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Grammar Tips for Writers

The document explains dangling modifiers, which occur when a modifier lacks a clear target in a sentence, leading to confusion for readers. It provides examples of dangling modifiers and illustrates how to correct them by ensuring that modifiers have appropriate words to describe. The document emphasizes the importance of clear sentence construction to avoid such errors.

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13 views2 pages

Grammar Tips for Writers

The document explains dangling modifiers, which occur when a modifier lacks a clear target in a sentence, leading to confusion for readers. It provides examples of dangling modifiers and illustrates how to correct them by ensuring that modifiers have appropriate words to describe. The document emphasizes the importance of clear sentence construction to avoid such errors.

Uploaded by

mainaremmy294
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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THE DANGLING MODIFIER

Recognize a dangling modifier when you find one.

Modifiers are words, phrases, or clauses that add description. In clear, logical
sentences, you will often find modifiers right next to—either in front of or behind—
the target words they logically describe.

Read this example:

Horrified, Mom snatched the deviled eggs from Jack, whose fingers
were covered in cat hair .

Notice that horrified precedes Mom, its target, just as deviled sits right before eggs.
Whose fingers were covered in cat hair immediately follows Jack, its target.

Sometimes, however, an inexperienced writer will include a modifier but forget the
target. The modifier thus dangles because it has nothing in the sentence to describe.

Dangling modifiers are errors. This poor method of sentence construction confuses
readers.

Review the examples below:

Hungry, the leftover pizza was devoured.

Hungry is a single-word adjective. Notice that there is no one in the sentence


for this modifier to describe.

Rummaging in her giant handbag, the sunglasses escaped detection.

Rummaging in her giant handbag is a participle phrase. In this sentence, no


word exists for this phrase to modify. Neither sunglasses nor detection has
fingers to make rummaging possible!

With a sigh of disappointment, the expen sive dress was returned to


the rack.

1
With a sigh of disappointment is a string of prepositional phrases. If you look
carefully, you do not find anyone in the sentence capable of feeling disappointed.
Neither dress nor rack has emotions!

Know how to fix a dangling modifier.

Fixing a dangling modifier will require more than rearranging the words in the
sentence. You will often need to add something new so that the modifier finally has a
target word to describe:

Hungry, we devoured the leftover pizza.

Rummaging in her giant handbag, Frieda failed to find her sunglasses.

With a sigh of disappointment, Charlene returned the expensive dress


to the rack.

Grammar Bytes! | chompchomp.com | ©2022 2

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