Topic:

Misplaced Modifiers
 What is a Modifier?
• It is a word or phrase that qualifies (modifies) a word, phrase or
clause. Types:
• Adjectives (modify nouns and pronouns)
• Adverbs (modify verbs)
• Modifier phrases (modify an action or an actor)
What is a Misplaced Modifier?
• It is a word or word group whose placement suggests that it modifies
one word or phrase when it is intended to modify another. It is
improperly separated from the word it modifies / describes.
• Example: On her way home, Ahmed found a gold man’s watch.
Misplaced Modifier
• Correct: On her way home, Ahmed found a man’s gold watch.
Several Kinds of Misplaced Modifiers
1. MISPLACED WORDS
• Misplaced Adjectives are incorrectly separated from the nouns they
modify and almost always distort the intended meaning.
Example:
Incorrect: A torn student’s book lay on the desk. ‘Torn’, misplace
adjective (modifies student)
• Correct the error by placing the adjective next to the noun it modifies.
Example:
Corrected: A student’s torn book lay on the desk.
 2. Placement of Adverbs
• It can also change meaning in sentences and also creates a sentence whose
meaning is highly unlikely or completely ridiculous.
Example:
Incorrect: We ate the lunch that we had brought slowly.
• To repair the meaning, move the adverb slowly so that it is near ate. Correct:
Correct: We slowly ate the lunch that we had brought.
Example:
Incorrect: I only contributed 1000 rupees to the fund for orphaned children.
Corrected: I contributed only 1000 rupees to the fund for orphaned children.
 3. Misplaced Phrases
It may cause a sentence to sound awkward and may create a meaning
that does not make sense.
Example:
Incorrect: The dealer sold the sofa to the buyer with leather seats.
• Put the phrases next to the noun they are supposed to modify.
Corrected: The dealer sold the sofa with leather seats to the buyer.
• Example: Incorrect: The three bankers talked quietly in the corner
smoking pipes.
• Corrected:
4. Misplaced Clauses
• Misplaced Clauses may cause a sentence to sound awkward and may
create a meaning that does not make sense.
Example:
Incorrect: The waiter served the dinner roll to the woman that was
buttered.
• To fix the errors and clarify the meaning, put the clauses next to the
noun they are supposed to modify.
Corrected: The waiter served the dinner roll that was buttered to the
woman.
Placing Modifiers Correctly
• Once you have identified a modifier, you need to identify the person,
place or thing that it is modifying. Modifiers usually have to
accompany the thing they are modifying or go as close to it as
possible, or should be placed next to the word it describes.
Let’s take a TEST!
• Rewrite each sentence, moving the misplaced modifier in bold to its
correct position.
1. She served sandwiches to the children on paper plates.
2. The young girl was walking with the dog in a short skirt.
3. Swinging wildly through the trees, the children were delighted by
the monkeys.
4. At the carnival, clowns were handing out toys to children in colorful
paper bags.
5. Tommy with the red stripes is wearing a shirt.
ANSWERS:
1. She served sandwiches on paper plates to the children.
2. The young girl in a short skirt was walking with the dog.
3. The children were delighted by the monkeys, swinging wildly
through the trees.
4. At the carnival, clowns were handing out toys in colorful paper bags
to children.
5. Tommy is wearing a shirt with the red stripes.