The modifier must follow the modified word in order to avoid misplacing. English lessons with adam learn english engvid 1,367,806 views. A misplaced modifier is an adjective or adverb that is out of position. The word or words a dangling modifier should modify have been omitted from the sentence. Use the reference sheet and activity to show middle schoolers how to edit confusing sentences with misplaced modifiers. Written by editor and writer frances peck, these pieces take a thorough yet entertaining look at some of the most common errors, weaknesses and uncertainties that plague writers of english. Misplaced and dangling modifiers exercise 1 author. Parallel structure our mission is to provide a free, worldclass. Shaken, not stirred, james bond likes his martinis.
Exercise 3 fixing misplaced and dangling modifiers. A dangling modifier is a phrase or clause that does not logically modify any word in the sentence in. Misplaced modifiers unit 73200 information about misplaced modifiers can be found in 3200frames 14881526. Because of this separation, the meaning of the sentence is often awkward, ridiculous, illogical, or confusing. Modifiers misplaced, dangling, changing worksheets k12reader. Misplaced and dangling modifiers distract the reader. This misplaced modifiers worksheet is suitable for 6th 9th grade. Misplaced modifiers displaying top 8 worksheets found for this concept some of the worksheets for this concept are misplaced modifiers, name date misplaced and dangling m e 1, grammar work misplaced and dangling participles, grammar work misplaced and dangling participles, 7 misplaced and dangling modifiers, misplaced modifiers, dangling and misplaced modifiers, name. Watch out for the words only, just, merely, nearly, and almost. Dangling and misplaced modifiers by mark nichol each of the following sentences includes a modifying phrase that confuses because it the statement is erroneously constructed or because the phrase is incorrectly located in the sentence. Modifiers are words and phrases that basically modify a word or sentence. This was originally created for 7th grade language arts class. This is a practice quiz over problems with modifiers.
Misplaced modifiers worksheet for 6th 9th grade lesson. Practice sheet correct the following misplaced or squinting modifiers. Misplaced and dangling participles, answers and tips 1. A dangling modifier is misplaced because it does not have anything to modify. Jan 15, 2018 the 4 english sentence types simple, compound, complex, compoundcomplex duration. Please have a writing counselor check the remaining exercises. Correcting misplaced modifiers word usage worksheets. If you are unsure which choice to make, consult the rules. Determine whether the sentences below contain misplaced or dangling modifiers. Dangling modifiers sentence errors the nature of writing. Nguyen returned her perfect calculus test with an eartoear grin. She got a job with macys after she left school which lasted for more than. As you can see from the following examples, the sentences should be. A modifier that is incorrectly placed is called a misplaced modifier.
Given the infinite combinations and permutations available in the english language, we have several ways of correcting a misplaced or dangling participle. I held the ticket that my friend gave me tightly in my hand. Voiceover yeah so like, that is dangling modifiers, and how you get rid of. The waitress served gilbert a plate of gray meatloaf sauced with lumpy gravy. Free, printable modifiers worksheets to develop strong grammar, language and. Although most commonly found at the beginning of the sentence, the dangling modifier may be. To become a good photographer, the camera must be used carefully. How do we correct a misplaced or dangling participle.
Grammargrounds grammar education is a free, comprehensive site with instruction, videos, quizzes, and more. In the following sentences, identify and correct the misplaced and dangling modifiers. Learn how to correct misplaced and dangling modifiers. Misplaced modifiers are words, phrases, or clauses that are separated from the word they modify. A dangling modifier can be fixed in a number of ways. Dangling and misplaced modifiers dangling modifiers a dangling modifier is a phrase or clause that does not logically modify any word in the sentence in which it appears. Lets take the example above, with amaurys unfortunate slip on the wet sidewalk. From who and whom to hyphens, from commas to plain language, from usage woes to grammar. Sometimes writers use modifiers incorrectly, leading to strange and unintentionally humorous sentences.
Dangling modifiers appear at the beginning of a sentence in an opening clause. A misplaced modifier happens to modify something that you did not intend to modify, oftenor hopefullywith humorous consequences. On his way to school, abraham found a yellow womans bag. A dangling modifier as a misplaced modifier eries public schools. This activity challenges students to identify dangling or misplaced modifiers in incorrect sentences and fix them. The best way to recognize them is to practice finding and correcting them. Instead, they become stumped trying to figure out what the writer meant to. This is a deceptively simple task, but rise to the challenge.
Rewrite the following sentences to repair any dangling modifiers. Refer to discovery, 324327, for additional practice. There are several effective ways to identify and correct misplaced and dangling modifiers. Recast the sentence so that the phrase properly modifies the part of the sentence it refers to. The majority of dangling modifiers are verb phrases that are not attached to the intended subject, if any. Misplaced and dangling modifiers exercise 1 grammar bytes. Dangling and misplaced modifiers dangling modifiers are words or phrases that do not have a clear term to modify in a sentence. Refer to discovery, 320324, for additional practice. A dangling modifier is a phrase or clause that is not clearly and logically related to the word or words it modifies i. When they are out of place, the sentence will be awkward or confusing.
If one wishes to write effectively, practice is necessary. A modifier describes, clarifies, or gives more detail about a concept. The two common types of modifier errors are called misplaced modifiers and dangling modifiers. Apr 10, 2020 how do we correct a misplaced or dangling participle. Help students understand and find dangling and misplaced modifiers with this easy to follow and use presentation. The most common type of misplaced modifier question on the act english test involves a modifying phrase. The issue with these is that the reader could misinterpret the sentence.
Without modifiers, you could never say that a pretty girl took home a happy dog or. Our mission is to provide a free, worldclass education to anyone, anywhere. The original text contains a misplaced modifier, making it sound as though the food critics were the ones who studied traditional french cuisine. The best solution is to make sure that the right subject starts the main clause. Because of this separation, the meaning of the sentence is. See how creative and humorous you can get by writing ten sentences with misplaced and dangling modifiers. Some of the worksheets for this concept are dangling and misplaced modifiers, misplaced modifiers, 7 misplaced and dangling modifiers, grammar work misplaced and dangling participles, name date misplaced and dangling m e 1, misplaced modifiers, misplaced modifiers introductory project, name date misplaced modifiers. Disgusted by greasy cafeteria food, i brought a salad and an apple for. Writers should be wary of these and rewrite sentences to avoid them. Misplaced modifiers miniquiz students multitask everyday, indeed many times a day, students believe they are very adept at juggling two or three different activities while studying for a midterm.
A modifier is a word, phrase, or clause that clarifies or describes another word, phrase, or clause. Driving up the rockstrewn mountain, the tire went flat. When you are finished, click on the check my work button at the bottom of the page to view the correct answers. Misplaced and dangling modifiers towson university. Unlike a misplaced modifier, a dangling modifier cannot be corrected by simply moving it to a different place in a sentence. Students multitask everyday, indeed many times a day, students believe they are very adept at juggling two or three different activities while studying for a midterm. The salesperson sold the shirt with the blue print to the man.
Misplaced modifiers a misplaced modifier is a modifying word, phrase, or clause that does not point clearly and directly to what it is supposed to modify. Label whether the sentence is a misplaced modifier m, a dangling modifier d or correct. In the exercise that follows, you will need to determine whether or not sentences contain misplaced or dangling modifiers. Correcting dangling modifier errors replace the underlined portion with the answer choice that results in a sentence that is clear, precise, and meets the requirements of standard written english. A misplaced modifier is a modifying word, phrase, or clause that does not point clearly. The 4 english sentence types simple, compound, complex, compoundcomplex duration.
These modifiers may be clauses, phrases, or single words. Worksheets are misplaced modifiers, name date misplaced and dangling m e 1, grammar work misplaced and dangling participles, grammar work misplaced and dangling participles, 7 misplaced and dangling modifiers, misplaced modifiers, dangling and misplaced modifiers, name date misplaced modifiers. When modifiers adjectives and adverbs are out of place, too far away from the word they modify, the sentence will be awkward or confusing. Though he may well be able to learn while multitasking, it is not nearly as efficient as focusing only on studying. Think you understand dangling and misplaced modifiers. So, before we get in to what a dangling modifier is, we can sort of talk about just what a modifier is. Worksheets relating to misplaced and dangling modifiers. Free practice questions for sat writing correcting dangling modifier errors. Misplacedanddanglingmodifiers1 misplaced and dangling modifiers a misplaced modifier is a word, phrase, or clause that is improperly separated from the word or clause it modifies or describes. Misplaced modifiers are important to be aware of in order to avoid them, and this quizworksheet will help you test your understanding of their problems and characteristics. In the following sentences, misplaced and dangling modifiers are blue.
Jan 11, 2018 modifiers are words and phrases that basically modify a word or sentence. Displaying all worksheets related to misplaced modifiers. Dangling modifiers make unclear the meaning of a sentence. On his way to school, abraham found a womans yellow bag. She drove across the desert with a lump in her throat. In other words, they seem to give a better understanding of a word or sentence. A dangling modifier is an introductory word groupparticiple, gerund, infinitive, or elliptical. In most cases a modifier should be near the word or phrase it modifies. If you find a misplaced modifier, try rewriting the sentence by putting the. Having finished the assignment, jill turned on the tv. View each sentence and see if you think there is a problem with either a dangling modifier or a misplaced modifer you may use your notes to help. Sometimes to correct a misplaced or dangling modifier and clarify the meaning, the writer must change the words in a sentence. A number of singleword modifiers are often misplaced. It should be placed as close as possible to the word it modifies.
Misplaced modifiers may be single words, phrases, or clauses. Misplaced modifiers may be single words, phrases, or. The best misplaced and dangling modifiers of all time misplaced and dangling modifiers. Exercises on modifiers with explanation learn english. Recognize and correct the following kinds of misplacement. So in this video were gonna talk about something called a dangling modifier. I held the ticket tightly in my hand that my friend gave me. If either of these errors occurs, readers can no longer read smoothly. Adding who threw the party corrects the problem of the dangling modifier. The point is that the introductory participial phrase modifies. Misplaced and dangling modifiers 1 misplaced and dangling modifiers a misplaced modifier is a word, phrase, or clause that is improperly separated from the word or clause it modifies or describes. Quia practice quiz dangling and misplaced modifiers. Misplaced modifiers misplaced improved gloria purchased a wristwatch in chicago with a in chicago gloria purchased a wristwatch with a leather band. Misplaced modifiers can alter the meaning of a sentence, and take away from a writers intended message.
Possible corrections follow each misplaced or dangling modifier. A dangling modifier is a type of misplaced modifier. Use your mouse to choose the most logical sentence with no misplaced or dangling modifier. Here is a classic example from grockit of a sentence on the act english test with a misplaced modifier.
Although misplaced or dangling modifiers are common in writing, they are incorrect and should be avoided because they cause confusion and alter the meaning of the sentence drastically. Turn the misplaced or dangling participle into a dependent clause. The doll belongs to my sister whose head is missing. Riding in a swiftly moving vehicle, the landscape becomes blurred. Pecks english pointers is a collection of lively articles spanning english grammar, punctuation, usage and clarity. Displaying top 8 worksheets found for misplaced modifier. A dangling modifier is a word or phrase that modifies a word not clearly stated in the sentence. In a clear, logical sentence, you will find most modifiers right next to the words they describe. The two common types of modifier errors are called misplaced modifiers and dangling. This means that you take the ing word the participle, give it a subject, turn it into a verb, and attach it to the main clause. If youve had problems with dangling modifiers in your writing, heres a handout to help. Misplaced modifiers english practice learn and practice.
Disgusted by greasy cafeteria food, my lunch consisted of a salad and an apple. Dangling modifiers are words or phrases that do not have a clear term to modify in a sentence. Each of the following sentences includes a modifying phrase that confuses because it the statement is erroneously constructed or because the phrase is incorrectly located in the sentence. Grade 7 quarter 2 unit 2 dangling and misplaced modifiers. Often, they can be found at the beginning of sentences, though they can also appear at a sentences end. Be careful when using modifiers, especially modifying phrases and clauses.
1196 1267 634 974 1100 131 994 263 576 226 1450 789 1352 1551 421 1573 898 398 236 1498 1347 489 63 310 1195 356 95 3 273 872 279 248 455 1216 1309 1513 1057 905 429 974 29 922 1133 450 353 172 245