DANGLING MODIFIER
 A modifier is a word, clause or phrase that describes, clarifies, or gives more detail about a
concept.
Example: I'm going to the Saturn Café for a vegetarian burger.
 A dangling modifier is a phrase or clause that either modifies no word in the sentence or refers
to the wrong word. Dangling modifiers cause the sentence to lack coherence.
Example: With one last look at the room, the door close.
(One last look at the room, my dad the door.)
Common reasons of dangling modifier
 There are two common reasons for dangling modifiers. The first is due to the modifying word or
phrase being placed too far from the word or group of words it’s meant to modify. The second
happens when the sentence doesn’t include a logical subject to modify.
How to correct dangling modifier?
1. Insert a new subject of the sentence. The main problem with the dangling modifier is that the
sentence subject doesn’t exist. You can simply insert the subject back into the sentence. For
instance, in the sentence, “Running at top speed, the wig fell off,” could become, “Running at
top speed, he felt his wig fall off.”
2. Insert a subject in the introductory clause. If you don’t want to change the second half of the
sentence, you can always tweak the introductory clause to give it the subject it needs. For
instance, “Running at top speed, his wig fell off” becomes, “While he was running at top speed,
his wig fell off.”
3. Rearrange the sentence. Often, it’s possible to rearrange the entire sentence to fix a dangling
modifier, usually by moving the introductory clause and integrating it into the rest of the
sentence. For instance, “Cooked through, he took the lobster tails out of the oven” becomes,
“He took the lobster tails out of the oven once they were cooked through.”
Note that in correcting dangling modifiers, you should place the subject in proper place, cause there is
an instance that it would be a misplaced modifier;
Example:
The waiter presented a steak to the guest that was medium rare. (misplaced modifier)
The waiter presented a medium-rare steak to the guest. (proper)
Questions:
1.
clause or phrase that describes, clarifies, or gives more detail about a concept.
a. Clause
b. Modifier
c. Dangling modifier
d. Adjective
2. is a phrase or clause that either modifies no word in the sentence or refers to the
wrong word.
a. Clause
b. Modifier
c. Dangling modifier
d. Adjective
3. Coherence means?
a. The quality of being logical and consistent.
b. The quality of being concise and reasonable.
c. The quality of being artistic and meaningful.
d. The of being modern and innovative.
4. Which sentence has a dangling modifier?
a. Running at top speed, the wig fell off
b. While he was running at top speed, his wig fell off.
c. Running at top speed, grandpa’s wig fell off.
d. While running at top speed, grandpa’s wig fell off.
Answers:
1.
2.
3.
4.
B
C
A
A.