Week 7:

Using Modifiers Correctly

 Exercise 1: Write in the blank the correct form of
the modifier in parentheses.

1. Biologist Rachel Carson was one of the first people to realize that pesticides
were altering the environment faster than living things could adapt. (fast)
2. Carson’s book Silent Spring is widely regarded as one of the most influential
books of the past half-century. (influential)
3. Her earlier book, The Sea Around Us, had already established Carson as an
important writer. (early)
4. Silent Spring took four and a half years to write, much longer than Carson
had anticipated. (long)
5. In the 1960s, when Silent Spring was published, many people believed that
pesticides were safer than the insects they were meant to kill. (safe)
6. After all, insects carried some of the world’s deadliest diseases.(deadly)
7. Silent Spring climbed the best-seller lists even more quickly than The Sea
Around Us had. (quickly)
8. The chemicals Carson wrote about in Silent Spring were some of the most
toxic the planet had ever seen. (toxic)
 Exercise 1: Write in the blank the correct form of
the modifier in parentheses.
9. Birds appeared to be more sensitive to the effects of pesticides
than other animals. (sensitive)
10. The rate at which fish and birds died after their habitats had been
sprayed was more rapid than anything Carson had witnessed before.
(rapid)
11. Chemical pesticides are still widely used today, but in much
smaller quantities. (small)
12. The most powerful of these chemicals, DDT, has been banned in
the United States. (powerful)
13. A number of other countries, however, have weaker regulations
than the United States does. (weak)
14. Synthetic pesticides remain in the environment much longer than
was once believed. (long)
15. Their greatest impact could be on water quality. (great)
 Exercise 2: Write in the blank the correct form of
the modifier in parentheses.
1. Of my three sisters, Rita lives the farthest away. (far)
2. Groceries seem to cost more every week. (much)
3. Colleen described the worst blizzard she’d ever driven
through. (bad)
4. The birds ate less food than we expected. (little)
5. This article delves further into the subject than I realized.
(far)
6. Sean had more job skills than any other applicant. (many)
7. He played the sonata better the first time than the second
time. (well)
8. Laura signed up more walkathon sponsors than anyone else
in the class. (many)
 Exercise 2: Write in the blank the correct form of
the modifier in parentheses.
9. This road is in better condition than it was last year. (good)
10. The corn is in the farthest field from the house. (far)
11. Beth had collected the least tip money of anyone working
Saturday night. (little)
12. The furthest back George could remember was
kindergarten. (far)
13. Claudio’s car was parked farther away than I remembered.
(far)
14. Nancy’s broken finger hurt worse than she had expected it
to. (bad)
15. The second draft of Jim’s paper was better than the first.
(good)
 Exercise 3: Circle any double or incomplete comparisons.
Write DC in the blank for each double comparison and IC for
each incomplete comparison. Write C if the sentence is
correct.
DC In terms of population, however, it is the second most
1. _____
smallest.
C
2. _____ Only Wyoming has fewer people than Alaska.
DC Alaska’s most largest city is Anchorage.
3. _____
IC Perhaps more than any state, Alaska is blessed with
4. _____
natural beauty.
DC Eight national parks protect Alaska’s most loveliest areas.
5. _____
6. _____
DC The most highest point in the state is Mt. McKinley.
7. _____
IC Also known as Denali, it is higher than any mountain in
North America.
8. _____
DC Alaska’s most earliest inhabitants were Inuit and other
native peoples.
 Exercise 3: Circle any double or incomplete comparisons.
Write DC in the blank for each double comparison and IC for
each incomplete comparison. Write C if the sentence is
correct.
IC
9. _____ The first white settlers arrived later than the native
peoples.
C
10. _____ In 1880, fewer than 1 percent of Alaska’s residents
were non-native.
DC Native Americans are no longer Alaska’s most
11. _____
largest ethnic group.
DC Alaskans of non-native descent make up a much
12. _____
more larger percentage of the population.
IC
13. _____ Alaska is richer in natural resources than any state.
IC
14. _____ Its fishing industry is larger than any state’s.
C
15. _____ Due to harsh conditions, however, there is less
farming than fishing.
 Exercise 4: Circle each misplaced modifier and draw an
arrow to the word it should modify. Write C in the blank if
the sentence is correct.

1. Before leaving on Friday, hors d’oeuvres will be available for

the workshop participants.
2. Driving all night, the sun was coming up when we arrived.
3. Before leaving his house, the dentist’s office called, and
Ricardo rescheduled his appointment.
4. Waiting outside for an hour, the cold wind was all I could
think about.
5. Alone in a strange house, every little noise frightened
Jessie.
6. Studying quietly, my brother’s loud music disturbed me.
7. Bored with sitting in her hotel room, Joanna went
shopping. C
8. I discovered a nest mowing the lawn.
 Exercise 4: Circle each misplaced modifier and draw an
arrow to the word it should modify. Write C in the blank if
the sentence is correct.

9. Unfamiliar with the game, golf seemed difficult to Pat.

10. Colleen stir-fried vegetables for her guests in the work.
11. Newly married, the apartment seemed just right for Bill and
Miriam.
12. Working in the yard all day, I like to listen to the radio.  C
13. With their herds increasing, accidents involving deer are on
the rise.
14. Tossing and turning, thoughts of the next day’s trip kept
Aisha awake.
15. Brushing against my legs, I couldn’t ignore the hungry cat.
Exercise 5: Underline each dangling modifier. Circle each
misplaced modifier and draw an arrow to the word it should
modify. Write C in the blank if the sentence is correct.

1. _____ Watching television, a show came on that Tricia

wanted to see.
2. _____ While tuning his guitar, a string broke.
3. _____ Watching the sun set, the boats sailed across the
water.
4. _____ Every week while doing laundry, the detergent runs
out.
5. __C__ Wearing her new dress, Linda entered the restaurant.
6. _____ After waiting for an hour, Frannie’s name was called.
7. _____ Writing my term paper, the printer ran out of paper.
8. _____ While delivering the new sofa, a muddy footprint was
left on the carpet.
Exercise 5: Underline each dangling modifier. Circle each
misplaced modifier and draw an arrow to the word it should
modify. Write C in the blank if the sentence is correct.

9. _____ Unable to start his car, a taxi took Jack to the airport.
10. _____ Walking across the bridge, the hotel could be seen.
11. _____ Shopping in a crowded store, my mother’s wallet
was stolen.
12. _____ My sister missed an entire week of swimming with
the chicken pox.
13. _____ Filling the birdfeeder, a chickadee appeared.
14. _____ I was invited to the impressionist exhibit by Tannie.
15. _____ To win basketball games, practice sessions must be
attended.
Exercise 6: Insert a vertical line | to indicate where the
word only should be placed to make each sentence match
the meaning in parentheses.

1. |My grandmother works on Saturday. (She works alone.)

2. My grandmother |works on Saturday. (She does nothing
else on Saturday.)
3. Ivy grows | on this slope. (It grows nowhere else.)
4. | Ivy grows on this slope. (Nothing else grows there.)
5. | Trout swim in that part of the lake. (No other fish swim
there.)
6. Trout swim | in that part of the lake. (They swim nowhere
else in the lake.)
7. Mr. Sato taught | driver’s education. (He taught one
course.)
8. | Mr. Sato taught driver’s education. (No one else taught
it.)
Exercise 6: Insert a vertical line “|” to indicate where the
word only should be placed to make each sentence match
the meaning in parentheses.
9. Thom did | laundry last night. (He did nothing else last
night.)
10. | Thom did laundry last night. (No one else did
laundry.)
11. Terese sang | the first verse. (She didn’t sing any other
verses.)
12. | Terese sang the first verse. (No one else sang it.)
13. | Jaime reads mystery novels. (No one else reads
them.)
14. Jaime reads | mystery novels. (He reads no other
novels.)
15. | Corrine drove the truck. (No one else drove it.)