ch correcting problems with modifiers

8/14/2019 CH Correcting Problems With Modifiers

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Examples:

The van The blue van (wordadjective)

The van in the garage (phrase) The van that she bought (clause)

The tourists Foreign tourists (wordadjective) Tourists coming to Florida (phrase) Tourists who visit the state (clause)


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More about modifiers

Modifiers tell us more about aword (or words); they make theword more specific The girl in the corner (tells which girl) Fifty acres (tells how many acres) The movie that I liked best (tells which

movie)He never calls (tells how often)She sings beautifully (tells how she

sang)


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Lets practice

Page 471, Exercise 1


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So, whats the problem?

Modifiers, when used correctly, canmake your writing specific and moreconcrete.

However, its easy to use modifiersincorrectlySometimes modifiers show up in the wrong

place (misplaced modifiers).

Sometimes modifiers dont have anythingto modify (dangling modifiers).


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Misplaced Modifiers

To ensure that you have nomisplaced modifiers

1. Find the modifier

2. Ask yourself, Is the modifier as closeas possible to the thing it modifies?

You must be able to answer yes to thissecond question!


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Misplaced Modifiers

Example: I saw a girl driving aMazda wearing a bikini.

Whats the modifier?wearing a bikini

What does it modify? Girl

Is the modifier as close as possible tothing it modifies? No


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Misplaced Modifiers

Corrected Example: I saw a girlwearing a bikini and driving a Mazda.Whats the modifier?

wearing a bikiniWhat does it modify?

Girl

Is the modifier as close as possible to thing itmodifies? Yes!


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Misplaced Modifiers

Example: Scampering through theforest, the hunters saw two rabbits.What are the modifiers?

scampering through the forest; two

What do they modify? rabbits; rabbits

Are the modifiers as close as possible to

thing they modify? No; Yes


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Misplaced Modifiers

Corrected Example: The hunters sawtwo rabbits scampering through theforest.

What are the modifiers?scampering through the forest; two

What do they modify? rabbits; rabbits

Are the modifiers as close as possible tothing they modify? Yes; Yes!


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Misplaced Modifiers

Caution: Be sure to put words likealmost, even, exactly, hardly, just,merely, nearly, only, scarcely, andsimplyas close as possible to thethings they modify; if you put themin the wrong place, you may write a

confusing sentence.


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Misplaced Modifiers

Example: Evan only wants to grow carrotsand zucchini. What is the modifier?

only What does it modify?

Evans desire (among other things) to growcarrots and zucchini

Are the modifiers as close as possible to thing they

modify? Nothis only implies that Evan onlyhas one

goal in lifeto grow carrots and zucchini


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Misplaced Modifiers

Corrected Example: Evan wants to growonly carrots and zucchini. What is the modifier?

only What does it modify?

Evans desire (among other things) to growcarrots and zucchini

Are the modifiers as close as possible to thingthey modify? Yesnow the only implies that Evan has many

goals in life, one of which is to grow carrots andzucchini


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Lets Practice



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Dangling Modifiers

To ensure that you have no danglingmodifiers

1. Find the modifier

2. Ask yourself, Does the modifier havesomething to modify?

You must be able to answer yes to this secondquestion!


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Dangling Modifiers

Example: Strolling through thetropical paradise, many colorfulbirds could be seen.What are the modifiers?

strolling through the tropical paradise;many colorful

What do they modify? ???; birds


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Dangling Modifiers

Corrected Example: As I strolledthrough the tropical paradise, Icould see many colorful birds.What are the modifiers?

through the tropical paradise; manycolorful

What do they modify? I; birds


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Dangling Modifiers

Example: Ascending in the glasselevator, the hotel lobby glittered inthe light.What are the modifiers?

ascending the in the glass elevator;hotel

What do they modify? ???; lobby


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Dangling Modifiers

Corrected Example: Ascending in theglass elevator, she saw how the hotellobby glittered in the light.What are the modifiers?

ascending the in the glass elevator; hotel

What do they modify? she; lobby


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Lets Practice


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