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Dangling Modifiers

This document provides information about dangling modifiers, including objectives, definitions, characteristics, and strategies for revision. It defines a dangling modifier as a phrase that modifies a word not clearly stated in the sentence. There are several types of dangling modifiers, including dangling participial phrases, gerund phrases, infinitive phrases, and elliptical clauses. Strategies for revision include naming the appropriate doer of the action, changing the dangling phrase into a complete introductory clause, and combining the phrase and main clause. Examples are provided to illustrate dangling modifiers and revisions.

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Kathleen De Jesus
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20 views

Dangling Modifiers

This document provides information about dangling modifiers, including objectives, definitions, characteristics, and strategies for revision. It defines a dangling modifier as a phrase that modifies a word not clearly stated in the sentence. There are several types of dangling modifiers, including dangling participial phrases, gerund phrases, infinitive phrases, and elliptical clauses. Strategies for revision include naming the appropriate doer of the action, changing the dangling phrase into a complete introductory clause, and combining the phrase and main clause. Examples are provided to illustrate dangling modifiers and revisions.

Uploaded by

Kathleen De Jesus
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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DANGLING

MODIFIERS
OBJECTIVES

1. Recognize the different types of dangling modifiers.


2. Apply the strategies given in revising dangling
modifiers.
3. Write correct sentences without using dangling
modifiers
DANGLING MODIFIER

is a word or phrase that modifies a word not


clearly stated in the sentence. A modifier
describes, clarifies, or gives more detail about a
concept.
OBSERVE THE FOLLOWING SENTENCES. WHICH
OF THEM HAVE DANGLING MODIFIERS?
A. After reading the original study, the article remains
unconvincing.
B. Relieved of your responsibilities at your job, your
home should be a place to relax.
C. The experiment was a failure, not having studied the lab
manual carefully.
LET’S UNDERSTAND (STUDY THE CONCEPT)

A modifier does exactly what it sounds like:


it changes, alters, limits, or adds more info to something else in the sentence.

A modifier is considered dangling when the sentence is not clear about what is being modified.
For example, "The big" does not make sense without telling what is big which leaves "big" as a
dangling modifier; but “the big dog" is a complete phrase.

A dangling modifier is a phrase or clause that either modifies no word in the sentence or refers to
the wrong word. Dangling modifiers cause the sentence to lack coherence
CHARACTERISTICS OF DANGLING
MODIFIERS
They often have an -ing word (gerund) or a to+verb
(infinitive) phrase near the start of the sentence. They
most frequently occur at the beginning of sentences
(often as introductory clauses or phrases) but can also
appear at the end.
TYPES OF DANGLING MODIFIERS

DANGLING PARTICIPLE PHRASE: is an adjective that is


unintentionally modifying the wrong noun in a sentence.
Smoking my cigar, a fire engine came roaring around the corner.
participial phrase
Revision 1: As I was smoking my cigar, a fire engine came roaring
around the corner.
Revision 2: Smoking my cigar, I saw a fire engine roaring around the
corner.
DANGLING GERUND PHRASE

: is a gerund phrase that is misplaced within


a sentence and, thus, not preceding the word that the phrase
intends to describe.
After drilling my tooth, my cavity stopped aching.
gerund phrase
Revision 1: After the dentist drilled my tooth, my cavity
stopped aching.
Revision 2: After drilling my tooth, my dentist stopped
my cavity from aching.
DANGLING INFINITIVE PHRASE

: an infinitive, “to” + verb, that is not correctly attached to the


agent (a noun or pronoun) that carries out the
action specified by the verb.
To become a physician, aptitude and hard work are needed.
infinitive phrase
Revision: To become a physician, one
needs to have aptitude and to
work hard.
DANGLING ELLIPTICAL CLAUSE
: an elliptical clause that does not refer clearly and logically to
the subject of the sentence.
When fishing, my hook is always baited.
Revision 1: When fishing, I always bait my hook.
Revision 2: When I am fishing, my hook is always baited.
NOTE: Some verbal phrases do not modify any single portion of
the main clause but rather the whole of the clause. These are
called absolute constructions and are not dangling modifiers.
For example:
Service on the subway having been halted, we had to walk. The
air being hot and humid, we went swimming.
STRATEGIES FOR REVISING DANGLING
MODIFIERS:
1. Name the appropriate or logical doer of the action as the subject of the
main clause:
Having arrived late for practice, a written excuse was needed.
Who arrived late? This sentence says that the written excuse arrived late. To revise, decide
who actually arrived late. The possible revision might look like this:
Having arrived late for practice, the team captain needed a written excuse.
The main clause now names the person (the
captain) who did the action in the modifying
phrase (arrived late).
2. CHANGE THE PHRASE THAT DANGLES INTO A COMPLETE INTRODUCTORY
CLAUSE BY NAMING THE DOER OF THE ACTION IN THAT CLAUSE:

Without knowing his name, it was difficult to


introduce him.
Who didn't know his name? This sentence says
that "it" didn't know his
name.
To revise, decide who was trying to introduce him. The revision
might look something like this:

Because Maria did not know his name, it was difficult to


introduce him.
The phrase is now a complete introductory clause; it does
not modify any other part of the sentence, so is not considered
"dangling."
3. COMBINE THE PHRASE AND MAIN
CLAUSE INTO ONE:
To improve his results, the experiment was done again.
Who wanted to improve results? This sentence says that the experiment was
trying to improve its own results.
To revise, combine the phrase and the main
clause into one sentence. The revision might look something like this:
He improved his results by doing the experiment
DIRECTIONS: WRITE THE DANGLING MODIFIERS
USED IN THE FOLLOWING SENTENCES AND
IDENTIFY ITS TYPE.
1. Speeding down the hallway, the door to his math class
came into view.
2. Looking around the yard, dandelions sprouted in
every corner.
3. Upon entering the crypt, my hair stood on end.
4. While donning his superhero mask, a sense of his own
silliness came over him.
5. To prepare an NMR sample, the crystals were
dissolved in CDCl3.
6. To determine whether pH changed through time, soil
was sampled monthly.
YOU WILL BE GRADED BASED ON THE RUBRIC
PROVIDED BELOW.
• Creativity 4
• Storytelling 4
• Structure 4
• Photograph 4
• Purpose 4
Total 20

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