The young lady was walking the dog on the telephone. While swimming the mile back to shore as Your writing will be stronger for it. Misplaced and dangling modifiers distract the reader. Many readers objected to the newspaper's picture of a young man posed beside a dead whale wearing running shoes and holding a gun. A modifier provides a concept's definition, clarification, or more information. Later on in the passage, we learn that T. S. Eliot was not a man concerned with a "new" style of writing and yet was able to produce "innovative" poetry. The following sentence has an incorrect usage: "Having finished" is a participle expressing action, but the doer is not the TV set (the subject of the main clause): TV sets don't finish assignments. Rhetorical Skills focuses on your comprehending of . Rewrite the following the sentences onto your own sheet of paper to correct the dangling modifiers. highlighted item in the passage below. Published on Purdue OWL is a registered trademark. 1. To revise, combine the phrase and the main clause into one sentence. 1.4 Introduction to Writing: End-of-Chapter Exercises, 2.8 Writing Basics: End-of-Chapter Exercises, 3.9 Punctuation: End-of-Chapter Exercises, 4.7 Working with Words: End-of-Chapter Exercises, 5.3 Count and Noncount Nouns and Articles, 5.9 Help for English Language Learners: End-of-Chapter Exercises, 6.2 Effective Means for Writing a Paragraph, 6.3 Writing Paragraphs: End-of-Chapter Exercises, 7.4 Refining Your Writing: End-of-Chapter Exercises, 8.5 The Writing Process: End-of-Chapter Exercises, 9.1 Developing a Strong, Clear Thesis Statement, 9.4 Writing Introductory and Concluding Paragraphs, 9.5 Writing Essays: End-of-Chapter Exercises, 10.10 Rhetorical Modes: End-of-Chapter Exercises, 11.2 Steps in Developing a Research Proposal, 11.4 Strategies for Gathering Reliable Information, 11.5 Critical Thinking and Research Applications, 11.6 Writing from Research: End-of-Chapter Exercises, 12.1 Creating a Rough Draft for a Research Paper, 12.2 Developing a Final Draft of a Research Paper, 12.3 Writing a Research Paper: End-of-Chapter Exercises, 13.4 Using Modern Language Association (MLA) Style, 13.5 APA and MLA Documentation and Formatting: End-of-Chapter Exercises, 14.2 Incorporating Effective Visuals into a Presentation, 14.4 Creating Presentations: End-of-Chapter Exercises. My uncle had to see a doctor with indigestion. or dangling modifier. Incorrect: The patient was referred to the physician with stomach pains. (2016). Eliminate grammar errors and improve your writing with our free AI-powered grammar checker. Note that if the participial phrase is essential to the meaning of the sentence, no commas should be used: If a participial phrase comes at the end of a sentence, a comma usually precedes the phrase if it modifies an earlier word in the sentence but not if the phrase directly follows the word it modifies. Which sentence contains a dangling modifier? - Brainly.com Some animals, such as male frogs, only use their vocal organs to attract a mate. Misplaced and Dangling Modifiers | Exercise 2 | Grammar Bytes! Bent over backward, the posture was very challenging. Handouts Rules Listening to music while walking home, Choose 1 answer: Choose 1 answer: (Choice A) I didn't notice my friend shouting "hello". Popping Twitter October 20, 2022. For example, if you say purple womens shoes, it sounds like the women are purple, not the shoes. Which of the following sentences contains a dangling modifier? Learn more about how Pressbooks supports open publishing practices. Cite This Source. Chapter 4: Working with Words: Which Word Is Right? On ne mange pas tres bien a la cantine _______ ecole! Make sure the modifier and noun go together logically. Correct They frequently include an -ing word (gerund) and to + verb (infinitive) phrase near the start of a sentence. Now, lets look at a similar misplaced modifier example: Happy that school was over, the afternoon was quite relaxing for the students. The good news is that these errors can be easily overcome. B. C. When taking a grammar quiz, concentration is everything. A modifier describes, clarifies, or gives more detail about a concept. Here, well explain how to avoid and fix misplaced modifiers so you come across as intended whenever you communicate. They can make a sentence's meaning clearer, make a sentence more specific, or simply make it more engaging. My studies have been focused on the social sciences, having taken two political science courses and one sociology course. Usually, this means right before or after the noun: This is also true when theyre modifying a, When a modifier isnt in this position, it can make the sentence confusing for a reader or listener. Having finished the assignment, Jill turned on the TV. played at the playground bought ice cream. Or was the civilization he discovered using astronavigation?". All rights reserved. Combine the phrase and main clause into one: Who wanted to improve results? Crawling across the floor, the baby knocked over the blocks. We strongly encourage students to use sources in their work. Often, they can be found at the beginning of sentences, though they can also appear at a sentence's end. Simple modifiers like only, almost, just, nearly, and barely often get used incorrectly because writers often stick them in the wrong place. Furthermore, they can be downright illogical. theme of mutability, or the idea that life on earth is full of constant (and mainly negative) change. out on a swim, Tommy drank a root beer and tossed the empty plastic bottle Which of the following sentences contains a dangling gerund phrase? In this sentence, the intended target of the modifier, Jane, is missing. Choisis la preposition et l'article ou la contraction qui convient pour completer chaque phrase. To revise, decide who actually arrived late. Contributors: Chris Berry, Karl Stolley Sentence 1: Change "you" to "they' Sentence 2: Change "me" to "I". Placing the cold cuts on the bread, the lettuce was placed on top. When there is nothing that the word, phrase, or clause can modify, the modifier is said to dangle. Which sentence contains a misplaced modifier? While looking in the mirror, the towel swayed in the breeze. hair, which became dry and brittle. You might hear or read that adjective phrases describe adjectives, and this is true in a pedantic sensean adjective phrase. Which one of these options completes the sentence in a way that makes the most sense? Moving slowly, Bowie stalked the rabbits. This sentence says that the written excuse arrived late. In English sentences, the doer must be the subject of the main clause that follows. One method of fixing a dangling modifier is to leave the modifier as it is and rewrite the main clause so that it begins with the subject being modified. Modifiers are words, phrases, or clauses that describe other words and phrases. Humming and chewing, my sandwich went down smoothly. Because a car accident appears where the subject should be, the sentence now suggests that a car accident was driving to work. Lets start with the basics: What are modifiers? Wanting to make a delicious sandwich, the mayonnaise was thickly spread. Divide passage into syllables: pas-sage. Correct: The trees looked like spooky aliens as Jonas was walking home at night. After Tommy bemoaned his ineptitude on a surfboard, Marina Notice in the incorrect sentence it sounds as if her head was too large! How to say passage: pronounce syllables in passage. Modifiers should appear next to the words they describe. Because of the separation, sentences with this error often sound awkward, ridiculous, or confusing. Writing, grammar, and communication tips for your inbox. Living in southern Ontario, her condominium was affected by the recent power shortages. Piled up next to the bookshelf, I chose a romance novel. This website collects and publishes the ideas of individuals who have contributed those ideas in their capacities as faculty-mentored student scholars. In this case, purple is the misplaced modifier. Since the doer of the action expressed in the participle has not been clearly stated, the participial phrase is said to be a dangling modifier. She seems logically to be the one doing the action ("having finished"), and this sentence therefore does not have a dangling modifier. On completing the grammar quiz, spiking your pencil is acceptable. Read the sample sentence, and then answer the questions. Not sure what a modifier is? The local residents often saw Ken wandering through the streets. The revision might look something like this: INCORRECT: After reading the original study, the article remains unconvincing. In other words, there is no referent in the sentence. The inevitable passage of time was a particularly painful example of such change, especially since it . Here are a few example sentences: are modifiers that add detail by describing the limits a noun, pronoun, or other subject in a sentence faces. Does it modify "Dolger" or "civilization"? Some of the sentences contain a misplaced or dangling modifier. Note that these videos were created while APA 6 was the style guide edition in use. You guessed itwith modifiers. A participle is a verbal that is used as an adjective and most often ends in -ing or -ed. Sophie va aller ________ supermarche ce matin. In the example above, the first sentence fails to clarify whose hand was injured it does not state the subject of the introductory modifier phrase. Repaired: Tyler found almost fifty cents under the sofa cushions. Past participles end in -ed, -en, -d, -t, -n, or -ne as in the words asked, eaten, saved, dealt, seen, and gone. When there is nothing that the word, phrase, or clause can modify, then the modifier is said to dangle. out of the ocean as sleek as a seal, Tommy gasped at the sight. The second sentence contains both a modifier and a modifier phrase. Did they previously live in bricks? Then decide whether or not it contains a misplaced or dangling modifier. Dangling Modifiers 2 Flashcards | Quizlet La caissiere ___________ supermarche est tres sympa. Chapter 2: Writing Basics: What Makes a Good Sentence? A modifier is a word, phrase, or clause that clarifies or describes another word, phrase, or clause. Playing a guitar in the bedroom, the cat was seen under the bed. Every year, the conference gathers together the region's top experts on water protection and pollution, which is hosted by the local conservation authority. About Robin. When a modifier is not modifying a specific word, we call it a dangling modifier. After identifying the dangling modifier, rewrite the sentence. The clown at the party was very nice. Click the card to flip 1 / 10 Flashcards Then decide whether the sentence without realizing it. In the incorrect sentence, it seems that the brothers name is. January 17, 2020 To raise a good dog, patience is useful. A. Passage describes the act of passing or traveling from one place to the next. In the example below, the introductory phrase modifies Jane, the subject of the main clause. My uncle with indigestion had to see a doctor. early (adverb), The participial phrase functions as an adjective modifying Lynn. Here are a few examples of misplaced modifiers: One type of misplaced modifier is known as a. .