A misplaced modifier is a type of grammatical error that occurs when a word, phrase, or clause is placed too far away from the word or phrase it modifies, resulting in confusion or ambiguity in the meaning of the sentence. In simpler terms, a misplaced modifier is when a descriptive word or phrase in a sentence is not positioned correctly and appears to modify something other than the intended word or phrase.
For example, consider the sentence:
“Running through the park, the sun was shining brightly.”
In this sentence, the phrase “Running through the park” is a modifier that should be describing the subject of the sentence (the person who is running), but instead, it appears to be describing the sun. This creates confusion and ambiguity in the meaning of the sentence.
To correct this sentence, we could rephrase it as:
“The sun was shining brightly as I ran through the park.”
Here, the modifier “as I ran through the park” is positioned correctly to modify the subject (I), and the meaning of the sentence is clear.
Overall, placing modifiers in the correct position is important for ensuring clear and concise communication in written and spoken language.
Here are some examples of misplaced modifiers and how to correct them:
Misplaced modifier: Walking down the street, the flowers smelled lovely.
Corrected: Walking down the street, I smelled the lovely flowers.
In the original sentence, the flowers are described as smelling lovely while walking down the street, which doesn’t make sense. By correcting the sentence, we clarify that the speaker is the one smelling the flowers while walking down the street.
Misplaced modifier: I almost finished my sandwich that was left on the table.
Corrected: I almost finished the sandwich that was left on the table.
In the original sentence, the modifier “that was left on the table” modifies the verb “finished” instead of the noun “sandwich.” By moving the modifier to immediately follow “sandwich,” we clarify that the sandwich was left on the table, not the act of finishing it.
Misplaced modifier: He ate the pizza with mushrooms and onions that made him sick.
Corrected: He ate the pizza with mushrooms and onions that was made him sick.
In the original sentence, the modifier “that made him sick” seems to modify “mushrooms and onions” instead of the pizza. By restructuring the sentence to use “was made” instead of “made,” we clarify that it was the pizza, not the toppings that made him sick.
Misplaced modifier: Running down the street, the dog chased after the boy.
Corrected: The dog chased after the boy running down the street.
In the original sentence, the modifier “running down the street” seems to modify the dog instead of the boy. By reordering the sentence to place the modifier immediately after “boy,” we clarify that the boy is the one running down the street, not the dog.
Misplaced modifier: I saw a bird with binoculars flying in the sky.
Corrected: Using binoculars, I saw a bird flying in the sky.
In the original sentence, the modifier “with binoculars” seems to modify the bird instead of the speaker. By rephrasing the sentence to use “using binoculars” instead of “with binoculars,” we clarify that the speaker is the one using the binoculars to see the bird flying in the sky.
Misplaced modifier: The teacher told the students that were misbehaving to be quiet.
Corrected: The teacher told the students who were misbehaving to be quiet.
In the original sentence, the modifier “that were misbehaving” seems to modify “students” in general, rather than specifying which students the teacher was addressing. By replacing “that” with “who” and placing the modifier immediately after “students,” we clarify which students the teacher was addressing.
Misplaced modifier: I saw a man on the hill with a telescope wearing a hat.
Corrected: I saw a man wearing a hat on the hill with a telescope.
In the original sentence, the modifier “wearing a hat” seems to modify “telescope” instead of “man.” By reordering the sentence to place the modifier immediately after “man,” we clarify that it was the man wearing the hat, not the telescope.
Misplaced modifier: After eating the pizza, the movie started.
Corrected: After we ate the pizza, the movie started.
In the original sentence, the modifier “after eating the pizza” modifies the wrong subject. By including the subject “we” before “ate the pizza,” we clarify that the movie started after the people eating the pizza, not the pizza itself.
Misplaced modifier: The girl found a gold necklace walking in the park.
Corrected: While walking in the park, the girl found a gold necklace.
In the original sentence, the modifier “walking in the park” seems to modify “necklace” instead of “girl.” By reordering the sentence to place the modifier at the beginning, we clarify that it was the girl who was walking in the park, not the necklace.
Misplaced modifier: He found a silver watch in his car that was lost for weeks.
Corrected: He found a silver watch that was lost for weeks in his car.
In the original sentence, the modifier “that was lost for weeks” modifies the car, not the watch. By reordering the sentence to place the modifier immediately after “silver watch,” we clarify that it was the watch that was lost for weeks, not the car.
Misplaced modifier: The man with the glasses saw the accident driving in the car.
Corrected: The man with the glasses, who was driving the car, saw the accident.
In the original sentence, the modifier “driving in the car” seems to modify “accident” instead of “man.” By using a relative clause to introduce the modifier and placing it immediately after “man with the glasses,” we clarify that it was the man who was driving the car and saw the accident.
Misplaced modifier: Sarah only told her brother she loved him once in a while.
Corrected: Sarah told her brother she loved him only once in a while.
In the original sentence, the modifier “only” seems to modify “told,” rather than “once in a while.” By moving the modifier to immediately precede “once in a while,” we clarify that it was the frequency of Sarah’s expression of love, not the act of telling, that was limited.
How do you find misplaced modifiers?
Misplaced modifiers are words, phrases, or clauses that are placed too far away from the word they modify, causing confusion or ambiguity in the sentence. Here are some tips on how to identify and correct misplaced modifiers:
- Look for the modifier: First, identify the modifier in the sentence. Modifiers can be adjectives, adverbs, prepositional phrases, or participial phrases that describe or provide more information about the subject or object in the sentence.
- Locate the word it modifies: Next, identify the word that the modifier is supposed to modify. This is usually the noun or pronoun that comes immediately after the modifier.
- Check the placement of the modifier: Once you have identified the modifier and the word it modifies, check if the modifier is placed next to the word it modifies. If not, it might be a misplaced modifier.
- Rearrange the sentence: If you have identified a misplaced modifier, try to rearrange the sentence to make it clear and concise. Move the modifier closer to the word it modifies, or rewrite the sentence to eliminate the misplaced modifier altogether.
- Read the sentence aloud: Finally, read the sentence aloud to check if it sounds clear and makes sense. If the sentence is still confusing, you may need to revise it further.
By following these steps, you can identify and correct misplaced modifiers to make your writing more effective and clear.
Types of Misplaced Modifiers
Here are some common types of misplaced modifiers:
- Dangling modifiers: These are modifiers that do not have a word to modify in the sentence. For example, “Running down the street, the dog chased after the ball.” Here, it’s not clear who was running down the street—the dog or someone else.
- Squinting modifiers: These are modifiers that can modify two or more words in the sentence. For example, “She only eats pizza with mushrooms.” Is it that she eats only pizza with mushrooms or that she only eats pizza with mushrooms?
- Ambiguous modifiers: These are modifiers that can modify more than one word in the sentence, resulting in confusion. For example, “I saw the woman with the telescope.” Did I use a telescope to see the woman or was she the one holding the telescope?
- Separated modifiers: These are modifiers that are separated from the word they modify by other words or phrases. For example, “The car hit the pedestrian at 40 miles per hour, braking suddenly.” Here, it’s not clear whether the car was braking suddenly or the pedestrian was.
- Misplaced phrases: These are phrases that are placed in the wrong part of the sentence, resulting in confusion. For example, “After finishing his homework, the TV was turned on.” Here, it’s not clear who turned on the TV.
Misplaced Modifiers Examples
Here are some examples of misplaced modifiers:
Misplaced modifier: Running down the street, the dog chased the ball.
Correction: The dog chased the ball running down the street.
Misplaced modifier: He drank a cup of coffee, which was very bitter, in the morning.
Correction: In the morning, he drank a cup of coffee which was very bitter.
Misplaced modifier: They served cake to the children on paper plates.
Correction: They served cake on paper plates to the children.
Misplaced modifier: The teacher told the student almost all the answers to the questions.
Correction: The teacher told the student the answers to almost all the questions.
Misplaced modifier: He spoke to his friend in English who is fluent.
Correction: He spoke in English to his friend who is fluent.
Misplaced modifier: Sitting in the park, the sun went down.
Correction: While sitting in the park, he watched the sun go down.
Misplaced modifier: I saw a bear walking in the woods with binoculars.
Correction: Using binoculars, I saw a bear walking in the woods.
Misplaced modifier: With a red umbrella, the rain didn’t bother her.
Correction: The rain didn’t bother her, as she had a red umbrella.
Misplaced modifier: After studying hard, the test was aced by Mary.
Correction: After studying hard, Mary aced the test.
Misplaced modifier: Eating pizza, the table was shaking.
Correction: While eating pizza, they noticed the table was shaking.
Misplaced modifier: She almost fed the dog only dry food.
Correction: She fed the dog only dry food, almost.
Misplaced modifier: The Company hired three managers with MBAs last month.
Correction: Last month, the company hired three managers with MBAs.
Misplaced modifier: The children served sandwiches to the adults on paper plates.
Correction: The children served sandwiches on paper plates to the adults.
Misplaced modifier: I only use this computer for gaming with a high-performance graphics card.
Correction: I use this computer only for gaming, with a high-performance graphics card.
Misplaced modifier: She only found a few coins in the purse.
Correction: She found only a few coins in the purse.
Misplaced modifier: In his red jacket, the teacher saw the student playing hooky.
Correction: The teacher saw the student playing hooky, while wearing his red jacket.
Misplaced modifier: The store sells fresh fruits and vegetables grown locally.
Correction: The store sells locally grown fresh fruits and vegetables.
Misplaced modifier: With a baby in his arms, the car was locked.
Correction: While holding a baby in his arms, he locked the car.
Misplaced modifier: She talked to her friends wearing a red dress on the phone.
Correction: She talked on the phone to her friends while wearing a red dress.
Misplaced modifier: Listening to music, the noise outside was not noticed.
Correction: While listening to music, they didn’t notice the noise outside.
Misplaced modifier: She ate a sandwich with pickles that tasted bad.
Correction: She ate a sandwich that tasted bad, with pickles.
Misplaced modifier: The hotel is located near the beach with a great view.
Correction: The hotel, with a great view, is located near the beach.
Misplaced modifier: Wearing a helmet, the bike ride was enjoyable.
Correction: The bike ride, while wearing a helmet, was enjoyable.
Misplaced modifier: The students had to write a paper on the importance of reading over five pages.
Correction: The students had to write a paper over five pages on the importance of reading.
Misplaced modifier: The coach talked to the players with a stern voice.
Correction: The coach talked to the players with a stern voice.
Misplaced modifier: After eating breakfast, the bus was missed by John.
Correction: After eating breakfast, John missed the bus.
Misplaced modifier: The bike was ridden by the boy with the broken wheel.
Correction: The boy rode the bike with the broken wheel.
Misplaced modifier: She saw a woman wearing a red coat with a telescope.
Correction: Using a telescope, she saw a woman wearing a red coat.
Misplaced modifier: The dog was found by the police searching for drugs.
Correction: While searching for drugs, the police found the dog.
Misplaced modifier: After finishing his homework, the game was played by the boy.
Correction: After finishing his homework, the boy played the game.
Misplaced modifier: The journalist interviewed the politician with a microphone in her hand.
Correction: With a microphone in her hand, the journalist interviewed the politician.
Misplaced modifier: The family visited the museum with several exhibits on ancient Egypt.
Correction: The family visited the museum with several exhibits on ancient Egypt.
Misplaced modifier: The cake was baked with a delicious frosting made of chocolate.
Correction: The cake, baked with a delicious frosting made of chocolate, was a hit.
Misplaced modifier: The children watched the movie on a laptop with popcorn.
Correction: The children watched the movie with popcorn on a laptop.
Misplaced modifier: With a broken leg, the hospital admitted the patient.
Correction: The hospital admitted the patient with a broken leg.
Misplaced modifier: The man saw a squirrel with a pair of binoculars.
Correction: Using a pair of binoculars, the man saw a squirrel.
Misplaced modifier: The chef prepared the meal with a lot of garlic in the kitchen.
Correction: In the kitchen, the chef prepared the meal with a lot of garlic.
Misplaced modifier: The student wrote a paper on the computer with multiple sources.
Correction: Using multiple sources, the student wrote a paper on the computer.
Misplaced modifier: The children made a mess with markers drawing on the paper.
Correction: Using markers, the children made a mess drawing on the paper.
Misplaced modifier: The bird watched the cat through the window with interest.
Correction: With interest, the bird watched the cat through the window.
Misplaced modifier: The boy lost his phone with important contacts at the park.
Correction: At the park, the boy lost his phone with important contacts.
Misplaced modifier: The teacher taught the lesson with a whiteboard and markers to the class.
Correction: The teacher taught the lesson to the class with a whiteboard and markers.
Misplaced modifier: The man saw the sunset with his camera on the beach.
Correction: On the beach, the man saw the sunset with his camera.
Misplaced modifier: The baby ate the mashed potatoes with a spoon in the high chair.
Correction: In the high chair, the baby ate the mashed potatoes with a spoon.
Misplaced modifier: The scientist discovered a new species of bird with a long beak in the forest.
Correction: In the forest, the scientist discovered a new species of bird with a long beak.
Misplaced modifier: The woman smelled the roses with a stuffy nose in the garden.
Correction: In the garden, the woman smelled the roses with a stuffy nose.
Misplaced modifier: The athlete finished the race with a broken leg at the stadium.
Correction: At the stadium, the athlete finished the race with a broken leg.
Misplaced modifier: The family ate dinner with the new plates with a floral pattern at the table.
Correction: At the table, the family ate dinner with the new plates with a floral pattern.
Misplaced modifier: The artist drew a portrait with a pencil of the model in the studio.
Correction: In the studio, the artist drew a portrait of the model with a pencil.
Images
