Correcting Misplaced Modifiers

What is a misplaced modifier?

How to fix misplaced modifiers
One-word modifiers
Phrase modifiers
Clause modifiers
Review A
Review B
 What is a misplaced modifier?

One little word can make a big difference.

Notice how the placement of the word only
changes the meaning of the sentence.
only only only
On Saturdays, my brother and I watch movies on TV.
^ ^ ^
Do you watch
have one
on Saturdays,
movies,
brother
butand
nothing
but
no
not on any other day?
others?
else?

In each position, only modifies a

different word.
 What is a misplaced modifier?

A word, phrase, or clause that seems to modify

the wrong word or word group in a sentence is
called a misplaced modifier.

Misplaced modifiers are confusing.

misplaced
modifier
Her dog sat as she waited for the bus patiently.
Verb Verb

Who is sitting? The dog? The girl?

Who is waiting? The girl? The dog?
 What is a misplaced modifier?

A misplaced modifier can be funny, too.

misplaced modifier
The bowl slipped off the table, which was full of soup.
Noun Noun

What was probably full of soup?

The table? The bowl?
Common sense tells us that the bowl,
not the table, was full of soup.
The noun table is right before the
adjective clause, so the table seems to
be full of soup.
 What is a misplaced modifier?

A misplaced modifier can be one word.

one word OR
Helplessly, the parakeet escaped as the girl watched.

Who was helpless?

The escaping parakeet?

The watching girl?

 What is a misplaced modifier?

A misplaced modifier can also be a clauseA

misplaced modifier can also be a clause or a
phrase.
OR phrase
The dog chased the ducks, yapping and barking.
Who was yapping and barking? The ducks? The dog?

OR clause
The team will receive a trophy that wins the game.

Who wins the game? The team? The trophy?

 What is a misplaced modifier?
Phrase

A phrase is a group of related words that

• is used as a single part of speech
• does not contain a verb and its subject

on the subway to go hiking

knocking on the door have been thinking
held tightly in the field
 What is a misplaced modifier?
Clause

A clause is a word group that contains a verb and

its subject.

subject verb subject verb

We work in my garden when the weather is nice.

clause clause

subject verb subject verb

They like the flowers that I planted.

clause clause
 What is a misplaced modifier?

Identify the misplaced modifier in each of the

following sentences.

1. About six inches long, the Tyrannosaurus rex

had sharp teeth.

2. I found many earthworms planting my

garden.

3. An old log sat in the fireplace that was

covered with moss.
 What is a misplaced modifier?

Identify the misplaced modifier in each of the

following sentences.

1. About six inches long, the Tyrannosaurus rex

had sharp teeth.

Was the T. rex about six inches long, or were its

teeth six inches long?
 What is a misplaced modifier?

Identify the misplaced modifier in each of the

following sentences.

2. I found many earthworms planting my

garden.

Was I planting my garden, or were the earthworms

planting my garden?
 What is a misplaced modifier?

Identify the misplaced modifier in each of the

following sentences.

3. An old log sat in the fireplace that was

covered with moss.

Was the log covered with moss, or was the fireplace

covered with moss?
 What is a misplaced modifier?

On Your Own
Determine whether the underlined word or phrase is a
misplaced modifier. Write M for a misplaced modifier or C if
the modifier is not misplaced.
___ 1. We watched a film about how comets are formed
in science class.
___ 2. In a tank at the aquarium, we watched the seals
play.
___ 3. Exhausted, the hikers needed a good night’s rest.

[End of Section]
 What is a misplaced modifier?

Answers
Determine whether the underlined word or phrase is a
misplaced modifier. Write M for a misplaced modifier or C if
the modifier is not misplaced.
___
M 1. We watched a film about how comets are formed
in science class.
___
M 2. In a tank at the aquarium, we watched the seals
play.
___
C 3. Exhausted, the hikers needed a good night’s rest.
 How to fix misplaced modifiers

Place modifying words, phrases, and clauses as

near as possible to the words they modify.

Sandra saw a bird’s nest. with two eggs

Where should these two phrases
be placed in this sentence? looking up

Looking up, Sandra saw a bird’s nest with two eggs.

Who was looking up? Sandra was.
What had two eggs? The nest did.
 How to fix misplaced modifiers
One-word modifiers

Be especially careful to place the following

modifiers right before the word they modify so that
your meaning is clear.

almost even hardly just

merely nearly not only

All of the members were No members came to

not at the meeting. = the meeting.

Not all of the members Some of the members

were at the meeting. = were at the meeting.
 How to fix misplaced modifiers
Phrase modifiers

When a sentence contains several modifying

phrases, follow these steps to make sure none of
them are misplaced.

Maria took a picture in the grass of a

lion using her new camera.

Step 1: Find the basic sentence.

Maria took a picture.

 How to fix misplaced modifiers
Phrase modifiers

Step 2: One at a time, insert the phrases near the

word or words they modify.

Phrase 1: of a lion
This phrase should modify picture.

Maria took a picture of a lion.

 How to fix misplaced modifiers
Phrase modifiers

Step 2: One at a time, insert the phrases near the

word or words they modify.

Phrase 2: in the grass

This phrase should modify lion.

Maria took a picture of a lion in the grass.

 How to fix misplaced modifiers
Phrase modifiers

Step 2: One at a time, insert the phrases near the

word or words they modify.

Phrase 3: using her new camera

This phrase should modify Maria.

Using her new camera, Maria took a picture of a lion

in the grass.
How to fix misplaced modifiers
Phrase modifiers

Sometimes the placement of a

phrase has to be changed when
you add another phrase.
of a lion

Maria took a picture using her new camera.

This sentence is correct, but look what

happens when you add another phrase.
Maria
Usingtook
her anew
picture of a lion
camera, using
Maria took her new
a picture
camera.
of a lion.
Now
Wasthe
theplacement
lion using of
herboth
newphrases
camera?
makes sense.
 How to fix misplaced modifiers
Clause modifiers

When a modifying clause seems to be misplaced,

follow these steps to fix the sentence.
misplaced modifier
There is a car in the garage that has no windshield.

Step 1: Figure out which thing lacks a windshield.

The car? The garage?
OR misplaced modifier
There is a car in the garage that has no windshield.
Place the modifier as close as possible to the thing it
modifies–in this case, the car.
 How to fix misplaced modifiers
Clause modifiers

Step 2: Decide if a phrase or another clause is

between the clause and the word it should be
modifying.
misplaced modifier
There is a car in the garage that has no windshield.
Prep. phrase

The prepositional phrase

separates the adjective clause
from the noun it modifies, car.
 How to fix misplaced modifiers
Clause modifiers

Step 3: Decide where to move the word, phrase,

or clause that is in the wrong place.

misplaced modifier
There is a car in the garage that has no windshield.
Prep. phrase

misplaced modifier
In the garage, there is a car that has no windshield.

Moving the phrase to the beginning of the sentence eliminates

the confusion. Now the clause is next to word it modifies.
How to fix misplaced modifiers
Clause modifiers

Check your punctuation when you

move a clause or a phrase.
Usually, we use a comma after
the introductory phrase or clause.

As I rode my bicycle , a dog chased me.

Chasing a crow , the dog barked loudly.
 How to fix misplaced modifiers

Revise each sentence to correct the underlined

misplaced modifier. Be prepared to explain your
answer.

1. Pierre saw a Great Dane cycling through

the park.

2. In different countries, I read about

unusual customs.

3. Jan showed the rooms to her visitors that

she had painted.
 How to fix misplaced modifiers

Revise each sentence to correct the underlined

misplaced modifier. Be prepared to explain your
answer.
OR
1. Pierre saw a Great Dane cycling through the park.

Cycling through the park, Pierre saw a Great Dane.

Pierre—not the Great Dane—was cycling through the
park.
 How to fix misplaced modifiers

Revise each sentence to correct the underlined

misplaced modifier. Be prepared to explain your
answer.
OR
2. In different countries, I read about unusual customs.

I read about unusual customs in different countries.

The customs are in different parts of the world. I did
not read in different parts of the world.
 How to fix misplaced modifiers

Revise each sentence to correct the underlined

misplaced modifier. Be prepared to explain your
answer.
OR
3. Jan showed the rooms to her visitors that she had
painted.

Jan showed the rooms that she had painted to her

visitors.

Jan didn’t paint the visitors; she painted the rooms.

 How to fix misplaced modifiers

On Your Own
Revise each sentence to correct the misplaced modifier.
1. The mayor pledged she would build more roads at
the meeting.
2. The winners marched off the platform carrying
trophies.
3. I watched the hawk grab its prey with my new pair
of binoculars.
4. There was a bird in the tree that had a strange-
looking beak.

[End of Section]
 How to fix misplaced modifiers

Answers
Revise each sentence to correct the misplaced modifier.
1. The mayor
At the pledged
meeting, the she would
mayor build she
pledged more roads
would at
build
themore
meeting.
roads.
2.
2. The winners
Carrying marched
trophies, the off the platform
winners marched carrying
off the
trophies.
platform.
3.
3. IWith
watched
my new thepair
hawkof grab its preyI with
binoculars, my new
watched pair
the hawk
of binoculars.
grab its prey.
4.
4. There
In the was
tree,athere
bird in theatree
was bird that
that had
had aa strange-
strange-
looking
looking beak.
beak.
The End