This will make your readers either laugh or scratch their heads, neither of . To fix a misplaced modifier in your writing, you simply have to rearrange the words in a sentence. We glued together the vase we broke quietly. theme of mutability, or the idea that life on earth is full of constant (and mainly negative) change. Take a look at these examples to see a variety of ways modifiers operate in sentences: Modifiers are words that modify their sentences meanings by adding details and clarifying facts or by differentiating between people, events, or objects. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use. The second sentence is more descriptive because of the modifiers it contains. out on a swim, Tommy drank a root beer and tossed the empty plastic bottle January 17, 2020 Incorrect: Riding in the sports car, the world whizzed by. Also known as ambiguous modifiers or squinting modifiers, misplaced modifiers are a common mistake. You might hear or read that adjective phrases describe adjectives, and this is true in a pedantic sensean adjective phrase. For one thing, they make the meaning of a sentence unclear and hinder communication. Relationships Psychology- PAST PAPER Q&As, The Language of Composition: Reading, Writing, Rhetoric, Lawrence Scanlon, Renee H. Shea, Robin Dissin Aufses. This resource explains what a dangling modifier is and how to correct the problem. The modifier "vegetarian" gives extra information about what . Which of the following sentences has a misplaced modifier? REVISED: They failed the experiment, not having studied the lab manual carefully. 1. Read our website accessibility and accommodation statement. Copyright 1995-2018 by The Writing Lab & The OWL at Purdue and Purdue University. she dove into the ocean depths. Garner, B. Words that are often used as limiting modifiers include: You use modifiers in your everyday speech and. Putting straws up his nose and barking like a walrus did not make Tommy Too many equally weighted phrases and clauses produce tiresome sentences. 2 syllables. The following three steps will help you quickly spot a dangling modifier: Look for an -ing modifier at the beginning of your sentence or another modifying phrase: Painting for three hours at night, the kitchen was finally finished by Maggie. Now the subject in the sentence I matches the modifier after consulting a selection of current publications., Now the modifier according to the selection of current publications matches the subject research.. C) Several students walk home together in the evening. This is an example of how dangling modifiers can result in nonsensical sentences. Smiling, my sandwich will be made again, but next time I will add cheese. This page is brought to you by the OWL at Purdue University. A modifier is a word, phrase, or clause that modifiesthat is, gives information aboutanother word in the same sentence. Misplaced and Dangling Modifiers | Exercise 2 | Grammar Bytes! For example, heres how the word only can modify a sentence: Its GO time for generative AI writing assistance, Grammarly helps you communicate confidently. In this correctly composed sentence, the reader knows that the team captain arrived late and needs a written excuse. Dangling modifiers. Sometimes, modifiers can get lost or misplaced in a sentence. Another type is known as a. c) comes at the end of a sentence and is separated from the word it modifies. Living in southern Ontario, her condominium was affected by the recent power shortages. This material may not be published, reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission. Usage and Mechanics requires fine-tuned punctuation and grammar knowledge. A modifier is a word or participial phrase that provides more information about something being discussed in the sentence. This can produce to difficulty in the comprehension of the text. A) After walking to school, the bus slowly passed by. All rights reserved. Removing (participle) In history essays, you have to analyze significant events that have a lot of detail in a precise paragraph. Misplaced modifiers describe a word or phrase that is in the sentence, but in the wrong place. Here are a few examples of misplaced modifiers: One type of misplaced modifier is known as a. . Purdue OWL is a registered trademark. A participle is a verbal ending in -ing (present) or -ed, -en, -d, -t, -n, or -ne (past) that functions as an adjective, modifying a noun or pronoun. , all rights reserved. 1) People know that taking tests is hard, but you will get better grades by studying. There may be some examples of writing that have not been updated to APA 7 guidelines. How to pronounce passage: pas-ij. Diving into the waves, Having thus added the nounor person who did the actionthe writer corrected the sentence and fixed the error of the dangling modifier. of a dolphin! A modifier is a word, phrase, or clause that clarifies or describes another word, phrase, or clause. However, if we place the modifying phrase next to the word it describes, the sentence becomes correct. Go beyond words when generative AI comes to Grammarly, Grammarly helps you communicate confidently. For a quick refresher on how to fit these components together to build sentences, read our post on sentence structure. I did not think that the clown was funny. Looking around the aisle of my local drugstore, I was amazed by the varieties of cosmetics that are available today. Participles and participial phrases must be placed as close to the nouns or pronouns they modify as possible, and those nouns or pronouns must be clearly stated. Misplaced or Dangling Modifier?
