Dangling Modifiers. English Tutor

Dangling Modifiers

Grammar Tutorial

Another sentence problem is the dangling modifiers. This error is sometimes more difficult to identify than the misplaced modifier.

A dangling modifier is a phrase or a clause that does not modify any word in the sentence.

While cooking, my husband read. Who was cooking dinner? My husband?

While cooking dinner, my baby crawled around the kitchen.

Who was cooking dinner? The baby? You probably know what the writer means but the message isn't quite clear. While cooking dinner, does not modify any word in the sentence.

There are two ways to correct a dangling modifier. One way is to change the dangling modifier into a dependent clause (add a subject to the phrase)

While I was cooking dinner, by baby crawled around the kitchen.

A second way to correct a dangling modifier, to add a word for the phrase to modify. When rewriting the sentence, place the modifier as close as possible to the word it modifies.

While cooking dinner, I let my baby crawl around the kitchen.

Here is another example:

Incorrect: To finish my work quickly, nobody would ask me for help in the office today.

Correct: I needed to finish my work quickly, so nobody would ask me for help in the office today.

Correct: To finish my work quickly, I told everybody in the office not to ask for help today.

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