In our haste to keep up with our own brains, we write sentences which are less than perfect. It is unclear if the handbag belongs to a cream woman or if the handbag is cream. ✔️, Corrections:Without knowing the place, I found it difficult to get there. Strategies for revising dangling modifiers: 1. How to Fix Dangling Modifiers in Your Writing. 2. Participial phrase Step 1: Look at the word or word group right after the comma. Read more about dangling modifiers . “Reading the regulations” is a dangling modifier. Method 1: Revise the main clause One method of fixing a dangling modifier is to leave the modifier as it is and rewrite the main clause so that it begins with the subject being modified. However, it is not easy to use the modifiers in some of the compositions and you must learn some basic principles to avoid making grammatical mistakes in your speech and writing. DANGLING MODIFIER CORRECT 4. 2. We have changed the participle phrase into a dependent clause. Look at the first noun phrase after the comma and see if that phrase matches what the introductory phrase is supposed to be modifying. It can’t, right? There are two simple ways to fix a dangling modifier. The sentence starts with an introductory phrase (dangling modifier) and is followed by a comma. 2. Here are the two most commonly used methods to fix dangling modifiers; Method 1: Edit the Modifier Phrase A simple method of fixing a dangling modifier is to add the subject in the introductory phrase of the sentence, without making any change to the main clause. ✔️. While watching a movie, people who talk loudly are really annoying. Correction: Inspired by the life of Mike Tyson, Max made this movie as a tribute.As we were Inspired by the life of Mike Tyson, this movie is made as a tribute. Others are Reading. Dangling and misplaced modifiers are considered as one of the most common errors which we make in our language. After identifying the dangling modifier, rewrite the sentence. If you are a writer, then your main aim or focus should be on the distance that separates the modifier from its actual target. Fixing Dangling Modifiers To fix a dangling modifier, you will need to add a target to the sentence and then tweak the remaining words to make sense. We value your privacy. In other words, add a subject of the modifier. Add the subject of the dangling modifier! Making just $50 per week with the current employer, a new job had to be found. My new girlfriend ordered a plate of ex… The dog cannot read the regulations; the word(s) that “reading the regulations” modifies have been omitted. These dangling modifiers would always be appearing at the beginning of the sentence or a sentence fragment. Verb Forms. Sometimes writers use modifiers incorrectly, leading to strange and unintentionally humorous sentences. 8 Answers. Change the dangling modifier into a dependent clause! Since the doer of the action expressed in the participle has not been clearly stated, the participial phrase is said to be a dangling modifier. (Can a trip be unhappy and disappointed? So, that’s all about dangling modifiers. Dangling modifiers always come at the beginning of a sentence. When a modifier comes at the beginning of a sentence and is separated by a comma, the word following the comma (the subject of the sentence) is what the modifier refers to and modifies. The sentence will not have anything that the modifier can modify or intends to modify. Dangling Modifier Examples. 1. But his eyes can’t be described by the modifier; his eyes can’t think. What is a dangling modifier? There is nothing else that can be shifted near to the modifier and correct the sentence. When a sentence begins with a participial phrase or infinitive phrase, use these steps to tell if the phrase is dangling. Rewrite the following the sentences onto your own sheet of paper to correct the dangling modifiers. Hence in this way, you would be able … For example, the introductory phrase in the example below modifies the subject (Mike) of the main clause. More often than not, dangling modifiers appear in the form of a participle phrase. 1. Relate it with a dangling modifier. Now it is clear who was shot and who did the shooting. A modifier describes, clarifies, or gives more detail about a concept. Having learned French in just three months, Paul was as happy as he could be. The subject of the sentence (what comes after the comma) gets modified incorrectly. To become a good photographer, the camera must be used carefully. ex: weary but satisfied with our day's work, the shade of the trees was welcome. If you find a dangling modifier in your writing, here are a few ways you can fix it to restore the meaning of the sentence: Insert a new subject of the sentence. In the above example, the dangling modifier is fixed by including the subject in the introductory phrase, and so it gives a correct indication of who is performing the action. To correct a dangling modifier, add or replace words to make the meaning clear and logical. ex: the child held onto the cat who had her hair tied in pigtails. Correction: Unhappy and disappointed, we canceled the trip to Bali.Because we were unhappy and disappointed, the trip to Bali was canceled. Correct them according to the methods just shown. Both the examples start with an introductory modifier (a present participle phrase). Rewrite the following the sentences onto your own sheet of paper to correct the dangling modifiers. Correct a dangling modifier in one of two ways: 1. Checking in the mirror, the makeup looked good. Because the research was not done properly, Because more employees were needed in the company, Active voice to passive voice in Present perfect tense, Changing active to passive voice in Present indefinite tense, Changing active to passive voice in Present continuous tense, Use of HAS BEEN, HAVE BEEN, HAD BEEN in English. A modifying word or phrase “dangles” when it doesn’t apply to the word it’s supposed to modify. >> the child, who had her hair tied in pigtails, held onto the cat. Playing a guitar in the bedroom, the cat was seen under the bed. The dangling modifier appears to modify the wrong noun, and the sentence does not have the subject the modifier intends to modify.). When a sentence starts with an introductory modifier, the modifier modifies the subject of the sentence (what comes just after it). Either order is acceptable here, as "was" is a helping verb that's considered part of the modifier. See you in the next class! Another method to fix a dangling modifier is to revise the main clause rather than editing the introductory phrase, so the intended subject shows immediately after the comma in the main clause. Read more about dangling modifiers , and … (Can the monthly bonuses perform an action? One of the most common problems is where to place them. Name the appropriate or logical doer of the action as the subject of the main … The sentence has to be rearranged. A dangling modifier typically appears in the introductory phrase of a sentence but is linked to the incorrect word, clause or phrase. I am sure my smart brains have understood the topic and will be able to identify dangling modifiers in a sentence and fix them. If they do not, it is very likely you have a dangling modifier. 1. You can replace it with any other pronoun or person’s name. The easiest way to correct a dangling modifier is to simply add the subject of the dangling modifier in the sentence. On the other hand, when the subject being modified is missing from the sentence and another subject replaces it, the introductory phrase becomes a dangling modifier. Because the researched require more participants to validate the research, an additional 20 people from the same organization were contacted. Verbs Ending in -ing or -ed. Want to test what you learned? 2. The two common types of modifier errors are called misplaced modifiers and dangling modifiers. Corrections:Requiring more employees in the company, the company increased the advertisement budget. For your convenience, I’ve highlighted the dangling modifiers in … How do you find a dangling modifier? With adjectives I was on my way to work and noticed a cream woman’s handbag in the gutter. Dangling Modifiers and How to Correct Them A dangling modifier is a word or phrase that modifies a word not clearly stated in the sentence. I was on my way to work and noticed a woman’s cream handbag in the gutter. Now, WE is the subject of the modifier. Having lost the job, the house had to be sold.Correction: Having lost the job, he had to sell the house. The dangling modifier in the above example rather overshadow the real subject who was injured, because the introductory phrase does not describe the intended subject. Why not? Here is the original error without a logical target: With a sigh of pleasure, consumption of cucumber sandwiches commenced. The modifier is dangling; some umbrellas (the subject) is what’s getting modified. In the corrected sentence, the subject, John, appears right after the comma to give meaning to it. Dangling modifiers are commonly (though not universally) regarded as grammatical errors. While walking to school, a road accident caused panic among the pedestrians. "Having finished" is a participle expressing action, but the doer is not the TV set (the subject of the main clause): TV sets don't finish assignments. The above example shows how a dangling modifier can result in meaningless sentences. No, it’s not a human being.). The modifier needs to be moved next to the word it is modifying. The plate was not expensive. Let’s find out! Driving up the rock-strewn mountain, the tire went flat. Revision: While running from the crime scene, the armed robber was shot by the police. Typically, a dangling modifier comes in the form a phrase or clause at the beginning or end of a sentence. But later on, you find out it’s your cousin sister Sandhya, and your fiance is not even present there. Remember that there can be more than one correct answer as there are different ways to fix dangling modifiers. How to avoid and correct dangling modifiers. Revision: Today, people all over the world revere the paintings of Vincent Van Gogh, an artist who was not successful during his lifetime. >> _____ Answer Save. 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