How to Fix Dangling and Misplaced Modifiers (with Examples)
A modifier is a word, phrase, or clause that describes, defines, or qualifies something else in a sentence.
Modifiers include descriptive words such as adjectives and adverbs:
- She always listened attentively in class.
- She decided to buy the blue vintage Cadillac.
Modifiers can also be phrases or clauses:
- Anna smiled when she walked past the bar where she met her husband.
- Having received a promotion at work, he went out to buy a bottle of champagne.
The most common modifier mistakes are dangling modifiers and misplaced modifiers. Both terms refer to modifiers that are connected to the wrong thing in a sentence.
A misplaced modifier is too far away from the thing it’s supposed to modify, while a dangling modifier’s intended subject is missing from the sentence altogether.
Table of contents
What is a misplaced modifier?
A misplaced modifier is a modifier that is positioned too far away from the word, phrase or clause it is intended to modify and, as a result, appears to be modifying something else.
A misplaced modifier can be fixed by moving it so that it is connected to the right subject.
| Misplaced | Corrected |
|---|---|
|
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In this example, the misplaced modifier implies that the guest was medium rare. Moving the modifier correctly indicates that it was the steak that was medium rare.
Read more about misplaced modifiers
What is a dangling modifier?
A dangling modifier occurs when the subject of a modifier is missing from the sentence.
Dangling modifiers often take the form of an introductory phrase followed by a clause that doesn’t state the intended subject.
| Dangling | Corrected |
|---|---|
|
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In this example, the subject who was fumbling in her purse is not stated, so it seems like the keys were doing the fumbling. A dangling modifier like this can be fixed either by rewriting the main clause in active voice, or by revising the introductory phrase.
Read more about dangling modifiers
Sources for this article
We strongly encourage students to use sources in their work. You can cite our article (APA Style) or take a deep dive into the articles below.
This Scribbr articleLuo, A. (2022, October 20). How to Fix Dangling and Misplaced Modifiers (with Examples). Scribbr. Retrieved 18 November 2024, from https://www.scribbr.co.uk/syntax/modifier/
Butterfield, J. (Ed.). (2015). Fowler’s dictionary of modern English usage (4th ed.). Oxford University Press.
Garner, B. A. (2016). Garner’s modern English usage (4th ed.). Oxford University Press.
