Correcting Misplaced Modifiers

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Correcting Misplaced Modifiers
What is a misplaced modifier? How to fix
misplaced modifiers One-word modifiers Phrase
modifiers Clause modifiers Review A Review B
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What is a misplaced modifier?
The placement of one little word does matter.
Notice how the meaning of the sentence changes
when nearly is moved from one place to another.
all of the skaters fell.
Nearly
All of the skaters
fell.
nearly
Most of the skaters fell, but not quite all of
them.
Every one of the skaters came close to falling.
In each place nearly modifies a different word.
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What is a misplaced modifier?
A word, phrase, or clause that seems to modify
the wrong word or word group in a sentence is
called a misplaced modifier.
Misplaced modifiers are confusing.
Adverb phrase
Anna said after dinner she would do the dishes.
Verb
Verb
Did Anna say this after dinner?
Is she going to do the dishes after dinner?
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What is a misplaced modifier?
A misplaced modifier can be funny too.
Adjective clause
Van gives the sculptures to his friends that he
carves.
Noun
Noun
Does Van carve his friends?
Common sense tells us that he carves sculptures,
not his friends.
But the noun friends is right before the
adjective clause, so it sounds as though he
carves his friends.
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What is a misplaced modifier?
A misplaced modifier can be a one-word adjective
or adverb, a phrase, or a clause.
Adverb
OR
Loudly, Kendra jumped when the door slammed.
Adjective phrase
OR
We are used to the noise living by the airport.
Adjective clause
OR
The picnic in the park that we had was fun.
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What is a misplaced modifier? Adjective
An adjective tells what kind, which one, or how
many.
old car
What kind?
car
Which one?
snake
this snake
How many?
apples
three apples
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What is a misplaced modifier? Adverb
An adverb tells where, when, how, or to what
extent (how much, how long, or how often).
Where?
When?
She swims there.
She swims early.
How?
To what extent?
She swims fast.
She often swims.
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What is a misplaced modifier? Phrase

• A phrase is a group of related words that
• is used as a single part of speech
• does not contain both a verb and its subject

to sing a melody
across the street
laughing at her joke
was hiding
dressed formally
through the meadow
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What is a misplaced modifier? Clause
A clause is a word group that contains a verb and
its subject.
subject
subject
verb
verb
before the sun went down.
Mom built a fire
clause
clause
verb
subject
verb
subject
We often cook fish
that Cory catches.
clause
clause
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What is a misplaced modifier?
Identify the misplaced modifier in each of the
following sentences.
1. Pacing in its cage, I watched the lion.
2. The dog barked at the mail carrier that was
running loose in the yard.
3. Our teacher said on Monday the class would
put on a play.
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What is a misplaced modifier?
Identify the misplaced modifier in each of the
following sentences.
1. Pacing in its cage, I watched the lion.
Was I pacing in the lions cage, or was the lion
the one doing the pacing?
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What is a misplaced modifier?
Identify the misplaced modifier in each of the
following sentences.
2. The dog barked at the mail carrier that was
running loose in the yard.
Was the mail carrier running loose in the yard,
or was the dog running loose?
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What is a misplaced modifier?
Identify the misplaced modifier in each of the
following sentences.
3. Our teacher said on Monday the class would
put on a play.
Did the teacher make the statement on Monday, or
is the class going to put on the play on Monday?
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What is a misplaced modifier?
On Your Own
Determine whether the underlined word or phrase
is a misplaced modifier. Write M for a misplaced
modifier, or C if the modifier is not
misplaced. ___ 1. The jogger twisted her ankle
with the orange water bottle. ___ 2. Those note
cards that I gave you are handmade. ___
3. Running in the wheel, I watched the
hamster. ___ 4. My cousin gave me a cat who goes
to college in Arizona.

End of Section
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What is a misplaced modifier?
Answers
Determine whether the underlined word or phrase
is a misplaced modifier. Write M for a misplaced
modifier, or C if the modifier is not
misplaced. ___ 1. The jogger twisted her ankle
with the orange water bottle. ___ 2. Those note
cards that I gave you are handmade. ___
3. Running in the wheel, I watched the
hamster. ___ 4. My cousin gave me a cat who goes
to college in Arizona.
M

C
M
M
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How to fix misplaced modifiers
Place modifying words, phrases, and clauses as
near as possible to the words they modify.
Devon watched the fish
in the tank
sitting quietly.
Where should these two phrases be placed in this
sentence?
in the tank.
Devon watched the fish
Sitting quietly,
Who was sitting quietly? Devon was.
What was in the tank? The fish were.
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How to fix misplaced modifiersOne-word modifiers
Be especially careful to place these modifiers
right before the word they modify, so that your
meaning is clear.
almost even hardly just
merely nearly not only
She borrowed them for the weekend, not for any
other time.

Jackie borrowed some books only for the weekend.

Only Jackie borrowed some books for the weekend.
Jackieand no one elseborrowed some books.
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How to fix misplaced modifiersPhrase modifiers
When a sentence contains more than one modifying
phrase, follow these steps to make sure none of
them are misplaced.
Sara studied the statue with a serious look made
of metal.
Step 1 Find the basic sentence.
Sara studied the statue.
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How to fix misplaced modifiersPhrase modifiers
Step 2 One at a time, insert the phrases near
the word or words they modify.
Phrase 1
with a serious look
This phrase should modify Sara.
Sara studied the statue.
With a serious look,
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How to fix misplaced modifiersPhrase modifiers
Step 2 One at a time, insert the phrases near
the word or words they modify.
Phrase 2
made of metal
This phrase should modify sculpture.
With a serious look, Sara studied the statue
made of metal.
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How to fix misplaced modifiersClause modifiers
When a modifying clause seems to be misplaced,
follow these steps to fix the sentence.
Adjective clause
There is a dog on our porch that has a red
collar.
Step 1 Decide which word or word group the
clause should be modifying.
Adjective clause
OR
There is a dog on our porch that has a red collar.
Does the porch or the dog have a red collar?
The dog does.
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How to fix misplaced modifiersClause modifiers
Step 2 Decide if a phrase or another clause is
coming between the clause and the word it should
be modifying.
Adjective clause
There is a dog on our porch that has a red collar.
on our porch
Prep. phrase
The prepositional phrase separates the adjective
clause from the noun it modifies, dog.
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How to fix misplaced modifiersClause modifiers
Step 3 Decide where to move the phrase or clause
that is causing the confusion.
Adjective clause
There is a dog on our porch that has a red collar.
on our porch
Prep. phrase
Adjective clause
On our porch
there is a dog that has a red collar.
Moving the phrase to the beginning of the
sentence eliminates the confusion. Now, the
clause is next to word it modifies.
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How to fix misplaced modifiersClause modifiers
Check your punctuation when you move a clause or
a phrase. An introductory clause or phrase should
usually be followed by a comma.
Grammar Guy Says...
As we arrived, the lights went down.
Munching on popcorn, we enjoyed the movie.
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How to fix misplaced modifiers
Revise each sentence to correct the underlined
misplaced modifier. Be prepared to explain your
answer.

1. In the frying pan Beth seasoned the fish.

1. Toby saw a large lizard hiking with his friends.

3. Mia gave the poem to her friend that she had
written.
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How to fix misplaced modifiers
Revise each sentence to correct the underlined
misplaced modifier. Be prepared to explain your
answer.
OR

1. In the frying pan Beth seasoned the fish.

Beth seasoned the fish in the frying pan.
Beth is not in the frying pan the fish are.
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How to fix misplaced modifiers
Revise each sentence to correct the underlined
misplaced modifier. Be prepared to explain your
answer.
OR

1. Toby saw a large lizard hiking with his friends.

Hiking with his friends, Toby saw a large lizard.
Tobynot the large lizardwas hiking with his
friends.
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How to fix misplaced modifiers
Revise each sentence to correct the underlined
misplaced modifier. Be prepared to explain your
answer.
OR
3. Mia gave the poem to her friend that she had
written.
3. Mia gave the poem that she had written to her
friend.
Mia didnt write her friend she wrote the poem.
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How to fix misplaced modifiers
On Your Own
Revise each sentence to correct the misplaced
modifier. 1. The parrot spoke to the little boy
in the brass cage. 2. Paved with fresh asphalt, I
noticed the new bike paths. 3. I saw a dog
chasing a ball through the dining room
window. 4. She noticed a spider near the bush
that had a red spot on its back.
End of Section
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How to fix misplaced modifiers
Answers
Revise each sentence to correct the misplaced
modifier. 1. The parrot spoke to the little boy
in the brass cage. 2. Painted with white
diamonds, I noticed the new bike paths. 3. I
saw a dog chasing a ball through the dining
room window. 4. She noticed a spider near the
bush that had a red spot on its back.
1. The parrot in the brass cage spoke to the
little boy.
2. I noticed the new bike paths paved with fresh
asphalt.
3. Through the dining room window, I saw a dog
chasing a ball.
4. Near the bush she noticed a spider that had a
red spot on its back.
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Review A
Identify and correct the misplaced modifier in
each sentence.
1. Made of silver, I gave a bracelet to my friend.
2. Arthur borrowed a mountain bike from his uncle
with eighteen speeds.
3. Those tapes came from the library that you
heard.
4. Jumping, I saw the gazelles.
5. The fruit was marked for quick sale bruised by
the storm.
End of Section
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Review A
Identify and correct the misplaced modifier in
each sentence.
1. Made of silver, I gave a bracelet to my friend.
1. I gave a bracelet made of silver to my friend.
2. Arthur borrowed a mountain bike with eighteen
speeds from his uncle.
2. Arthur borrowed a mountain bike from his uncle
with eighteen speeds.
3. Those tapes came from the library that you
heard.
3. Those tapes that you heard came from the
library.
4. Jumping, I saw the gazelles.
4. I saw the gazelles jumping.
5. The fruit was marked for quick sale bruised by
the storm.
5. The fruit bruised by the storm was marked for
quick sale.
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Review B
Revise each sentence to correct the misplaced
modifier.
1. Tired, the route home seemed long to the boy.
2. We could see the wheat growing from our back
windows.

3. My oldest brother just graduated from college,
who lives in Maine.
4. The girl is from my class who won the award.
5. Jan has only finished one of her papers.
End of Section
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Review B
Revise each sentence to correct the misplaced
modifier.
1. Tired, the route home seemed long to the boy.
1. The route home seemed long to the tired boy.
2. We could see the wheat growing from our back
windows.
2. From our back windows, we could see the wheat
growing.

3. My oldest brother just graduated from college,
who lives in Maine.
3. My oldest brother, who lives in Maine, just
graduated from college.
4. The girl is from my class who won the award.
4. The girl who won the award is from my class.
5. Jan has only finished one of her papers.
5. Jan has finished only one of her papers.
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The End