My uncle had to see a doctor with indigestion. This sentence says that the written excuse arrived late. PDF Dangling Modifiers - Nova Southeastern University B. I did not think that the clown was funny. These, too, are generally either adverbial or adjectival and can look like: Here are a few examples of modifier phrases in action: And here are some examples of modifier clauses working in sentences: Typically, modifiers are placed right beside the noun theyre modifying. This can produce to difficulty in the comprehension of the text. Correct With a modifier. Lets start with the basics: What are modifiers? Correct: The trees looked like spooky aliens as Jonas was walking home at night. A misplaced modifier is a word, phrase, or clause that is improperly separated from the word it modifies / describes. Dangling modifiers often appear at the beginning of the sentence as a participle phrase. A participial phrase is set off with commas when it: b) interrupts a sentence as a nonessential element. In the example above, the cat is tired after a long day at work! Robust, real-time communication assistance, Write, rewrite, get ideas, and quickly reply with GrammarlyGO, Features to polish, grammar, tone, clarity, team consistency, and more, Writing assistance on 500,000+ apps and sites across your devices, For desktop apps and websites like Word and Gmail, For sites like Google Docs, Gmail, and LinkedIn, Check for grammar, spelling, and punctuation mistakes, Format citations in APA, MLA, and Chicago, Demonstrative Pronouns: Definition and Examples, ten grammatical errors that make you look bad. A misplaced modifier is a word, phrase, or clause that is separated from the word it describes, creating confusion and ambiguity. Take a look at these examples: , the kids who played at the playground bought ice cream. Popping With modifiers. Dangling modifiers change the meaning of the sentence in an unintended way. Sentence 1 Directions: Read the highlighted item in the passage below. Playing a guitar in the bedroom, the cat was seen under the bed. Then decide whether the sentence is correct or contains a misplaced or dangling modifier. Modifiers work by adding descriptive language to sentences, either just before or just after the words they are modifying. By using the commonsense method, determine the meaning of the italicized words below. Doctoral Capstone Preproposal Starter Kit, Sentence Structure and Types of Sentences, Relative, Restrictive, and Nonrestrictive Clauses, Verb Forms: "-ing," Infinitives, and Past Participles, Mastering the Mechanics: Modifiers (video transcript), Structuring Sentences: Dangling Modifiers (video transcript), Structuring Sentences: Misplaced Modifiers (video transcript), website accessibility and accommodation statement, Walden Departments, Centers, and Resources. Correct: As Jane was riding in the sports car . After completing the job, Jill turned on the television. , asked about the schools testing schedule. "Having finished" states an action but does not name the doer of that action. How do you describe how an action is being performed? The modifier "vegetarian" gives extra information about what . Spending three hours working at my laptop, I took a break. Putting straws up his nose and barking like a walrus did not make Tommy Google Classroom. Learn more about how Pressbooks supports open publishing practices.