Transcript A Lesson on Dangling, Misplaced, and Squinting Modifiers

A Lesson on Dangling, Misplaced, and
Squinting Modifiers
Prepared by
John Tacapan
AP and AVID Teacher (DHS)
Adjunct Faculty (Long Beach City College)
Assistant Professor of Education (Westcliff University)
WHAT IS A DANGLING MODIFIER?
A common way to save words and
combine ideas is by starting a sentence
with a phrase that provides additional
information about an element in the
sentence without having to make a
whole separate sentence to say it. In the
following example, notice how three
choppy sentences condense into one
smoother sentence with the use of such
an opening phrase, which is called a
modifier:
• Original: The Student Council exists to
represent students to the faculty and
administration. It also oversees student
organizations. The Student Council
plays an important role in campus life.
• Rewrite: Responsible for representing
students to the faculty and
administration and overseeing student
organizations, the Student Council
plays an important role in campus life.
HERE ARE SOME OTHER EXAMPLES OF SENTENCES THAT BEGIN WITH A PHRASE
PROVIDING THIS SORT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
• An example of bottom of the pyramid targeting, microcredit
ventures lend small amounts of money to those with minimal
assets.
• Found in tropical southern Asia, the Asian Koel belongs to
the cuckoo order of birds.
• After completing the experiment, the most bacteria
appeared in the scraping taken from the drinking fountain.
• Notice something odd about the last one? The modifier -"After completing the experiment" -- doesn't match what
follows it: The bacteria didn't complete the experiment
(presumably, a researcher did)! The rule for using modifiers
at the beginning of a sentence is that the thing being
modified must immediately follow the modifier. Sometimes
this requires you to rearrange the sentence; other times you
have to "spell out" what is being modified if you didn't
include it.
EXAMPLES
• Dangling modifier: Covering most of Minnesota, the illustration
showed the glacier that left the state with its thousands of lakes.
• Corrected: Covering most of Minnesota, the glacier left the state
with its thousands of lakes, as depicted on the illustration.
• Dangling modifier: Trekking across the desert, fierce winds swirled
around the riders.
• Corrected: Trekking across the desert, the riders were assaulted by
fierce winds.
• Dangling modifier: First coined in 1980, historian Linda Kerber used
the term "republican motherhood" to describe a phenomenon
occurring after the Revolutionary War in which women were
encouraged to promote the ideals of liberty and democracy to
their children.
• Corrected: First coined in 1980, the term "republican motherhood"
was used by historian Linda Kerber to describe a phenomenon
occurring after the Revolutionary War in which women were
encouraged to promote the ideals of liberty and democracy to
their children.
WHAT IS A MISPLACED MODIFIER?
• Whereas a dangling modifier is "left hanging,"
so to speak, with its referent missing in action,
a misplaced modifier's referent is present and
accounted for, but as its name implies, the
modifier itself is out of place within the
sentence, such that it seems to modify another
referent in the sentence, resulting in ambiguity
or confusion.
EXAMPLES
• Misplaced: Erik couldn't ride his bicycle
with a broken leg.
• Misplaced: The little girl walked the dog
wearing a tutu.
• Misplaced: Just don't stand there.
• Correct: With his broken leg, Erik
couldn't ride his bicycle
• Correct: Still wearing a tutu, the little girl
walked the dog.
• Correct: Don't just stand there.
WHAT IS A SQUINTING MODIFIER?
• Unlike a dangling modifier or a
misplaced modifier, a squinting modifier
is placed right next to the word it refers
to, but it is also near another word that it
might be modifying, which can cause
confusion.
EXAMPLES
• Squinting: Cycling uphill quickly strengthens the leg
muscles.
• Correct: Quickly cycling uphill strengthens the leg
muscles.
Or
• Correct: Cycling uphill can quickly strengthen the leg
muscles.
• Squinting: Using modifiers clearly will improve your
writing.
• Correct: Clearly using modifiers will improve your
writing.
Or
• Correct: Using modifiers will clearly improve your
writing.
IDENTIFY THE ERROR IN EACH OF THE FOLLOWING SENTENCES AND REWRITE
THEM CORRECTLY
1. Sharon put the hat on her head that she bought yesterday.
2. I am writing a research paper about Queen Elizabeth in my
English class.
3. Priscila only took one test yesterday.
4. Slamming on the brakes, the car skidded into the guardrail.
5. While pouring the eggnog, her dog bounded into the room
and smashed into her, causing her to splatter all over the
guests.
6. The waiter finally served us after sitting at the table for
nearly an hour.
7. The victims who swallowed the antidote rapidly recovered.
8. Kevin's mom asked him when he finished his homework to
take out the trash.
BELOW ARE FOUR VERSIONS OF THE SAME SENTENCE. ONE VERSION
CONTAINS A MISPLACED MODIFIER. READ THE SENTENCES AND
INDICATE WHICH SENTENCE IS INCORRECT.
1. Several concerns about falling revenues were
expressed during the meeting.
2. During the meeting, several concerns about falling
revenues were expressed.
3. Several concerns during the meeting were
expressed about falling revenues.
4. During the meeting about falling revenues, several
concerns were expressed.
•
ONLY ONE OF THE SENTENCES BELOW IS CORRECT. EACH OF THE OTHERS CONTAINS A
DANGLING MODIFIER. READ THE SENTENCES AND INDICATE WHICH SENTENCE IS
CORRECT.
1. Coinciding with another class, I had to
revise my schedule.
2. Reaching into his wallet, the $50 bribe
flashed at the officer.
3. Waiting for class, she heard the alarm.
4. Out of breath, the race was finally finished.
ONLY ONE OF THE SENTENCES BELOW IS CORRECT. EACH OF THE OTHERS CONTAINS
A SQUINTING MODIFIER. READ THE SENTENCES AND INDICATE WHICH SENTENCE IS
CORRECT.
1. I promised after class to help him rebuild his
engine.
2. Cassie dashed through the rain to reach her next
class.
3. The discount rates on Friday only appealed to Mrs.
Jones.
4. People who use cell phones during movies loudly
disturb other moviegoers.