Those Dang Dangling Modifiers!
Jennie Jolly
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So, let's?establish what a modifier is. Modifiers are?words,?phrases, or clauses that add information or describe?something. There are two types of modifiers: 1) adjectives describe a noun, and 2) adverbs describe a verb. I know you want to get to the dangling part, but here's a quick refresher on?misplaced modifiers.
A misplaced modifier describes something that you didn't mean?to describe. Only and almost are?modifiers that are often misplaced.?Ex: 1) I only ate eggs. 2) I ate only eggs. In the first sentence, all I did with the eggs was eat them. I didn't bake with them or anything else. The second sentence explains that I ate eggs - not meat, veggies, or fruit.
You should place the modifier as close as possible to the word you want to describe. Tips: First, find the modifier. Second, does it make sense where it is? Third, if it's misplaced, move it or rearrange the sentence!
Practice time...?I found my pencils looking through my desk drawer. (Hint: who is looking?)?After returning from the dead, my sister took the plants outside. (zombie sister!)
Now we can move on to the dangly part!?When you have a dangling modifier, the subject is either unclear or missing completely.
Incorrect:
Taped to the wall, Sara saw the note. (Is Sara taped to the wall? I hope not!)
Being born with feathers, Pete wondered why chickens don't fly much. (I know Pete, and I'm pretty sure he wasn't born with feathers.)
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Smiling happily, the candles were blown out on?the birthday cake. (Sounds like some happy candles!)?It might seem clear to you when you're writing it, but everyone else is left confused and bewildered.
Fixing your dangling modifier will require you to edit the modifying phrase or edit the main clause to include the correct subject (you can't just move it because something is missing!).
Corrected:
Sara saw the note taped to the wall.
Since chickens are born with feathers, Pete wondered why they don't fly much.
Smiling happily, Violet blew out the candles on the?birthday cake.
"One morning I shot an elephant in my pajamas. How he got in my pajamas, I don't?know." ~ Groucho Marx
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9 个月In order for my mom to be discharged from the hospital there were things she had to be able to do. One of the items on the checklist was “dangle”. When I saw that I started giggling…that word will never not be funny!
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9 个月As a leader of a diverse networking community, concise communication and misplaced modifier awareness are important! (and sometimes in conversations with my husband lol) I'm not afraid to ask for clarification when a message is unclear, which can only improve communication in personal and professional conversations. Great share, and thanks for the reminder! ??
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9 个月I read this in the afternoon, and then I was writing something last night and kept rearranging words because I knew I had the modifier in the wrong place. Thanks for these regular reminders—and the humor added in to make them memorable!
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9 个月A little punctuation in the right place makes all the difference.
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9 个月Fantastic!! I laughed, it was the end of the day and I needed that! Thanks, Miss Jennie!! ??