Language Arts: Dangling and Misplaced Modifiers - Tutorial
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Dangling Modifiers
Misplaced Modifiers
The modifier sitting on the swing is not connected to a subject. It does not tell
who was sitting on the swing.
Misplaced modifiers are not placed correctly in the sentence, which leaves the reader confused by what the writer of the sentence is trying to say.
This section will cover dangling and misplaced modifiers. It will show how to identify them, how they are used, and their rules.
Sleeping in the chair, my neck became cramped.
The modifier sleeping in the chair is not connected to a subject.
Therefore, we do know who was sleeping in the chair.
Rattling and shaking, the driver pushed the old car up the hill.
Sitting on the swing, she kicked her feet back and forth.
Dangling modifiers do not have a word for the modifier to modify.
This sentence can be corrected by adding a feminine proper noun since the sentence already contains the pronouns she and her.
Revision: Sitting on the swing, Susan kicked her feet back and forth.
By placing the driver immediately after the two modifiers rattling and shaking, it sounds as if the driver was rattling and shaking.
The modifiers should be used to describe the old car.
Revision: While I was sleeping in the chair, my neck became cramped.
Revision: The old car was rattling and shaking as the driver pushed it up
the hill.
The boy bought a skateboard wearing a red hat.
By placing the modifier wearing a red hat right after skateboard, it sounds as if the skateboard is wearing a red hat.
Revision: The boy wearing a red hat bought a skateboard.
By placing the modifier right after the noun it is modifying, the meaning of the sentence is clearer.
The modifier should include a subject to tell who is doing the action in the sentence.
