In other words, they seem to give a better understanding of a word or sentence. Dangling and misplaced modifiers by mark nichol each of the following sentences includes a modifying phrase that confuses because it the statement is erroneously constructed or because the phrase is incorrectly located in the sentence. Jan 11, 2018 modifiers are words and phrases that basically modify a word or sentence. Grade 7 quarter 2 unit 2 dangling and misplaced modifiers. Dangling and misplaced modifiers no teams 1 team 2 teams 3 teams 4 teams 5 teams 6 teams 7 teams 8 teams 9 teams 10 teams custom press f11 select menu option view enter fullscreen for fullscreen mode. Dropped in the bushes, the child found the missing keys. A modifier describes, clarifies, or gives more detail about a concept. A modifier a word or phrase that qualifies the meaning of another element in a sentence. Grammargrounds grammar education is a free, comprehensive site with instruction, videos, quizzes, and more. In most cases a modifier should be near the word or phrase it modifies. Watched by nearly a fifth of the worlds population, american astronauts neil armstrong and edwin buzz aldrin landed on the moon on july 20, 1969. Rewrite the following sentences to repair any dangling modifiers. Students multitask everyday, indeed many times a day, students believe they are very adept at juggling two or three different activities while studying for a midterm.
Having learned french in just three months, paul was as happy as he could be. Dangling and misplaced modifiers click within the small circle to the left of your choice for each answer. Misplaced modifiers exercise 2 home towson university. Wishing on a star, we felt that the night was magical. Because of their dangling modifiers, these sentences wrongly imply that the hill rollerbladed frantically, that p. The most common type of misplaced modifier question on the act english test involves a modifying phrase. A dangling modifier fails to refer logically to any word in the sentence. Misplaced, squinting and dangling the issue the function of modifiers, adjectives and adverbs, is to enable you to express your ideas clearly and precisely by making some aspect of a statement more specific, to define it more precisely. Often, they can be found at the beginning of sentences, though they can also appear at a sentences. Recognize the following types of dangling modifiers and their corrections.
So, an adjective or an adverb are modifiers because they change the meaning or add detail to another word or words as in the tin man and the cowardly lion. Misplaced modifiers are words or phrases that do not clearly point to the word or phrase they modify, in this way obscuring meaning. While taking the chemistry test, the students thought the extremely annoying questions seemed ambiguous. Dangling modifiers a dangling modifier is a phrase or clause that either modifies no word in the sentence or refers to the wrong word. Pecks english pointers is a collection of lively articles spanning english grammar, punctuation, usage and clarity. Dangling and misplaced modifiers dangling modifiers are words or phrases that do not have a clear term to modify in a sentence. For example, the sentence even after paying for costly repairs, the car still broke down has a dangling modifier because presumably a person, not the car, paid for the repairs.
Revise the following sentences to correct misplaced or dangling modifiers. This was originally created for 7th grade language arts class. This is a practice quiz over problems with modifiers. When you are finished, hit the check my work button at the bottom of the page to check your answers. How to fix dangling and misplaced modifiers with examples. There are many things that people do to stay healthy before going for a run or working out, they can hydrate well covering a salad with calorierich dressing, the nutritional value plummets.
In one story, rip van winkle slept through the whole american revolution that irving wrote. Misplaced and dangling modifiers towson university. In the blank beside each sentence, indicate whether that sentence contains a dangling modifier dm or a misplaced modifier mm. Grammar can be confusing at times, test yours below. Displaying top 8 worksheets found for misplaced modifier. Item 2 select the sentence with the dangling modifier. Walking down the hallway, all the lockers were open. A dangling modifier is an introductory word groupparticiple, gerund, infinitive, or elliptical. Define modifier, define misplaced modifiers, define dangling modifier, what is it called when a modifier has no subject to describe. Unlike a misplaced modifier, a dangling modifier cannot be corrected by simply moving it to a different place in a sentence.
When you are finished, click on the check my work button at the bottom of the page to view the correct answers. Some of the worksheets for this concept are dangling and misplaced modifiers, misplaced modifiers, 7 misplaced and dangling modifiers, grammar work misplaced and dangling participles, name date misplaced and dangling m e 1, misplaced modifiers, misplaced modifiers introductory project, name date misplaced modifiers. Our online dangling modifier trivia quizzes can be adapted to suit your requirements for taking some of the top dangling modifier quizzes. Without modifiers, you could never say that a pretty girl took home a happy dog or that a nice boy bought a y. The english teacher looking for tools, the student looking for some extra help, or the new english speaker hoping to master the language will find what he or she is looking for here. The issue with these is that the reader could misinterpret the sentence.
A misplaced modifier happens to modify something that you did not intend to modify, oftenor hopefullywith humorous consequences. View each sentence and see if you think there is a problem with either a dangling modifier or a misplaced modifer you may use your notes to help. Rewrite the following paragraph, correcting all misplaced or dangling modifiers. To complete the grammar quiz on time, you will have to click your heels three times. Improve your language arts knowledge with free questions in misplaced modifiers with pictures and thousands of other language arts skills. The most common modifier mistakes are dangling modifiers and misplaced modifiers. The waitress served gilbert a plate of gray meatloaf sauced with lumpy gravy. Correcting misplaced modifiers word usage worksheets. The author forgot to tell us who was wishing on a star. Recognize and correct the following kinds of misplacement.
Washington irvings stories often contain elements of fantasy. From who and whom to hyphens, from commas to plain language, from usage woes to grammar. Sometimes to correct a misplaced or dangling modifier and clarify the meaning, the writer must change the words in a sentence. The purpose of this activity is to encourage students to become so familiar with the concepts of misplaced and dangling modifiers that they can. Misplaced and dangling modifiers demonstrate sloppy writing and grammar skills. This activity challenges students to identify dangling or misplaced modifiers in incorrect sentences and fix them. Misplacement of adverbs can sometimes change the meaning of a sentence. Living a healthy lifestyle, people generally find great joy.
Misplaced modifiers may be single words, phrases, or clauses. What is the difference between misplaced and dangling modifiers. A dangling modifier is a phrase or clause that is not clearly and logically related to the word or words it modifies i. A modifying word or phrase is said to dangle when it doesnt affect the word its supposed to modify. The point is that the introductory participial phrase modifies the first noun it gets to in the base sentence, so running corresponds to i.
Keep in mind everything you know about dangling and misplaced modifiers. They are like dangling modifiers in that they attach themselves to an illogical subject technically speaking but are different in that they are not always found in opening clauses. The teams must decide if there is a misplaced or dangling modifier in the sentence. I held the ticket that my friend gave me tightly in my hand. Worksheets relating to misplaced and dangling modifiers. Dangling modifiers are usually introductory word groups such as verbal phrases that suggest but do not name an actor. Pedrito got into serious trouble missing the grammar quiz last monday. In a clear, logical sentence, you will find most modifiers right next to the words they describe. A dangling modifier is a phrase or clause that does not logically modify any word in the sentence in which it appears. The best misplaced and dangling modifiers of all time misplaced and dangling modifiers dangling modifiers. In the exercise that follows, you will need to determine whether or not sentences contain misplaced or dangling modifiers.
Check your answers with the interactive version of the exercise. By digging test wells, new oil sources were located. Dangling modifiers can make the meaning of the sentence unclear, so they should be avoided. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Because of this separation, the meaning of the sentence is often awkward, ridiculous, illogical, or confusing. When a sentence opens with such a modifier, readers expect the following clause to name the actor. Most style guides and experts agree that misplaced modifiers are grammatically incorrect and should be. Rewrite each sentence, moving the misplaced modifier to its correct position.
Both terms refer to modifiers that are connected to the wrong thing in a sentence. Dangling and misplaced modifiers flashcards quizlet. Each of the following sentences includes a modifying phrase that confuses because it the statement is erroneously constructed or because the phrase is incorrectly located in the sentence. Having learned spanish in just three months, the stay in mexico was a success. I held the ticket tightly in my hand that my friend gave me. Though he may well be able to learn while multitasking, it is not nearly as efficient as focusing only on studying. Unlike misplaced modifiers, dangling modifiers cannot be fixed simply by moving it to a different. Authors need to be responsible for writing with proper literary style and tone. Terms in this set 20 grinning happily, the prize for first place was accepted.
A misplaced modifier is too far away from the thing its supposed to modify, while a dangling modifiers intended subject is missing from the sentence altogether. Theyre words or phrases that describe another word or phrase, and when theyre dangling theyre like in the wrong place, theyre in front of the wrong. Misplaced and dangling modifiers exercise 1 grammar bytes. Dangling modifiers are words or phrases that do not have a clear term to modify in a sentence. Misplacedanddanglingmodifiers 1 misplaced and dangling modifiers a misplaced modifier is a word, phrase, or clause that is improperly separated from the word or clause it modifies or describes. Literacy education online the best misplaced and dangling modifiers of all time misplaced and dangling modifiers dangling modifiers dangling and misplaced modifiers think you understand dangling and misplaced modifiers. These can be hard to notice if youre not looking carefully at the structur. A misplaced modifier is a word, phrase, or clause that is improperly separated from the word or clause it. Watch out for the words only, just, merely, nearly, and almost. Voiceover yeah so like, that is dangling modifiers, and how you get rid of them. Having finished the assignment, jill turned on the tv. Refer to discovery, 324327, for additional practice.
So now we have the critter following the modifier that its supposed to be modified by. The majority of dangling modifiers are verb phrases that are not attached to the intended subject, if any. Worksheet 1 explains the concept of dangling and misplaced modifiers. A dangling modifier as a misplaced modifier eries public schools. Quia practice quiz dangling and misplaced modifiers.
Rearrange the sentence so that it begins with the word being modified or change the modifier to a subordinate clause with a subject and a verb. A dangling modifier has no concrete or logical referent in the sentence to which it can attach itself and therefore is said to dangle it has nothing to modify. Drooling in anticipation of the treat, gizmo waited for sylvia to reward him with. Both adults and teenagers have the privilege of earning their drivers licenses before driving for the first time, drivers education classes are important when learning to drive, one must be very cautious and alert after getting a drivers license, all drivers must remain. Dangling modifiers cause the sentence to lack coherence. A modifier is a word, phrase or clause that modifies or describes another word. In one story, rip van winkle slept through the whole american. In the following sentences, identify and correct the misplaced and dangling modifiers. Refer to discovery, 320324, for additional practice. Revise the following sentences to correct misplaced or dangling. Because of this separation, the meaning of the sentence is. Choose the option that has no misplaced or dangling modifier.
Clipping is a handy way to collect important slides you want to go back to later. Misplaced modifiers a misplaced modifier is a modifying word, phrase, or clause that does not point clearly and directly to what it is supposed to modify. A dangling modifier is a word or phrase that modifies a word not clearly stated in the sentence. A modifier that is incorrectly placed is called a misplaced modifier. Now customize the name of a clipboard to store your clips. Click the link below to download the free pdf worksheet. Which of the following sentences has a misplaced modifier. Determine whether the sentences below contain misplaced or dangling modifiers. Unlike many other students, jim didnt have any problems with his teachers.
When modifiers adjectives and adverbs are out of place, too far away from the word they modify, the sentence will be awkward or confusing. A comprehensive database of more than 12 dangling modifier quizzes online, test your knowledge with dangling modifier quiz questions. Here is a classic example from grockit of a sentence on the act english test with a misplaced modifier. View this course and get bonus materials free here. This brief quiz assesses student understanding of usage rule 11, regarding misplaced or dangling modifiers, from strunk and whites the elements of style. Written by editor and writer frances peck, these pieces take a thorough yet entertaining look at some of the most common errors, weaknesses and uncertainties that plague writers of english. Dangling and misplaced modifiers grammar quiz quizizz. A misplaced modifier is too far away from the thing its supposed to modify, while a dangling modifier s intended subject is missing from the sentence altogether. Sometimes writers use modifiers incorrectly, leading to strange and unintentionally humorous sentences. The two common types of modifier errors are called misplaced modifiers and dangling modifiers. On july 20, 1969, american astronauts neil armstrong and edwin buzz aldrin landed on the moon, watched by nearly a fifth of the worlds population.