Putting Misplaced and

Dangling Modifiers

In
Their
Place
 Essential Questions
• What is a dangling or misplaced modifier?
• How do I correct dangling and misplaced
modifiers?
 Misplaced Modifiers
• A misplaced modifier is a modifier that is
incorrectly separated from the word or words
that it describes.
• Misplaced modifiers seem to describe words
that the author did not intend them to
describe.
• When modifiers are misplaced, the reader may
misunderstand the sentence.
• Generally, the solution is to place the modifier
as close as possible to the word or words it
describes.
 Misplaced Modifiers
• Misplaced modifier:
Sam bought a used car from a local dealer with
a smoky tailpipe.

• Corrected version:
Sam bought a used car with a smoky tailpipe from
a local dealer.
 Misplaced Modifiers
• Misplaced modifier:
The robin built a nest at the back of our house of
grass and string.

• Corrected version:
The robin built a nest of grass and string at the back
of our house.
Misplaced Modifiers
• Misplaced modifier:
Christie almost sneezed fifteen times last evening.

• Corrected version:
Christie sneezed almost fifteen times last evening.
 Dangling Modifiers
• A modifier that does not logically modify a
word or group of words in the sentence.
 Dangling Modifiers
• Dangling modifier:
Searching the internet for information about American
Indian Customs, an article about the Shawnee leader
Tenskwatawa captured my interest.

• Corrected version:
Searching the internet for information about American Indian
Customs, I found an interesting article about the Shawnee
leader Tenskwatawa.
.
 Dangling Modifiers
• A modifier that starts a sentence must be
followed right away by the word that it
describes. Otherwise, the modifier is said to
be dangling, and the sentence takes on an
unintended meaning.
 Dangling Modifiers
• Dangling modifier:
Sitting in the dentist’s chair, the sound of
the drill made Larry sweat.

• Corrected version:
As Larry was sitting in the dentist’s chair,
the sound of the drill made him sweat.
 Dangling Modifiers
• Dangling modifier:
Sitting in the dentist’s chair, the sound of the
drill made Larry sweat.

• Corrected version:
Sitting in the dentist’s chair, Larry sweated at the sound
of the drill.
Dangling Modifiers
• Dangling modifier:
Soaring through the sky, Brenda watched the high-
powered jet.

• Corrected version:
Brenda watched the high-powered jet soaring through
the sky.