How to Properly Place Modifiers

Another important aspect of style is how to correctly use a modifier. This article focuses on how to improve the usage of a modifier according to the University of Wisconsin (Twelve common errors, 2013).

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How to Use a Modifier

A modifier is a word that changes the meaning of another word. In the next examples, the modifiers have been italicized while the words they change have been underlined.  

• "The ball is red."
• "He ran quickly."
• "The crooked stairs are difficult to climb."
• "To boldly go where no man has gone before."

What Happens When We Misuse a Modifier 

• A modifier becomes misplaced
• A modifier becomes a dangling modifier

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Misplaced Modifiers

A misplaced modifier is a modifier that creates confusion in a sentence. Misplaced modifiers are found near multiple nouns or any two clauses. In the following examples, the misplaced modifiers have been italicized while the words they modify are underlined. 

Notice how the misplaced modifiers create confusion in the sentences.

• "People who laugh rarely are sad."
• Are the people who laugh rarely sad, or do they laugh rarely?
• "She saw a puppy and a kitten on the way to the store."
• Did she see a puppy and a kitten going to the store, or did she see the puppy and the kitten as she herself was on her way to the store?

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How to Fix a Misplaced Modifier

To fix a misplaced modifier, move the modifier next to the word or clause it modifies. Notice in the changed above examples, the modified words are closer to their modifiers. 

• "People who rarely laugh are sad."
• "On the way to the store, she saw a puppy and a kitten."

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Dangling Modifiers

A dangling modifier is similar to a misplaced modify, but slightly different. In a dangling modifier, the modifier is present, but the word that it modifies is absent. In the next examples, the modifiers have been italicized. 

Notice how the modifiers lack a word to modify.

• "Walking down the street, the weather was fine."
• Who walked down the street?
• "Bored of the long trip, John's excitement rose as he spotted a rest house."
• John's excitement is incapable of being bored

How to Fix Dangling Modifiers

To fix a dangling modifier, include the missing modified word into the clause that contains the modifier. Using the earlier examples, the modifiers have been italicized, while the newly included modified words are underlined.

• "Walking down the street, I saw the weather was fine."
• "John felt bored of the long trip, but his excitement rose as he spotted a rest house."

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Review

Tips on How to Spot Misplaced/Dangling Modifiers

• Use your eyes! Many grammar checkers often miss a misplaced modifier or a dangling modifier

1. Identify the words that are being modified and the words that modify the aforementioned words
2. Are the modifiers and modified words close together? If not, check to see if they fit the criteria for a misplaced/dangling modifier
3. Rewrite the sentence so that the modifiers and modified words are as close together as possible

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Sources