DANGLING AND MISPLACED MODIFIERS

DANGLING MODIFIERS

A dangling modifier has no concrete or logical referent in the sentence to which it can
attach itself and therefore is said to dangle (it has nothing to modify).

Most dangling modifiers are verb phrases that are not attached to the intended subject

The issue with these is that the reader could misinterpret the sentence.

Dangling modifiers appear at the beginning of a sentence in an opening clause. In this

case, the subject should be the first thing that comes after the comma of the opening
clause.

This subject, however, is illogical even though the sentence is usually understood
anyhow.

DANGLING PRESENT PARTICIPLE

Walking down the street, the sky was a brilliant blue.

Grammatically, this sentence implies that the sky was walking down the street, and this
is clearly not the writer's intention.

Rewrite: Walking down the street, I noticed the sky was a brilliant blue.
Rewrite: While I was walking down the street, the sky was a brilliant blue.

DANGLING PAST PARTICIPLE

Shocked by the gravity of the situation, something had to be done.

Here, one could interpret that something is shocked by the gravity of the situation.

Rewrite: Shocked by the gravity of the situation, they knew they had to do something.

DANGLING INFINITIVE
 To complete the survey properly, the form must be signed and sealed in the provided envelope.
The form is obviously not the one completing the survey.

Rewrite: To complete the survey properly, participants must sign and seal the form in the
provided envelope.

DANGLING GERUND PHRASE

After having danced all night, it was late and no restaurants were open.
TRICK: When the independent clause begins with there is, there are or an
ambiguous it, dangling is inevitable. Rewrite the sentence to avoid these constructions.

After having danced all night, they realized it was late and no restaurants were open.

DANGLING ELIPTICAL CLAUSES

When golden brown, remove the cookies from the oven and set them on the counter to
cool.
While we understand the subject of when golden brown to be the cookies,
grammatically the imperative and unmentioned you is the subject.

Rewrite: When the cookies are golden brown, remove them from the oven and set them
on the counter to cool.

DANGLING PREPOSITIONAL PHRASES

Like a kid in a candy store, his eyes were bulging at the sight of all they had to offer.

His eyes were clearly not like a kid in a candy store, though that is how the sentence is
grammatically understood.

Rewrite: Like a kid in a candy store, he was so thrilled that his eyes were bulging at the
sight of all they had to offer.

DANGLING APPOSITIVES

An expert in the field, the professor's work was the focus of the conference.
 The professor and not his work is an expert in the field.

Rewrite: An expert in the field, the professor was the keynotes speaker and his work the
focus of the conference.

MISPLACED MODIFIERS

Dangling modifiers fall under the larger category of misplaced modifiers

They are like dangling modifiers in that they attach themselves to an illogical subject

they are different in that they are not always found in opening clauses
misplaced modifiers can be found anywhere in a sentence.

Most style guides and experts agree that misplaced modifiers are grammatically
incorrect and should be rectified

MISPLACED ONLY

I have only eaten one sandwich this week.

This sentence suggests that all I have eaten this week is one sandwich. The sentence
below suggests that I have eaten no more than one sandwich this week.

Rewrite: I have eaten only one sandwich this week.

MISPLACED RESTRICTIVE CLAUSE

She put the sparkly red stilettos on her feet that she bought in Oz.

This first sentence suggests that she bought her feet in Oz.

Rewrite: She put the sparkly red stilettos, which she bought in Oz, on her feet.

This also extends and applies to all the danglers. For example,

MISPLACED PRESENT PARTICIPLE

The teacher was strict on students using detention as a means of discipline.

This sentence implies that it was in fact the students who were using detention as a means of discipline.
 Rewrite: The teacher, using detention as a means of discipline, was strict on students.

MISPLACED PAST PARTICIPLE

They did their homework aided by their parents.

This sentence implies that the homework was aided by their parents, instead of the
children being aided by their parents for their homework.

Rewrite: Aided by their parents, they did their homework.

MISPLACED GERUND PHRASE

Barbie and Kelly went to see the doctor having had the day off work.

The structure of the sentence indicates that the doctor had the day off work.

Rewrite: Barbie and Kelly, having had the day off work, went to see the doctor.

MISPLACED ELIPTICAL CLAUSE

Remove, when golden brown, the cookies from the oven and set them on the counter to
cool.
This implies that the understood imperative subject, you, should remove the cookies
from the oven when he or she is golden brown.

Rewrite: Remove the cookies, when golden brown, from the oven and set them on the
counter to cool.

MISPLACED PREPOSITIONAL PHRASES

The child raced up the magical maroon tree with his eyes full of adventure.

The word order suggests that the tree has eyes that are full of adventure.

Rewrite: The child, with his eyes full of adventure, raced up the magical maroon tree.

MISPLACED APPOSITIVES
The cars engine, a high-class automobile, has a great deal of horse power.

This implies that the engine is a high-class automobile.

Rewrite: The car, a high-class automobile, has a great deal of horse power.