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The document provides guidelines on avoiding misplaced parts and dangling modifiers in English sentences to enhance clarity and coherence. It explains how the position of modifiers can alter the meaning of sentences and offers examples of correct and incorrect usage. Additionally, it includes exercises for students to practice rewriting sentences to eliminate these grammatical issues.

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Lachache Abderrahmane
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3 views

document (1)

The document provides guidelines on avoiding misplaced parts and dangling modifiers in English sentences to enhance clarity and coherence. It explains how the position of modifiers can alter the meaning of sentences and offers examples of correct and incorrect usage. Additionally, it includes exercises for students to practice rewriting sentences to eliminate these grammatical issues.

Uploaded by

Lachache Abderrahmane
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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University of M'sila - Faculty of Letters and Language

Department of English Language and Literature Written Expression Credits


First Year LMD Students (G1,2,3) 2020-2021 Prepared by: Ms. Berkani
Lecturer: Miss.Benia

MISPLACED PARTS / DANGLING MODIFIERS

EFFECTIVE SENTENCES

1. COHERENCE: MISPLACED PARTS / DANGLING MODIFIERS

The meaning of an English sentence depends largely on the position of its parts. Usually these parts (words,
phrases, subordinate clauses serving as modifiers) can be placed in various positions.

Note how the meaning in the following sentences changes according to the position of the modifier “ only”

1-Jane said that she loved only her mother (she loved no one else)

2-Jane said that only she loved her mother (no one else loved her mother)

3-Jane said only that she loved her mother (she said nothing else)

• A- Avoid needless separation of related parts of the sentence

1-In standard written English, adverbs such as almost, only, just, even, hardly, nearly, or merely are regularly
placed immediately before the words they modify

Ambiguous: He is just asking for a trifle

Clear: He is asking just for a trifle

2-The position of a modifying prepositional phrase should clearly indicate what the phrase modifies

A propositional phrase used as an adjective nearly always immediately follows the word modified

Misplaced: Mother gave date muffins to my friends with pecans in them

Clear: Mother gave my friends date muffins with pecans in them

3- Adjective clause should be placed near the words they modify

Awkward: I saw the horse stop at the edge of the precipice that had raced ahead.

Clear: I saw the horse that had raced ahead stop at the edge of the precipice.

4- Avoid “squinting” constructions (modifiers that may refer either to a preceding or to a following
word)

Squinting: I agreed on the next day to help him

Clear: I agreed to help him on the next day or On the next day, I agreed to help him.

5-Avoid awkward separation of parts of verb phrases and awkward splitting of infinitives

1
Awkward: There stood the old car which we had early last autumn left by our lake cottage

Improved: There stood the old car which we had left by our lake cottage early last autumn.

• B-Dangling modifiers

Avoid dangling modifiers

The word dangling is applied especially to incoherent clearly and logically to some word verbal phrases and
elliptical clauses .A dangling modifiers is one that does not refer to some word in the sentence

Gerund phrase: After watching the late show, Nancy was tired (Nancy watched the late show)

Elliptical clause: When only a small boy, I went with my father to Texas ( “I was” is implied in the
elliptical clause)

Note: To correct a dangling modifier: 1- rearrange the words in the sentence to make the modifier sensibly
refer to the right word, or 2- add words to clear up the meaning

1-Avoid dangling participial phrases

Dangling : Taking our seats, the game started ( “taking” does not refer to the subject “ game”, nor to any
other word in the sentence)

Improved : Taking our seats, we watched the opening of the game ( “ taking” refers to “ we” , the subject
of the sentence)

Or : After we had taken our seats, the game started ( Participial phrase expended into a clause)

Note: Participles do not dangle when they are used in an absolute phrase or used to introduce or refer to a
general truth .E.g. Generally speaking, an optimist is a happy man.

2-Avoid dangling infinitive phrases

Dangling :To write well, good books must be read.

Improved : To write well, a student must read good books.

Note : Infinitives do not dangle when they introduce a general truth rather than designate the action of a
specific person or thing. E.g. To be brief, rats carry disease.

3-Avoid dangling elliptical clauses

An elliptical clause, which is a clause with an implied subject and verb, dangles unless the implied subject is
the same as that of the main clause (See the example above, B- Dangling modifiers)

2
Exercise 1: Rewrite the following sentences to eliminate dangling or misplaced modifiers. (Keep in
mind that there is more than one correct way to revise these sentences.)
1-To be a successful student, good study habits need to be developed
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...
2- Published in the paper, the man believed the story.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………
3- The dog ate the food with the brown fur.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...
4. The woman driving the car wearing a bikini sped through town.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...
5.All that glitters is not gold.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………...............
6. When completely empty, the technician should refill the beaker.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...
7.He even works during his vaccation
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...
8. Tightening his red tie, the microphone was approached by the announcer.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………...............
9. Walking along the street, the fallen leaves were kicked up by the little boy.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………...............
10. The book was on the table which she had read the day before.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...
11-The house only costs $12.500.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….....
12- Opening the door, the fresh breeze tousled her hair.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

Do your duty , come what may

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