Mini-Lesson #71
Misplaced
Modifiers
From the
UWF Writing Lab’s 101
Grammar Mini-Lessons Series
The misplaced modifier is placed too close to
some other noun or pronoun which it does not
intend to modify. An adjective, an adverb, or a
phrase or clause used as an adjective or
adverb should refer to a specific word in the
same sentence and be placed close to it so
that the relationship is clear. A modifier is
misplaced if intervening words obscure the
relationship between it and the word it is
intended to modify.
A misplaced modifier is confusing because
the reader may associate it with the wrong
word.
Incorrect: There was a debate on the bill to
provide financial aid to homeless persons in
the Senate.
Whom is the phrase in the Senate describing?
Its proximity to homeless persons suggests
that these homeless persons are in the Senate;
thus, in the Senate is presented as an
adjectival phrase describing persons. Place
the modifying element next to the word it
actually describes.
Correct: There was a debate in the Senate on the
bill to provide financial aid to homeless
persons.
Incorrect: I only need ten more hours to
graduate.
Do you only need ten more hours to graduate or
do you need only ten more hours to graduate?
Make sure that adverbs modify the intended
adjective, verb, or other adverb.
Correct: I need only ten more hours to graduate.
An infinitive is a single grammatical unit which
consists of to plus the present form of any
verb. Since the infinitive is a single
grammatical unit, careful writers frown on
“splitting” the infinitive, that is, placing a
modifier (usually an adverb) between the
preposition to and the verb. Many authorities
discourage the use of the split infinitive; others
accept this structure especially if writing the
sentence without splitting the infinitive would
create an “unidiomatic” expression. Careful
writers use their discretion and if possible try
not to split an infinitive.
Split infinitive: Dentists encourage children to
regularly brush their teeth.
Revised: Dentists encourage children to brush
their teeth regularly.
A squinting modifier is one, which, because of
its placement in the sentence, seems to be
modifying two different words.
Squinting: Patty who was walking quickly
reached the disco.
Revised: Patty, who was walking, reached the
disco quickly.
Revised: Patty, who was walking quickly,
reached the disco.