Republic of the Philippines

DON HONORIO VENTURA STATE UNIVERSITY

Porac Extension Campus
Porac, Pampanga

Bachelor of Secondary Education major in English

Subject-Verb
Agreement

Alliona Jean Buan

Subject-Verb Agreement

- Subject verb agreement refers to the fact that the subject and verb in a sentence must agree in number. In
other words, they both must be singular or they both must be plural. You can’t have a singular subject
with a plural verb or vice versa. The tricky part is in knowing the singular and plural forms of subjects
and verbs. Subjects and verbs must AGREE with one another in number (singular or plural). Thus, if a
subject is singular, its verb must also be singular; if a subject is plural, its verb must also be plural.
Singular and plural subjects, or nouns, are usually pretty easy. In most cases the plural form of a noun has
an “s” at the end.

 Basic Rule
-A singular subject (she, Bill, car) takes a singular verb (is, goes, shines), whereas a plural subject
takes a plural verb.

Example: The list of items is/are on the desk.

If you know that list is the subject, then you will choose is for the verb.

 Rule 1
-A subject will come before a phrase beginning with of. This is a key rule for understanding
subjects. The word of is the culprit in many, perhaps most, subject-verb mistakes.

-Hasty writers, speakers, readers, and listeners might miss the all-too-common mistake in the
following sentence:

Incorrect: A bouquet of yellow roses lend color and fragrance to the room.
Correct: A bouquet of yellow roses lends . . . (bouquet lends, not roses lend)

 Rule 2
-Two singular subjects connected by or, either/or, or neither/nor require a singular verb.

Examples:
My aunt or my uncle is arriving by train today.
Neither Juan nor Carmen is available.
Either Kiana or Casey is helping today with stage decorations.

 Rule 3
-The verb in an or, either/or, or neither/nor sentence agrees with the noun or pronoun closest to it.

Examples:
Neither the plates nor the serving bowl goes on that shelf.
Neither the serving bowl nor the plates go on that shelf.

-This rule can lead to bumps in the road. For example, if I is one of two (or more) subjects, it
could lead to this odd sentence:

Awkward: Neither she, my friends, nor I am going to the festival.

If possible, it's best to reword such grammatically correct but awkward sentences.

Better:
Neither she, I, nor my friends are going to the festival.
OR
She, my friends, and I are not going to the festival.

 Rule 4
-As a general rule, use a plural verb with two or more subjects when they are connected by and.
 Example: A car and a bike are my means of transportation.

But note these exceptions:

Exceptions:
Breaking and entering is against the law.
The bed and breakfast was charming.

-In those sentences, breaking and entering and bed and breakfast are compound nouns.

 Rule 5a
-Sometimes the subject is separated from the verb by such words as along with, as well as,
besides, not, etc. These words and phrases are not part of the subject. Ignore them and use a
singular verb when the subject is singular.

Examples:
The politician, along with the newsmen, is expected shortly.
Excitement, as well as nervousness, is the cause of her shaking.

 Rule 5b
-Parentheses are not part of the subject.

Example: Joe (and his trusty mutt) was always welcome.

If this seems awkward, try rewriting the sentence.

 Rule 6
-In sentences beginning with here or there, the true subject follows the verb.

Examples:
There are four hurdles to jump.
There is a high hurdle to jump.

NOTE:
The word there's, a contraction of there is, leads to bad habits in informal sentences like There's a
lot of people here today, because it's easier to say "there's" than "there are." Take care never to
use there's with a plural subject.

 Rule 7
-Use a singular verb with distances, periods of time, sums of money, etc., when considered as a
unit.

Examples:
Three miles is too far to walk.
Five years is the maximum sentence for that offense.
Ten dollars is a high price to pay.
BUT
Ten dollars (i.e., dollar bills) were scattered on the floor.

 Rule 8
 -With words that indicate portions—e.g., a lot, a majority, some, all—Rule 1 given earlier in this
section is reversed, and we are guided by the noun after of. If the noun after of is singular, use a
singular verb. If it is plural, use a plural verb.

Examples:
A lot of the pie has disappeared.
A lot of the pies have disappeared.
A third of the city is unemployed.
A third of the people are unemployed.
All of the pie is gone.
All of the pies are gone.
Some of the pie is missing.
Some of the pies are missing.

NOTE
In recent years, the SAT testing service has considered none to be strictly singular. However,
according to Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of English Usage: "Clearly none has been both
singular and plural since Old English and still is. The notion that it is singular only is a myth of
unknown origin that appears to have arisen in the 19th century. If in context it seems like a
singular to you, use a singular verb; if it seems like a plural, use a plural verb. Both are acceptable
beyond serious criticism." When none is clearly intended to mean "not one," it is followed by a
singular verb.

 Rule 9
-With collective nouns such as group, jury, family, audience, population, the verb might be
singular or plural, depending on the writer's intent.

Examples:
All of my family has arrived OR have arrived.
Most of the jury is here OR are here.
A third of the population was opposed OR were opposed to the bill.

NOTE
-Anyone who uses a plural verb with a collective noun must take care to be accurate—and also
consistent. It must not be done carelessly. The following is the sort of flawed sentence one sees
and hears a lot these days:

The staff is deciding how they want to vote.

Careful speakers and writers would avoid assigning the singular is and the plural they to staff in
the same sentence.

Consistent: The staff are deciding how they want to vote.

-Rewriting such sentences is recommended whenever possible. The preceding sentence would
read even better as:

The staff members are deciding how they want to vote.

 Rule 10
 The word were replaces was in sentences that express a wish or are contrary to fact:

Example: If Joe were here, you'd be sorry.

Shouldn't Joe be followed by was, not were, given that Joe is singular? But Joe isn't actually here,
so we say were, not was. The sentence demonstrates the subjunctive mood, which is used to
express things that are hypothetical, wishful, imaginary, or factually contradictory. The
subjunctive mood pairs singular subjects with what we usually think of as plural verbs.

Examples:
I wish it were Friday.
She requested that he raise his hand.

In the first example, a wishful statement, not a fact, is being expressed; therefore, were, which we
usually think of as a plural verb, is used with the singular it. (Technically, it is the singular subject
of the object clause in the subjunctive mood: it were Friday.)

Normally, he raise would sound terrible to us. However, in the second example, where a request
is being expressed, the subjunctive mood is correct.

Note:
The subjunctive mood is losing ground in spoken English but should still be used in formal
speech and writing

Reference:
https://www.grammarbook.com/grammar/subjectVerbAgree.asp
https://www.k12reader.com/term/subject-verb-agreement/
https://webapps.towson.edu/ows/sub-verb.htm
 Republic of the Philippines
DON HONORIO VENTURA STATE UNIVERSITY
Porac Extension Campus
Porac, Pampanga

Bachelor of Secondary Education major in English

Sentence Structure
And
Paragraph Structure

Marhianne Babor

Sentence structure
Sentence structure is the way a sentence is arranged, grammatically. In English, we have four
main sentence structures: the simple sentence, the compound sentence, the complex sentence, and the
compound-complex sentence. Each uses a specific combination of independent and dependent clauses to
help make sure that our sentences are strong, informational, and most importantly, that they make sense.
Parts of Sentence Structures
All forms of sentence structures have clauses (independent, dependent, or both), and some also
have conjunctions to help join two or more clauses or whole sentences.
a. Independent Clause
 Independent clause are key parts of every sentence structure. Aside from that, it can stand alone
as a sentence. It contains a subject and a verb and makes sense on its own as a complete sentence.
 The dog ate brownies.
 The dog jumped high.
 She ate waffles.
 He went to the library.
b. Dependent (Subordinate) Clause
A dependent clause is not a complete sentence. It must be attached to an independent clause to
become complete. This is also known as a subordinate clause.
 After he went to the party
 Though he ate hotdogs
 While he was at the dance
 If the dog eats chocolate
c. Conjunction
A conjunction is a word in a sentence that connects other words, phrases and clauses.
Conjunctions are a big part of compound, complex, and compound-complex sentences. The most
common conjunction that you know is “and.” Others are for, but, or, yet, and so. Conjunctions are
important because they let us combine information, but still keep ideas separate so that they are easy to
understand.
 I tried to hit the nail but hit my thumb instead.
 I have two goldfish and a cat.
 I’d like a bike for commuting to work.
 You can have peach ice cream or a brownie sundae.

Types of Sentence Structures

As mentioned, there are four main types of sentence structures: simple, compound, complex, and
compound-complex. To begin, here is a simple chart that outlines the patterns of each type.

a. Simple sentence
 A simple sentence contains only one independent clause (An independent clause contains a
subject and verb and expresses a complete thought.). In fact, an independent clause itself is a simple
sentence. Here are some examples:
 She jumped.
 The cheetah ran.
 He ran to the gas station.
 He ate dinner.
Simple sentences don’t have many details and they don’t really combine multiple ideas—they are
simple!
b. Compound sentence
A compound sentence contains at least two independent clauses. It uses a conjunction like “and”, coma or
with a semicolon to connect the ideas.
 The dog ate pizza but the cat drank apple juice.
 The dog ate pizza but the cat drank apple juice and the fish had eggs.
As you can see, a compound sentence allows us to share a lot of information by combining two or
more complete thoughts into one sentence.
There are seven coordinating conjunctions:
and, but, or, nor, for, yet, so
c. Complex sentence
A complex sentence contains at least one independent clause and at least one dependent clause.
(A dependent clause starts with a subordinating conjunction or a relative pronoun, and contains a subject
and verb, but does not express a complete thought.)
If a sentence begins with a dependent clause, note the comma after this clause. If, on the other
hand, the sentence begins with an independent clause, there is not a comma separating the two clauses.
 When he was on the airplane, the man bought cookies.
 When he was on the airplane, the man bought cookies, but not brownies.
 We missed our plane because we were late.
A great way to make a sentence more detailed is by adding dependent clauses (which couldn’t be
sentences on their own). So, complex sentences let us add information to simple sentences.
Here are some common subordinating conjunctions:
after, although, as, because, before, how, if, once, since, than, that, though, till, until, when,
where, whether, while
Here are the five basic relative pronouns:
that, which, who, whom, whose
d. Compound-complex sentence
Sentence types can also be combined. A compound-complex sentence consists of at least two
independent clauses and one or more dependent clause—so, it uses conjunction(s) to combine two
complete sentences and at least one incomplete sentence.
 The girl smelled cookies, which were baking at home, so, she ran all the way there.
 He left in a hurry after he got a phone call but he came back five minutes later.
 John didn't come because he was ill so Mary was not happy.
 The result of combining the three clauses and the conjunction is a compound-complex sentence
that is both informational and easy to understand. The independent clauses give the main information, and
the dependent clause(s) give the details.
References:
https://englishsentences.com/sentence-structure/
https://www.englishclub.com/grammar/sentence/sentence-structure.htm

Paragraph Structure
Paragraphs are the units of organization for your essay. It develops one main idea through a series
of related sentences. This main idea is usually introduced in the first sentence of the paragraph, called the
topic sentence. The idea is then developed further through the sentences that follow. Paragraphs play an
important role in writing because they provide a framework for organizing your ideas in a logical order.
Using a clear structure for your paragraphs helps guide the reader through your written work.
A useful way of understanding paragraph structure is to think of it as a block that is divided into
three sections: the beginning, the middle, and the end.
A basic paragraph follows this structure:
A. Topic Sentence (TS) - the beginning
A topic sentence usually comes at the beginning of a paragraph. This will be your way of
announcing the main focus of your paragraph; it should tell the reader what your paragraph will be about.
In short, it must be general enough to express the paragraph’s overall subject. The specific area delimited
is called the controlling idea.
Examples:
Topic Sentence Part
Topic Controlling Idea
1. People can avoid burglaries by taking certain precautions.
(The precautions for…)
2. There are several advantages to growing up in a small town.
(The advantages of…)
3. Most US universities require a 550 point TOEFL score for a number of reasons.
(The reasons for…)
4. Air pollution in Mexico City is the worst in the world for a number of reasons.
(The causes of…) or (The effects of…)
My Dog Romeo is so much fun to play with. One reason he’s fun is because he loves to play
catch. What’s also fun is that he follows me around the house with a toy and drops it on my foot, so I will
kick it. Additionally, he can catch just about anything, but his favorite thing to catch is a Frisbee. Finally,
he loves it when I pretend like I’m falling dead, and he runs over to lick me.All these reasons show why I
really have fun playing with Romeo.

B. Supporting Sentences (SS) - the middle

This sentences are called “supporting” because they support, explain, or back up the idea
expressed in the topic sentence. It develops the topic sentence by giving examples, explanations/reasons,
descriptions, processes, statistics, comparisons/contrasts, arguments, causes/effects, facts, and so on that
will help to "prove" each claim to the reader.
Example:
 My Dog Romeo is so much fun to play with. One reason he’s fun is because he loves to play
catch. What’s also fun is that he follows me around the house with a toy and drops it on my foot, so I will
kick it. Additionally, he can catch just about anything, but his favorite thing to catch is a Frisbee. Finally,
he loves it when I pretend like I’m falling dead, and he runs over to lick me. All these reasons show why I
really have fun playing with Romeo.

C. Concluding Sentence (CS) - the end

Concluding sentence is the sentence at the end of the paragraph which summarizes the
information that has been presented. It can also serves different purposes such as giving your final
thoughts or personal opinion and sometimes works as transition to the next paragraph. You can think of a
concluding sentence as a sort of topic sentence in reverse.
Example:
My Dog Romeo is so much fun to play with. One reason he’s fun is because he loves to play
catch. What’s also fun is that he follows me around the house with a toy and drops it on my foot, so I will
kick it. Additionally, he can catch just about anything, but his favorite thing to catch is a Frisbee. Finally,
he loves it when I pretend like I’m falling dead, and he runs over to lick me. All these reasons show why I
really have fun playing with Romeo.

Process to write a paragraph

There are five steps to write a good paragraph.
1. BRAINSTORMING
In this step you should think and write down any ideas about a topic you want to write about.
2. ORGANIZING IDEAS
In this step you should organize your ideas by creating a cluster or an outline about what you
want to write about.
3. WRITING THE FIRST DRAFT
In this step you should write your paragraph for the first time, not taking much into account about
the cohesion, coherence grammar, or spelling.
4. EDITING
In this step you should revise all the errors abut coherence and cohesion that your paragraph may
have.
5. FINAL WORK
In this step you should revise all the spelling or grammar errors. And that’s it. Your paragraph is
done.

References:
 Republic of the Philippines
DON HONORIO VENTURA STATE UNIVERSITY
Porac Extension Campus
Porac, Pampanga

Bachelor of Secondary Education major in English

Fragments

Ronann Jay Cabahug

Fragments
Fragments are incomplete sentences. More often than not a fragmentary sentence is the result of
careless writing rather than the ignorance of sentence structure. Usually fragments are pieces of sentences
that have become disconnected from the main clause. One of the easiest ways to correct them is to
remove the period between the fragment and the main clause. Other kind of punctuation may be needed
for the newly combined sentence.
There are 3 steps or tips to remember when writing sentences to avoid fragments.
 Start every sentence with a Person, Place, or thing.
 Avoid sentences with Which, Who, Like , and Such as.

- Like my cousin Jane who works in a big hospital. FRAGMENT

- Like many children, Blake loves to play with his Legos. CORRECT
 Avoid starting sentences with an ING word.

- Jumping up and down with joy when her father walked in the door. FRAGMENT
- Molly jumped up and down with joy when her father walked in the door. CORRECT

Fragment Possible Revision

(phrase or dependent clause)
1. The next afternoon we made our way through the
wreck-strewn harbour of Okinawa. That island
which had made history less than seven years
before.
1. The next afternoon we made our way through the
wreck-strewn harbour of Okinawa, the island
which had made history less than seven years
before.

2. I cite these examples to show how interesting 2. I cite these examples to show how interesting
accounting can be. And to give you an idea of the accounting can be, and to give you an idea of the
kind of problems an accountant has to solve. kind of problems an accountant has to solve.

3. I have been contributing a small amount to the 3. I have been contributing a small amount to the
March of Dimes. Without ever suspecting that one March of Dimes, without ever suspecting that one
day a member of my own family might benefit day a member of my own family might benefit
from this foundation. from this foundation.

Fragmet Possible Revision

(incomplete main caluse)
No main verb:

By 4-wheel,not to mention your old Buick. That logging road is

impassable by 4-wheel-
drive, not to mention
your old Buick.
Running down the street. The girl who is running
 down the street is late
A record of accomplishment beginning when you for her tryst.
were first hired.
I've noticed a record of
accomplishment
beginning when you
were first hired.
or
A record of
No subject: accomplishment began
when you were first
Feeling tired, sick, hounded by creditors, and just hired.
plain disgruntled.
Feeling tired, sick,
hounded by creditors,
and just plain
disgruntled, I reached
my limit.
By paying too much attention to polls can make a
political leader unwilling to propose innovative Remove preposition:
policies. Paying too much
attention to polls can
make a political leader
unwilling to propose
innovative policies.
For doing freelance work for a competitor got Phil
fired. Remove preposition:
Doing freelance work
for a competitor got
Phil fired.
Rearrange:
Phil got fired for doing
freelance work for a
competitor.

http://www.lupinworks.com/roche/pages/fragments.php
https://www.writewithjean.com/2017/05/01/easy-ways-avoid-sentence-fragments/
 Republic of the Philippines
DON HONORIO VENTURA STATE UNIVERSITY
Porac Extension Campus
Porac, Pampanga

Bachelor of Secondary Education major in English

Run-Ons

Ruben Bengco Jr.

Run- Ons
 A run-on sentence occurs when two or more independent clauses (also known as complete
sentences) are connected improperly.
Example: I love to write papers I would write one every day if I had time
There are two sentences in the above example:
Sentence 1: I love to write papers.
Sentence 2: I would write one every day if I had time

One common type of run-on sentence is a comma splice. A comma splice occurs when
two independent clauses are joined with just a comma.
Example of Comma Splice: Participants could leave the study at any time, they needed to indicate their
preference.
Sentence 1: Participants could leave the study at any time
Sentence 2: They needed to indicate their preference
Some comma splices occur when a writer attempts to use a transitional expression in the middle of a
sentence.
Example of Comma Splice: The result of the study were inconclusive, therefore more research needs to
be done on the topic.
Sentence 1: The result of the study were inconclusive
Transitional expression: Therefore (conjunctive adverb)
Sentence 2: More research needs to be done on the topic
To fix this type of comma splice, use a semicolon before the transitional expression and add a comma
after it. See more examples of this on the semicolon page.
Revision: The result of the study were inconclusive; therefore, more research needs to be done on the
topic.
You can correct a run-on sentence by connecting or separating its parts correctly. There are several easy
ways to connect independent clauses.
Correcting Run-On Sentences
A run-on sentence can be fixed by connecting its parts correctly. There are several ways to connect
independent clauses.

1. Use a period. The easiest way to fix a run-on is to split the sentence into smaller sentences using
a period. This revision works especially well with longer sentences. Check, however, to make
sure that this solution does not result in short, choppy sentences.

Revision example: I love to write papers. I would write one every day if I had a the time

2. Use a semicolon. Inserting a semicolon between independent clauses creates a grammatically

correct sentence. Using a semicolon is a stylistic choice that establishes a close relationship
between the two sentences.

Revision example: I love to write papers; I would write one every day if I had a the time

3. Use a comma and a coordinating conjunction. A comma, paired with a coordinating

conjunction (e.g., "and," "but," or "or"), corrects a run-on sentence. This method emphasizes the
relationship between the two clauses.

Revision example: I love to write papers; and, I would write one every day if I had a the time
 4. Use a subordinating conjunction. Turn one of the independent clauses into a dependent clause.
A subordinating conjunction (e.g., "because," "unless," and "although") connects two clauses to
create a complex sentence. This option works to cement the relationship between the two parts of
the sentence and may improve the flow of the clauses.

Example: Because I love to write papers, I would write one every day if I had the time

However you decide to revise for run-on sentences, remember that maintaining sentence variety helps to
keep the writing clear and interesting for your readers.

https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/writingcenter/grammar/runonsentences
 Republic of the Philippines
DON HONORIO VENTURA STATE UNIVERSITY
Porac Extension Campus
Porac, Pampanga

Bachelor of Secondary Education major in English

Parallelism
Andrea Buyet
Parallelism
Parallelism means balanced or equal; using parallelism in writing can help you reduce repetition and
wordiness. When it comes in making a sentence, grammar of listed elements should be parallel (nouns to
nouns, verbs to verbs, adjectives to adjectives)
It is a speaking or writing technique in which you communicate more powerfully by balancing or
adjusting various parts of your sentence. If you compose a sentence that is not parallel, it may sound
awkward in reading it. When a sentence is parallel, it is easier to understand. So when we create a
sentence that has parallel structure, it means that when we have a list of items or words in our sentence,
all form of speech should be the same to maintain the balance. It also plays a significant role in writing
because it allows you to follow a certain rule and empower your sense of rhythm and order.
The goodness of creating sentences with parallel structure are that your sentences will have more weight,
they'll be more balanced, they'll be more clear and also you'll be able to emphasize things more. If you
stick to these parallel rules, your writing will be much more effective and powerful.
Rules of Parallelism
1. Parallelism is used with elements joined by coordinating conjunctions.
Janet likes cooking and to read. (Incorrect)
Janet likes cooking and reading. (Correct)
2. Parallelism is used with elements in lists or in a series.
This task can be done individually, in pairs, or can be done in groups of four. (Incorrect)
This task can be done individually, in pairs, or in groups of four. (Correct)
3. Parallelism is used with elements being compared.
April is mad about watching TV more than to read a book. (Incorrect)
April is mad about watching TV more than reading a book. (Correct)
4. Parallelism is used with elements joined by a linking verb or a form of be
To learn is understanding the world. (Incorrect)
To learn is to understand the world. (Correct)
5. Parallelism is used with elements joined by linking words.
Susan only wants his students to keep quiet but also to do the task. (Incorrect)
Susan wants his students not only to keep quiet but also to do the task. (Correct)

To furthermore understand how parallelism works in sentences, here are some examples:

Examples of Parallelism
1. Mona can sing and dance.

Here we have two verbs. (sing, dance)

2. We enjoy cooking and baking.
Here we have two gerunds. (cooking, baking)
3. She is beautiful and talented.
Here we have two adjectives. (beautiful, talented)
4. I like to watch documentaries and to travel abroad.
Here we have an infinite and a noun. (to watch, to travel)
5. Jenna acted quickly and carefully.
Here we have to adverbs. (quickly, carefully)
6. Filipinos love comedies, drama and documentaries.
Here we have three nouns. (comedies, drama, documentaries)
A while ago we have two, now we have three nouns. It is a way of writing that you can do that some
famous leaders and writers writes this way, because it makes the sentence much more effective by listing
some items more than two.
7. Dona used to bring donut, pizza and burger.
Here we have three nouns. (donut, pizza, burger)

References:
https://lamission.edu/learningcenter/docs/asc/worksheets/Grammar/Parallelism.pdf
https://nps.edu/web/gwc/parallelism
https://www.informationdevelopers.in/parallelism-technical-writing/
 Republic of the Philippines
DON HONORIO VENTURA STATE UNIVERSITY
Porac Extension Campus
Porac, Pampanga

Bachelor of Secondary Education major in English

Misplaced
And
Dangling
Modifier

Jasper Camaya
Misplaced Modifiers

A misplaced modifier is a word, phrase, or clause that is improperly separated from the word it modifies /
describes. 

Because of the separation, sentences with this error often sound awkward, ridiculous, or
confusing.  Furthermore, they can be downright illogical. 

   Example

         

The example above suggests that a gold man owns a watch.

Misplaced modifiers can usually be corrected by moving the modifier to a more sensible place in the
sentence, generally next to the word it modifies. 

   Example

        

Now it is the watch that is gold.

There are several kinds of misplaced modifiers:

1. Misplaced adjectives are incorrectly separated from the nouns they modify and almost always distort the
intended meaning.

     Example 1

        

 
Correct the error by placing the adjective next to the noun it modifies.     

Corrected

        

 Example 2

        

   Corrected

       

Sentences like these are common in everyday speech and ordinarily cause their listeners no
trouble.  However, they are quite imprecise and, therefore, should have NO place in your writing.

2. Placement of adverbs can also change meaning in sentences.

     For example, the sentences below illustrate how the placement of just can change the sentence's meaning.

    Just means only John was picked, no one else:

        

    Just means that John was picked now:

        

  Just means that John hosted only the program, nothing else:

        

Each of these sentences says something logical but quite different, and its correctness depends upon what the
writer has in mind.

Often, misplacing an adverb not only alters the intended meaning, but also creates a sentence whose
meaning is highly unlikely or completely ridiculous.

     This sentence, for example, suggests that we brought a lunch slowly:

         

     To repair the meaning, move the adverb slowly so that it is near ate.

        

Watch out for adverbs such as only, just, nearly, merely, and almost.  They are often misplaced and cause
an unintended meaning.

    This sentence, for example, means that I only contributed the money:

                                   

      Repaired, however, the sentence means that I contributed only $10.00.

          

Like adjectives, adverbs are commonly misplaced in everyday speech, and may not cause listeners difficulty. 
However, such sentences are quite imprecise and, therefore,  should have NO place in your writing.  
Now click on the link below to complete Exercise 1.

3. Misplaced phrases  may cause a sentence to sound awkward and may create a meaning that does not
make sense.

The problem sentences below contain misplaced phrases that  modify the wrong nouns. 

To fix the errors and clarify the meaning, put the phrases next to the noun they are supposed to modify. 

    Example 1 (a buyer with leather seats?)

        

  Corrected

        

   Example 2 (a corner smoking pipes?)

            

    Corrected

        

    

    Example 3 (a house made of barbed wire?)

        

     Corrected

        

Click on the link below to complete Exercise 2.

4.  Misplaced clauses may cause a sentence to sound awkward and may create a meaning that does not make
sense.

The problem sentences below contain misplaced clauses that  modify the wrong nouns. 

To fix the errors and clarify the meaning, put the clauses next to the noun they are supposed to modify. 

    Example 1 ( a buttered woman?)

        

    Corrected

        

    Example 2 (a hamper that Ralph wore?)

        

    Corrected

        

Be careful!  In correcting a misplaced modifier, don't create a sentence with two possible meanings.

    Example

  

Problem:  Did the teacher say this on Monday or will she return the essays on Monday?)  

  Correction #1  (meaning the essays will be returned on Monday)

    

  Correction #2  (meaning that the teacher spoke on Monday)

    

DANGLING MODIFIERS                                 
 A dangling modifier is a phrase or clause that is not clearly and logically related to the word or words it
modifies  (i.e. is placed next to).

    Two notes about dangling modifiers:

 Unlike a misplaced modifier, a dangling modifier cannot be corrected by simply moving it to a

different place in a sentence.
 In most cases, the dangling modifier appears at the beginning of the sentence, although it can also
come at the end.

Sometimes the dangling modifier error occurs because the sentence fails to specify anything to which the
modifier can refer.  

    Example  1

        

This sentence does not specify who is looking toward the west.  In fact, there is nothing at all in the
sentence to which the modifying phrase looking toward the west can logically refer.  Since the
modifier, looking toward the west,  is sitting next to the funnel shaped cloud, the sentence suggests that
the cloud is doing the looking.  

Example 2

        

This sentence means that my mother enrolled in medical when she was nine years old!

At other times the dangling modifier is placed next to the wrong noun or noun substitute.  

    

Example 1
          
Because of the placement of walking to the movies, this sentence suggests that
the cloudburst is walking to the movies even though a possible walker - Jim - is mentioned later.

    Example 2

        

Since having been fixed the night before is placed next to Priscilla, the sentence means that Priscilla was
fixed the night before.  

  As the above examples show, dangling modifiers result in inaccurate and

sometimes ludicrous statements.                

How to correct dangling modifiers

Dangling modifiers may be corrected in two general ways.

Correction Method #1

1. Leave the modifier as it is.

2. Change the main part of the sentence so that it begins with the term actually modified.  
3. This change will put the modifier next to the term it modifies.

  Thus, this dangling modifier

        

  

may be corrected to
        

  Now the sentence means that I was looking toward the west. 

Using the same method, this dangling modifier

                         

  may be corrected to

      

  Now the sentence means that Jim was drenched by the cloudburst.  

Click on the link below to complete Exercise 4.

Correction Method #2

1. Change the dangling modifier phrase to a subordinate clause, creating a subject and verb.
2. Leave the rest of the sentence as it is.

  Thus, the dangling modifier

             

may be corrected to
            

  Now the sentence means that I  (not my mother!) was nine years old when my mother enrolled in medical
school.

Using the same method, the dangling modifier

        

may be corrected to 

          

  Now the sentence means that the car (not Priscilla!) was fixed.

Reference: https://webapps.towson.edu/ows/moduleDangling.htm