Misplaced and Dangling Modifiers

Generally, all modifiers should be placed as close as possible to what they modify. This helps keep your writing clear and more concise. Below are some ‘misplaced’ and some ‘dangling’ errors with their corrections?

1. Misplaced: Mary watched the sunrise from her bedside table.

Well placed: From her bedside table, Mary watched the sunrise.

2. Misplaced: A writer of considerable talent, they gave him first prize.

Well placed: They gave him, a writer of considerable talent, first prize.

Or–They gave first prize to him, a writer of considerable talent.

3. Misplaced: The college president hopes to hire a counselor for troubled youth with an advanced degree.

Well placed: The college president hopes to hire a counselor with an advanced degree to work with troubled youth.

Fixing Danglers

Correction 1: put modifying word(s) as close as possible to the words they describe or modify

Correction 2: Put in the missing subject

Correction 3: Change the dangling phrase into a subordinate clause

1. Dangling: Yelling wildly, the car drove the victorious adolescent soccer players home to Lethbridge.

Correction: The car drove the victorious adolescent soccer players home to Lethbridge. (Correction 1)

2. Dangling: While out running, the shoelaces on his shoes broke.

Correction: While he was out running, the shoelaces on his shoes broke. (Correction 2–he)

3. Dangling: Waiting on a corner, a sports car sped by.

Correction: Waiting on a corner, I saw a car speed by. (Correction 2)

4. Dangling: While running, the car honked.

Correction: While I was running, the car honked. (Correction 3)