However, "my lateness" is part of the modifier, rather than being part of the subject itself. So, who read the poem aloud? Nowhere in this sentence do we see who exactly is devastated. “Without knowing the recipe, it was risky to make a cake from scratch.”. Enjoy the following examples of dangling modifiers. From henceforth, you’ll be the one to ask tricky grammar questions like this. Example 2. Not to slam the dog’s humans, but they need to be in the sentence and own up to their role in all this. Problem: Again, we are left wondering exactly who read the great new book. A modifier does exactly what it sounds like: it changes, alters, limits, or adds more info to something else in the sentence. This sentence implies that the sun was the “doer of the action”, that the sun was driving past The Break Box Café. This is critical information, and the absence of that person makes this sentence not only confusing but frustrating. “Reading the regulations” is a dangling modifier. Doesn’t mean you won’t make this mistake ever again. It seems pretty obvious and intuitive when written in a simple sentence, and it seems hard to imagine a situation in which a modifier would be left dangling, without a thing to modify. In this sentence the doer (the subject) of the action is missing. 1st form of verb + ing) or a past participle (2nd form of verb).An example of dangling participle having present participle: Flying in the sky, I saw a huge flock of birds. By contrast, a sentence with a dangling modifier might read: Having finished the assignment , the TV was turned on. The phrase can't possibly be modifying the movie, since the movie can't read. In the case of adverbs, adverbs should modify the nearest verb or the subsequent adverb or adjective in the same sentence. Examples of Dangling Modifiers Example #1: Mouse in Pajamas. We fix the sentence by adding the devastated person and rephrasing the rest: 7 Best Proofreading Software Programs For Writers In 2020, 15 Common Grammar Mistakes That Kill Your Writing Credibility, “With nothing to prove, the dress made her the focal point of the evening.”. A dangling modifier is also called a dangling participle if it contains a present participle (e.g. Hoping to excuse my lateness, the note was written and given to my teacher. For example: Hoping to garner favor, my new boyfriend brought my parents a gift that sadly failed to impress them. Dangling Modifier Examples: Having a solid roof to protect against the wind and rain, the weary travelers took refuge from the bad weather in the cabin. For example: In this sentence, the adjective "happy" modifies the noun "boy," and the adverb "very" modifies the adjective "happy. Do you know a dangling modifier when you see it? However, modifiers don't always have to be simple words or phrases like "happy," and sentences aren't always simple. Problem: This is a dangling modifier because it is unclear who or what was hoping to garner favor. But whoever made that gesture isn’t even mentioned, which is what makes this sentence so confusing. Correction: This sentence could be corrected by adding a proper subjectidentifying the person … They are incorrect and the reason is explained after the given example. Let’s start first with the definition of a modifier. Adverbs can go before or after the thing they are modifying. Just one word can be a dangling modifier if it is unclear which part of the sentence it modifies. Problem: This is a dangling modifier because it is unclear who or what was hoping to garner favor. Here, social exclusion is said to … Correction: This sentence could be corrected by adding a proper subject identifying the person who was hoping to win over the parents. A dangling modifier is a word or phrase that modifies a word not clearly stated in the sentence. Phrases can also act as modifiers, providing additional information about something else in the sentence. A dangling modifier is a phrase or clause that does not logically modify any word in the sentence in which it appears. “Not having studied the lab manual carefully, the experiment was a failure.”. In grammar, adverbs and adjectives are both modifiers. And do you know what to say when someone asks, “So, what’s the difference between a dangling modifier and misplaced modifier?”. 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. Dangling modifiers often take the form of an introductory phrase followed by a clause that doesn’t state the intended subject. I am the person who is hoping to excuse my lateness, so I wrote a note and gave it to my teacher. Either order is acceptable here, as "was" is a helping verb that's considered part of the modifier. Example 6 with an Adjective. Example: Incorrect: Hearing the good news, happiness was mine. Dangling modifiers: definition and examples. Having finished the assignment, Jill turned on the TV. Problem: Here, it seems as though we have a subject: "my lateness." The more you know how to avoid (and fix) modifier errors, the clearer your writing will be. Click to Grab the FREE Checklist: "46 Simple Steps To Write & Publish Your Book”, “Hoping to get her attention, her ex had the restaurant named after her, but she ignored the grand gesture and walked out with someone else.”, “Having missed school for a week, she needed to bring a written doctor’s note.”, “Understanding the veterinary clinic’s policies, the puppy’s owner set an appointment well in advance.”, “Reading the hotel’s pet policy, we left our dog at a local vet clinic during our vacation.”, “Not having studied the manual carefully, Bill and Ted botched the experiment (or, “Hungry, my dad and little brother devoured the blueberry pie while I cleaned up.”, “Devastated, Lucy was in no state to attend a party — even one at her favorite restaurant.”, “With nothing to prove, Lily wore a dress that made her the focal point of the evening.”, “With a gasp, Dr. Jefffers quickly resealed the lid.”, “Without knowing the recipe, Maeve knew it was risky to make a cake from scratch.”, “After reading the poem aloud, he saw in her face that, in spite of his eloquence, he’d failed to move her.”, Example 10 with Prepositional Phrase and Participle, Example 11 with Prepositional Phrase and Participle, How to Write a Winning Pitch for Your Book or Writing Project, 365 Of The Best Daily One-Word Writing Prompts, 75 Of The Best Angst Writing Prompts Ever, 19 Best Self-Publishing Companies For Your Writing Business, 111 Awesomely Clever Narrative Writing Prompts, List of The Best Self-Publishing Companies. Once you read this post and look over its 11 examples of dangling modifiers, you will. The modifier thus dangles because it has nothing in the sentence to describe. ", Here, the adverb "quickly" modifies the verb "ran," and the adverb "very" modifies the adverb "quickly. Create a word for the modifier to describe. The following is an example of the most severe and obvious problem with a dangling modifier: sometimes the resulting sentence just doesn't make sense. 1. “I wore my favorite pants to the job interview, which accidentally picked up road salt from the side of … “Understanding the veterinary clinic’s policies, an appointment was set well in advance.”. Examples of Dangling Modifiers: In some situations, a dangling modifier can render a whole sentence meaningless. Correction: We need a subject that is modified by "hoping to excuse my lateness," since obviously the note itself didn't have any hopes, because it's a note. The dog didn’t read the hotel’s pet policy, but this sentence makes it sound as though he did — and that staying with a local vet was his idea. That means that you can't just say, "The happy." In this example, the subject who was fumbling in her purse is not stated, so it seems like the keys were doing the fumbling. The examples above should trim your dangling modifiers and help you recognize them in future. “Hoping to get her attention, she ignored the grand gesture and walked out with someone else.”. Problem: "Unbeaten" is left dangling here, apparently modifying a phrase to which it doesn't apply. By contrast, dangling participles are participles or participle phrases that are not placed next to the nouns they modify, causing great confusion, and not a small number of unintentionally humorous grammatical errors. How to repair dangling modifiers – two options: 1. “Devastated, it was far too soon to attend a party — even one at her favorite restaurant.”. Example 1. Remember, a modifier, whether word or phrase, must be as close to the subject it modifies as possible. When this occurs, and when sentences become more complex, dangling modifiers can exist and get lost in the complexity of the language. Some dangling modifiers do not have a present or past participle. Now, the modifier is no longer dangling, since the subject - in this case, the boyfriend - is clearly identified. Misplaced and dangling modifiers … Unbeaten, the regular season championship belonged to the Wildcats. Example 8 with Prepositional Phrase. At other times the dangling modifier is placed next to the wrong noun or noun substitute. A modifier is considered dangling when the sentence isn't clear about what is being modified. Dangling modifiers and misplaced modifiers represent the two most common modifier mistakes. - [Voiceover] So this can look something like, Flashing lightning and thunder, the little bunny struggled through the storm. Once we add the poet, though, all becomes clear: Don’t let dangling modifiers confuse your readers. Posses… Place it next to the modifier. If the modifier of a sentence doesn’t modify the correct Noun or Pronoun, then the meaning of the sentence can be changed. Thanks to modifiers, words like “the bird” become “the soaring bird.” Sentences like, “She peered through the window,” become “With a gleam in her eye, she peered through the window.” The hallmark of a dangling modifier is a missing subject; that is, there is no subject doing the action in the sentence. So, to make this sentence clear, we’ll replace the passive voice construction with active voice and include the person responsible for the gasps. Who exactly is “hoping to get her attention?” Probably the one who made the grand gesture, right? What is a dangling modifier? Problem: Elevators can't stand in line. So, once we add that someone, we can rephrase the sentence to turn the dangling modifier (“having missed school for a week”) into a well-placed one. 1. Example 7 with an Adjective. Dangling Modifier Examples. Once we add the culprit (or culprits), the sentence becomes clear. Misplaced modifiers are positioned so that they appear to modify something other than what they’re meant to describe. A dangling modifier does not have anything to modify because the word or words it should modify have been omitted from the sentence.These sentences should be restructured to include the words the modifiers describe.Dangling Modifier Examples: 1. Here follow several examples of dangling modifiers and how to fix them. It will be easiest for you to understand the problem of the dangling modifier if I show you some examples. If you’re ready for more examples, check out our post with examples of misplaced modifiers. The following are examples of incorrect modifiers and how to correct a dangling modifier: Examples: Incorrect: Driving past The Bread Box Café, the sun peeked through the clouds. Whether a word or a whole phrase, a dangling modifier can confuse meaning and complicate writing. No need to dwell on past mistakes, though. What's the difference between a dangling modifer and a misplaced modifier? Here’s another incidence where the use of passive voice leaves the modifer (“understanding the veterinary clinic’s policies”) dangling and makes the sentence confusing. A dangling modifier occurs when the subject of a modifier is missing from the sentence. Modifiers need to be as close as possible to what they're modifying. A dangling modifier isn't always a whole phrase. A modifier describes, clarifies, or gives more detail about a concept. Having finished the assignment , Jill turned on the TV. But when it doesn't do that, that's what's called a dangling modifier. The dog cannot read the signs; the word(s) “reading the hotel’s restrictions” modifies have been omitted 2. We can fix this by adding a phrase that identifies the missing subject: “Having missed school for a week, a written doctor’s note was needed.”. Dangling Modifier Examples. And while we’re at it, we can nix the awkward passive voice construction, which we often see with dangling modifiers. A modifier modifies or provides more information. “After reading the poem aloud, his words, though eloquent, failed to move her.”. That missing "what" is the thing being modified. Example: Swimming out into the lake, the water grew cold. If you did, people would immediately ask you, "The happy what?" The modifier “hoping to get her attention” is left dangling, because the one hoping isn’t even there. While driving to work, Jane witnessed a car accident on the highway. If not, it also is a dangling modifier. And even if you don’t want a reputation as a grammar nerd, knowing how to spot and fix modifier errors will make you a better writer. After all, who would ignore their own grand gesture? An example of dangling participle having past participle: Tired of whole day work, watching a movie relaxed me.Note. For example, "The big" doesn't make sense without telling what is big which leaves "big" as a dangling modifier; but, "the big dog" is a complete phrase. Correction: Rearranging the sentence resolves all confusion. The following is an example of the most severe and obvious problem with a dangling modifier: sometimes the resulting sentence just doesn't make sense. Final Exam 11th Grade English: Tutoring Solution Status: Not Started. And it has to be a person — not a party. Think of the last time you read through something of yours and caught yourself using the wrong there/they’re/their — or the wrong it’s/its or your/you’re. Example 2 with a Participle Phrase. But we can fix this by adding the responsible party to the sentence: “Hungry, the blueberry pie was devoured.”. Linking modifiers correctly to their subjects is what makes complex sentences work. In this sentence, the phrase having finished the assignment is the dangling modifier. Ideally, they should be directly next to the thing being modified, either before or after, sometimes with a helping verb. Hoping to garner favor, my parents were sadly unimpressed with the gift. Dangling modifiers typically occur at the beginning of a sentence. A modifier is considered dangling when the sentence isn’t clear about what is being modified.For example, “The big” doesn’t make sense without telling what is big which leaves “big” as a dangling modifier; but, “the big dog” is a complete phrase. Logically, it's "people" who are stuck standing in line, but with the way this sentence is structured, grammatically that phrase must refer to "the elevator," making the sentence nonsensical. Take Exam Dangling elliptical clause: In this sentence, the modifier when just six years old is positioned next to my grandmother, suggesting that my six year old grandmother taught me ballet. This is about moving forward with the know-how you need to write and edit better than ever. My note may not get me out of trouble, but at least I won't have bad grammar too! Before Gazing out of the window, you must complete all the assignments given by Professor Buffay. Who didn’t study the lab manual? So, it seems to modify something else, but it doesn’t make sense. Dangling modifiers are errors. Typically, a dangling modifier comes in the form a phrase or clause at the beginning or end of a sentence. Whose fingers were covered in cat hair immediately follows Jack, its target. Here, some relevant information is implied rather than being explicitly stated. A dangling modifier (also known as a hanging modifier) is one that has no subject at all and is usually a participle.It is also called illogical participle. Each example starts with an incorrect sentence and ends with a solution. By the time we’re done, you’ll be a better writer and editor. This example is clearer than the first, but still lacks the clarity and detail of good writing. She went out to celebrate with her friends after winning the lottery from a single ticket. For more help on a similar subject, try our misplaced modifier article. We can fix it by adding the subject who doesn’t know the recipe. A modifier does exactly what it sounds like: it changes, alters, limits, or adds more info to something else in the sentence. For your convenience, I’ve highlighted the dangling modifiers in green. "Having finished" states an action but does not name the doer of that action. Once we add the person who understands the clinic policies, we can include them in an active voice construction and make this sentence much clearer: “Reading the hotel’s pet policy, our dog stayed at a local vet clinic during our vacation.”. Correction: A subject must be added so the modifier has something to describe, change or limit. Example 1 with a Participle Phrase. Examples of Misplaced or Dangling Modifiers. Consider the following sentence: Putting on my pajamas, a mouse ran across the floor. Vicious smelly creatures with huge tusks, the ship's crew found it difficult to drive the male walruses from the beach. Copyright © 2020 LoveToKnow. Example 5 with Participle Phrase. (Before going out in the rain is the introductory phrase. Correction: Reordering the sentence makes a clear result. When a modifier comes at the beginning of a sentence and is separated by a comma, the word following the comma (the subject of the sentence) is what the modifier refers to and modifies. Social exclusion is inevitable when faced with mobility restrictions. - [Voiceover] So this sentence has a dangling modifier, and the modifier in question is, flashing lightning and thunder. This sentence is correctly composed because Jill is the subject, and the phrase having finished the assignment describes Jill. And since you don’t want to confuse your readers, you need to know not only how to spot them but how to fix them, too. Dangling Participle Examples . Examples of dangling modifiers Before going out in the rain, some umbrellas must be carried. The prepositional phrase “without knowing the recipe” should modify a person, but not a single person appears in this sentence. The lid probably didn’t gasp, but whoever resealed it might have. ", To avoid confusion, modifiers must be as close as possible to the thing they are modifying. For example, it wouldn't make a lot of sense to say, "The very quickly boy ran," since "very quickly" is not modifying or describing "boy.". Incorrect: Reading the hotel’s restrictions, my dog stayed at home. Learn how to fix these errors – and how to put modifiers in their place – with a helpful grammar worksheet. A misplaced modifier is a type of ambiguous grammatical construct whereby a grammatical modifier could be misinterpreted as being associated with a word other than the one intended. The pie wasn’t hungry, but someone sure was. The one modified by “not having studied the lab manual carefully” is conspicuously absent (how convenient). Participles are modifiers just like adjectives, so they must have a noun to modify. Now, at least, you’ll be better able to spot those mistakes during editing. Example 4 with a Participle Phrase. 11 Examples of Dangling Modifiers. “With a gasp, the lid was quickly resealed.”. Unbeaten, the Wildcats claimed the regular season championship. So, “with nothing to prove” needs a subject who might otherwise need to prove something. 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