Fixing Misplaced Modifiers

A modifier is a word or phrase that describes something else in a sentence. When it sits in the wrong place, it can describe the wrong thing — sometimes with funny results. The editing questions ask you to move modifiers so the meaning is clear.

A misplaced modifier is a describing phrase placed too far from the word it should modify, so it seems to describe something else. A dangling modifier describes a word that is not even in the sentence. For a misplaced modifier, clarify its connection by moving it closer to what it describes. For a dangling modifier, name the missing actor or rewrite the phrase.

Misplaced Modifiers

A modifier should sit as close as possible to the word it describes. When it drifts, the sentence can say something you never meant. Wrong: She served sandwiches to the children on paper plates. As written, the children are on paper plates. Corrected: She served the children sandwiches on paper plates. Now the plates describe the sandwiches. Small words like “only,” “almost,” and “just” are especially slippery. Potentially unclear: He only eats vegetables on Fridays. The scope of “only” can depend on context. If the intended meaning is that Friday is the only day he eats vegetables, make it explicit: He eats vegetables only on Fridays. To catch these, find the describing phrase and ask what word it is meant to modify; place them close enough that the intended connection is clear. Adjacency is a useful guideline, not an absolute requirement.

Dangling Modifiers

A dangling modifier opens a sentence with a description but then fails to name the thing it describes. The reader is left picturing the wrong subject. Wrong: Walking to school, the rain began to fall. This says the rain was walking to school. The person walking has vanished from the sentence. Corrected: Walking to school, I felt the rain begin to fall. Now the opening phrase clearly describes “I.” Wrong: After finishing the exam, the classroom felt quiet. The classroom did not finish the exam. Corrected: After finishing the exam, the students found the classroom quiet. The reliable fix is to make sure the word right after the opening phrase is the one doing the action. Ask, “Who or what is doing this?” and put that subject immediately after the comma.

Watch: A Short Video Lesson

Khan Academy gives a clear overview to go with this lesson:

A Routine for Modifiers

1. Find the describing word or phrase.
2. Ask what it is meant to describe.
3. Move it next to that word.
4. For opening phrases, name the doer right after the comma.

Practice

1. What is a misplaced modifier?
2. What is a dangling modifier?
3. How do the fixes for misplaced and dangling modifiers differ?
4. Rewrite to make clear that the dog is walking and wearing the sweater: “I saw a dog walking down the street in a sweater.”
5. Fix this: “Running late, the bus was missed.”
6. Rewrite “He only sleeps at night” to mean he sleeps at no other time.

Answers

1. A describing phrase placed too far from what it modifies.
2. A phrase that describes a word not in the sentence.
3. Move a misplaced modifier closer to what it describes; name the missing actor or rewrite a dangling phrase.
4. “I saw a dog in a sweater walking down the street.”
5. “Running late, I missed the bus.”
6. “He sleeps only at night.”

Where This Fits in Your RLA Prep

Clear placement supports cutting wordiness and fixing order and parallel structure. See every topic on the Language Arts Prep Hub.

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