Dangling and Misplaced Modifiers

Choose a study mode

Play Quiz
Study Flashcards
Spaced Repetition
Chat to Lesson

Podcast

Play an AI-generated podcast conversation about this lesson
Download our mobile app to listen on the go
Get App

Questions and Answers

Which of the following sentences contains a dangling modifier?

  • Running late, I grabbed my keys and left. (correct)
  • Having finished dinner, we went for a walk.
  • Because it was raining, I took my umbrella.
  • After the rain, the sun appeared.

In the sentence, "The report, which was thoroughly researched, contained several errors", what kind of modifier is "which was thoroughly researched"?

  • Misplaced Modifier
  • Correctly Placed Modifier (correct)
  • Compound Modifier
  • Dangling Modifier

Which sentence demonstrates the correct placement of a modifier?

  • I returned the casserole dish to the neighbor that was empty.
  • Covered in ivy, I admired the old stone cottage.
  • I saw a dog running down the street yesterday. (correct)
  • Eager to please, the gift was greatly appreciated.

Which sentence suffers from a misplaced modifier?

<p>I almost failed every math test this semester. (A)</p>
Signup and view all the answers

Identify the sentence with a dangling modifier:

<p>While baking cookies, the oven caught fire. (C)</p>
Signup and view all the answers

How could the following sentence be rewritten to correct the dangling modifier: "Walking down the street, the buildings looked beautiful."

<p>Walking down the street, I thought the buildings looked beautiful. (B)</p>
Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following sentences uses a misplaced modifier?

<p>I only ate three cookies. (B)</p>
Signup and view all the answers

Which modification corrects the dangling modifier in the sentence: "Having been neglected, the house was a mess."

<p>Because it had been neglected, the house was a mess. (D)</p>
Signup and view all the answers

Select the sentence that correctly uses modifiers.

<p>The book was lying on the table, which I borrowed from the library. (A)</p>
Signup and view all the answers

How would you revise this sentence to repair the misplaced modifier: "I saw a deer driving down the road."

<p>Driving down the road, I saw a deer. (C)</p>
Signup and view all the answers

Which sentence contains a misplaced modifier that creates unintentional humor?

<p>I only fed my cat organic salmon. (A)</p>
Signup and view all the answers

How could the following sentence be rewritten to eliminate the dangling modifier: "Exhausted from the hike, the bed was very comfortable."

<p>Exhausted from the hike, I found the bed was very comfortable. (D)</p>
Signup and view all the answers

Which sentence is free of misplaced or dangling modifiers?

<p>She served the soup in bowls that were hot. (D)</p>
Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following sentences contains a dangling modifier that is closest to the subject, but still incorrect?

<p>While researching the topic, many sources were reviewed. (B)</p>
Signup and view all the answers

Select the sentence that contains a misplaced modifier that affects the meaning:

<p>She completed nearly the race. (A)</p>
Signup and view all the answers

Which revision corrects the dangling modifier in "Wanting to impress his date, reservations were made at the finest restaurant."

<p>Because he wanted to impress his date, reservations were made at the finest restaurant. (C)</p>
Signup and view all the answers

Which sentence contains a misplaced modifier that could lead to ambiguity?

<p>He almost drove the car into the ditch. (C)</p>
Signup and view all the answers

What distinguishes a dangling modifier from a misplaced modifier?

<p>A dangling modifier does not have a clear term to modify, while a misplaced modifier is simply in the wrong position. (A)</p>
Signup and view all the answers

Which sentence corrects the dangling modifier in ""After being painted, the car looked brand new."

<p>&quot;After the car was painted, it looked brand new.&quot; (B)</p>
Signup and view all the answers

In the sentence, 'Eating fish in the river, the couple on the bench saw three otters,' what is the effect of the misplaced modifier?

<p>It humorously suggests the couple was eating the river. (B)</p>
Signup and view all the answers

How does the misplaced modifier affect the meaning of the sentence: 'Covered with Egyptian hieroglyphics, the scientists were puzzled by the vase'?

<p>It suggests the scientists themselves were covered in hieroglyphics. (A)</p>
Signup and view all the answers

What is the error in the sentence: 'Finished with the painting, a new project was begun immediately'?

<p>There is a dangling modifier. (C)</p>
Signup and view all the answers

How does the dangling modifier in the sentence 'Calling for a vote, a show of hands settled the matter' impact the sentence's clarity?

<p>It creates confusion as to who or what was calling for a vote. (D)</p>
Signup and view all the answers

In the sentence, 'Having sighted the whales, a hundred cameras clicked for two full minutes,' how does the dangling modifier affect the sentence?

<p>It implies the cameras sighted the whales. (B)</p>
Signup and view all the answers

How does the placement of 'only' affect the meaning of the sentence: 'Having completed the first section of the driver's permit test, only ten questions remained'?

<p>It incorrectly implies that only ten questions were left on the test, not that person only had to answer ten more questions (D)</p>
Signup and view all the answers

Why is the sentence 'Blooming abundantly, their fence was covered with morning glories' considered incorrect?

<p>It contains a dangling modifier. (B)</p>
Signup and view all the answers

In the sentence, 'Derek received high marks from the judges, playing a flawless cornet solo,' what does the placement of the modifying phrase imply?

<p>It implies that the judges were playing the solo. (B)</p>
Signup and view all the answers

How does the sentence 'Having been to Egypt, the museum's exhibit was especially interesting to Tina' need to be revised the most effectively, based on the instruction to add/remove/rearrange words?

<p>Tina, having been to Egypt, found the museum's exhibit especially interesting. (D)</p>
Signup and view all the answers

What is the effect of the misplaced modifier in the sentence: 'While jogging, they found a watch where someone had dropped it'?

<p>It implies that the watch was jogging. (A)</p>
Signup and view all the answers

In the sentence, 'Although tired from hiking, five more miles of trail remained,' what grammatical error is present?

<p>Dangling modifier (B)</p>
Signup and view all the answers

In the sentence, 'Surprised by the election results, no celebration had been planned,' what is the grammatical error?

<p>Dangling modifier (B)</p>
Signup and view all the answers

In the sentence, 'I stared up at the clouds waiting in the doorway', what is the effect of the misplaced modifier?

<p>It implies that the clouds were waiting in the doorway. (A)</p>
Signup and view all the answers

What is the error in the sentence, 'Before starting research, a topic should be limited'?

<p>There is a dangling modifier. (A)</p>
Signup and view all the answers

What does the placement of the modifying phrase in the sentence, 'When planting a tree, buried cables and water lines must be avoided' imply?

<p>It implies that the cables and water lines are planting the tree. (B)</p>
Signup and view all the answers

How does the misplaced clause affect the meaning of the sentence: 'The owl swooped down on a mouse, which had a two-foot wingspan'?

<p>It humorously implies that the mouse possessed a two-foot wingspan. (B)</p>
Signup and view all the answers

In the sentence, 'Brightly wrapped boxes lined the hall that had yet to be opened' how does the misplaced clause create an ambiguity?

<p>It is unclear whether the boxes are lined up physically, emotionally, or mentally for being opened. (D)</p>
Signup and view all the answers

How can the meaning of the sentence: 'The musicians will be signing autographs that played at the concert' be affected by the misplaced modifier?

<p>It suggests the autographs were playing at the concert, implying magical autographs. (B)</p>
Signup and view all the answers

In the sentence: 'Dust swirled around the fort that had blown in from the plains.' how can we improve the sentence using better modifier placement?

<p>Dust that had blown in from the plains swirled around the fort. (B)</p>
Signup and view all the answers

Why can the following sentence: 'Libya borders the Mediterranean Sea, whose capital is Tripoli.' be improved using better modifier placement?

<p>Libya, whose capital is Tripoli, borders the Mediterranean Sea. (D)</p>
Signup and view all the answers

Flashcards

Dangling Modifier

Words or phrases that do not have a clear term to modify in a sentence.

Misplaced Modifier

Words or phrases that do not clearly point to the word or phrase they modify, obscuring meaning.

Gerund

A word formed from a verb (e.g., going, being, gone) that can function as a noun.

Infinitive

The basic or dictionary form of a verb, often preceded by "to".

Signup and view all the flashcards

Misplaced Phrase

A phrase incorrectly placed, leading to unintended connections.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Dangling Phrase

A phrase that doesn't logically attach to any word in the sentence.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Clause

A group of related words containing a subject and verb.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Study Notes

  • Dangling modifiers are words or phrases lacking a clear term to modify, often found at the beginning or end of sentences.
  • Dangling modifiers frequently include an "-ing" word (gerund) or "to + verb" (infinitive) phrase near the sentence's start.
  • Misplaced modifiers obscure meaning by not clearly pointing to the word or phrase they modify.

Dangling Modifiers Worksheet:

  • Dangling modifiers can be identified and corrected in sentences.
  • Underline the dangling modifier
  • Rewrite the sentence to clarify the intended meaning

Misplaced Modifiers Worksheet:

  • Modifier placement affects sentence clarity.
  • Write "C" if the modifier is correctly placed.
  • Write "MM" if it is misplaced.
  • Circle misplaced modifiers, and draw an arrow to their intended target.
  • Sentences containing misplaced phrases can be corrected by circling the misplaced phrase and using an arrow to indicate the corrected placement
  • Dangling phrases can be corrected by rewriting the sentence to be clear, adding, deleting or rearranging words where necessary
  • Sentences with a misplaced or dangling modifier can be identified, noted as either misplaced or dangling, then revised in order to be clear and correct

Misplaced Clause worksheet

  • Sentences containing a misplaced clause can be corrected by circling the misplaced clause and using an arrow indicating the corrected placement
  • Misplaced clauses in sentences can be identified, the sentence revised, or noted with "C" if the sentence is already correct

Correcting Dangling and Misplaced Modifiers

  • Sentences can be corrected by underlining misplaced phrases and using an arrow to show the correct placement
  • Sentences can be corrected by rewriting the sentence to place modifiers in the correct place

Studying That Suits You

Use AI to generate personalized quizzes and flashcards to suit your learning preferences.

Quiz Team

Related Documents

More Like This

Use Quizgecko on...
Browser
Browser