Dangling Modifiers in English Grammar

Grammar

• A dangling modifier is a word or phrase that modifies a sentence but is not clearly connected to the word it is intended to modify.
• Dangling modifiers can be words, phrases, or clauses that are not clearly linked to the noun they are meant to describe.
• They can make the sentence unclear or ambiguous.

Examples

• "Having studied all night, the exam was easy." (The phrase "Having studied all night" is meant to modify the student, but it is not clearly connected to the subject.)
• "Walking down the street, the trees seemed to lean in." (The phrase "Walking down the street" is meant to modify the person, but it is not clearly connected to the subject.)

Fixes

• Rearrange the sentence to make the modifier clearly connect to the noun it is meant to describe.
• Use a possessive adjective to make the connection clear.
• Add a noun to make the connection clear.

Examples of corrected sentences

• "Having studied all night, I found the exam easy." (The modifier is clearly connected to the subject "I".)
• "As I walked down the street, the trees seemed to lean in." (The modifier is clearly connected to the subject "I".)
• "Walking down the street, I noticed the trees seemed to lean in." (The modifier is clearly connected to the subject "I".)