Modifiers
And how we misplace, dangle and squint
them…
McLean – LA III
Groucho Marx showed us
best:
 One morning I shot an elephant in my pajamas.
How he got into my pajamas I’ll never know
 One morning I shot an elephant in my pajamas.
 One morning I shot an elephant in my pajamas.
 CORRECTION: One morning, while in my
pajamas, I shot an elephant.
How about this one…
 FOR SALE: Mahogany table by a lady with Chippendale
legs.
 Mahogany table by a lady with Chippendale legs.
What they meant to say:
 Mahogany table by a lady with Chippendale legs.
 Abraham Lincoln wrote the Gettysburg address
while traveling from Washington to Gettysburg on
the back of an envelope.
 Abraham Lincoln wrote the Gettysburg address
while traveling from Washington to Gettysburg on
the back of an envelope.
 Actually trying to say: Abraham Lincoln wrote the
Gettysburg address while traveling from Washington
to Gettysburg on the back of an envelope.
 Two Sisters Reunited After 18 Years in Checkout
Counter
 So these ladies spent 18 years at checkout!?
Why does this
happen?
Misplaced and Danging Modifiers
Misplaced Modifiers
 A misplaced modifier appears to modify the
wrong word in a sentence. They often distort the
meaning of the sentence or make it impossible
for the reader to understand the meaning. To
correct misplaced modifiers, move it closer to the
word it modifies.
1.
 The man was stopped for speeding in the blue
sweater
 Misplaced Modifier
 CORRECTED: The man in the blue sweater was
stopped for speeding.
2.
 I almost saw the whole movie, but I fell asleep
around midnight.
 Misplaced Modifier
 CORRECTED: I saw almost the whole movie, but I
fell asleep around midnight.
3.
 Joe promised to mow the lawn running out the
door.
 Misplaced Modifier
 CORRECTED: Running out the door, Joe promised
to mow the lawn.
4.
 The initials were those of the lovers carved on the
tree.
 Misplaced Modifier
 CORRECTED: The initials carved on the tree were
those of the lovers.
5.
 Every four hours the doctor told him to take the pill.
 Misplaced Modifier
 CORRECTED: The doctor told him to take the pill
every four hours.
Dangling Modifiers
 A dangling modifier appears to modify either the
wrong word or no word at all because the word
it should logically modify is missing from the
sentence. To correct a dangling modifier, add
the missing word and rewrite the rest of the
sentence as necessary.
1.
 Hiking the trail, the birds chirped loudly.
 Dangling Modifier
 Should be: Hiking the trail, my friend and I heard
birds chirping loudly.
2.
 Driving in heavy traffic, my head started to ache.
 Dangling Modifier
 CORRECTED: While I was driving in heavy traffic,
my head started to ache.
3.
 Fishing for trout, our boat tipped over.
 Dangling Modifier
 CORRECTED: Our boat tipped over while we
were fishing for trout.
4.
 Driving through the desert at night, the cactuses
looked eerie.
 Dangling Modifier
 CORRECTED: Driving through the desert at night,
we thought the cactuses looked eerie.
5.
 When he was three years old, Jerry’s uncle
showed him how to fly a kite.
 Dangling Modifier
 CORRECTED: When Jerry was three years old, his
uncle showed him how to fly a kite.
Squinting Modifiers
 A squinting modifier is when a modifier is placed
between two things that it could reasonably
modify, meaning the reader has no idea which
one to choose.
Squinting Modifier Ex:
 Children who laugh rarely are shy
 So:
 Children who rarely laugh are shy
 OR Children who laugh are rarely shy.