grammar- misplaced modifier te

8/12/2019 Grammar- Misplaced Modifier TE

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Misplaced Modifiers


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What is a misplaced modifier?

Modifiers

are words or word groups that describe other

words in a sentence. In the following sentence, the

words in bold modify

woman

.

The woman

who is sitting by the door

is my sister.


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What is a misplaced modifier?

A

misplaced modifier

, because it is not correctly

placed, describes the wrong word or words:

INCORRECT

Marcy saw the neighbors dog drinking a

cocktail.

CORRECT

Drinking a cocktail, Marcy saw the

neighbors dog.


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Four types of modifiers are often misplaced.

Modifiers such as

only, almost, hardly, nearly,

andjust.

Modifiers that start with

ing

verbs, like

playing,

dancing, driving, singing.

Modifiers that are prepositional phrases (phrases

that begin with prepositions like

in, on, at,

around

).

Modifying word groups that start with

who,whose, that,

or

which.


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Misplaced Modifiers

Misplaced modifier:

Sam bought a used car from a local dealer with

a smoky tailpipe.

Corrected version:

Sam bought a used car with a smoky tailpipe froma local dealer.


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Misplaced Modifiers

Misplaced modifier:

The robin built a nest at the back of our house of grass and string.

Corrected version:

The robin built a nest of grass and string at the backof our house.
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.texasbeyondhistory.net/tejas/fundamentals/images/wichita-grass-house-sm.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.texasbeyondhistory.net/tejas/fundamentals/languages.html&h=263&w=200&sz=17&tbnid=bXdn9ZUPZOAJ:&tbnh=107&tbnw=81&start=2&prev=/images?q=grass+house&hl=en&lr=&sa=Nhttp://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.texasbeyondhistory.net/tejas/fundamentals/images/wichita-grass-house-sm.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.texasbeyondhistory.net/tejas/fundamentals/languages.html&h=263&w=200&sz=17&tbnid=bXdn9ZUPZOAJ:&tbnh=107&tbnw=81&start=2&prev=/images?q=grass+house&hl=en&lr=&sa=N


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Misplaced Modifiers

Misplaced modifier:

Christie almost sneezed fifteen times last evening.

Corrected version:

Christie sneezed almost fifteen times last evening.
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Lets Look At These for the Real

Meaning.

On her way to work, Elaine saw the silver womansearring laying on the park bench. This sentence implies that there is a silver woman who

left her earring on the park bench, not that the earringitself is silver.

On her way to work, Elaine saw the womans silver

earring laying on the park bench. Now the earring is silver instead of the woman.


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Watch Those Adverbs!

Placement of adverbs (many words that end inlyareadverbs) can change meanings to funny things.

We drove off in the car we had just bought quickly. Did we buythe car quickly, or did we drive the car quickly?

We quickly drove off in the car we had just bought. Okay! We must have made a great deal and were afraid

the dealership would change its mind!

Other adverbs that dont end inlyto watch: Only, just, almost.


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What Was Stolen?

The stolen mans walletwas placed on the policedepartments counter. Was the man stolen, or was the wallet stolen?

The mans stolen walletwas placed on the police

departments counter. Oh. So the wallet was stolen and not the man!


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Troublesome Words That Indicate

Number.

Almost and nearly mean close tonouns can be counted;verbs cannot be counted, so these words should be next tothe noun.

He nearly swamfor an hour. How can somebody nearly swim? Is he in the water, or is he on

dry land?

He swam for nearly an hour.


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Troublesome Words That Indicate

Number.

It almost cost me $800 for my car insurance. Do you have any car insurance? If it almost cost you, did you

actually get the policy, or did you find a cheaper one someplaceelse?

It cost me almost $800 for my car insurance.


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Dont Forget Merely and Only!

Joey only gave his mother $50.00 towards the rent. Joey was the only one who gave anything.

Joey gave his mother only $50.00 toward the rent. Shouldnt Joey be helping out more?

The same thing happens to these sentences

if we replace the word only with merely.


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Just is Just a Pain In the Neck!

Placing the wordjust in different places can change yourmeaning completely:

Just Evanwas rushed to the hospital from the accident scene totreat his wounds on his neck.

Evan was the only one injured in the accident.

Evan wasjust rushed to the hospital from the accident scene totreat his wounds on his neck.

Evans ambulancejust got there!

Evan was rushed to the hospital from the accident scene to treatjust his wounds on his neck.

Evan has wounds and contusions all over, but only the ones on his neckare really serious.


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Misplaced Prepositional Phrases

When you place a prepositional phrase in thewrong place, all sorts of funny things canhappen. Be careful!

Christine made the brownies for her aunt withchocolate icing. What is a woman doing running around covered in

chocolate icing?

Christine made brownies with chocolate icing forher aunt.


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Watch Out For Verbals!

Verbals are verbs that end ining or that have the word to beforethem.

Laila and Rachel talked about dancing in the kitchen making grilled

tuna. I wish my kitchen could make grilled tuna!

Laila and Rachel, making grilled tuna, talked about dancing in thekitchen. I guess Rachel Ray had Laila Ali as a guest.

Drew and Alex drew pictures for Mom to show. Is Mom showing the pictures, or are they showing the pictures to Mom?

Drew and Alex drew pictures to show to Mom. That makes more sense, doesnt it? Or is Mom a braggart?


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And Dont Forget Those Clumsy

Clauses!

Make sure that clauses modify (describe) thenoun you want them to modify.

The mechanic drove out the car to Joe that waslubricated.

Was Joe just at the bar?

The mechanic drove out the car that was lubricatedto Joe.


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Another Example:

Next to the lamp, Dawn piled the books that sheturned on. Are these audio books? How did Dawn turn on a book?

Dawn piled the books next to the lamp that shehad turned on.


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Dont Play Monkey in the Middle!

When you move the phrase or clause that was a problem,dont plop it in between two nouns!

The teacher said on Monday she would return our essays. Did the teacher tell the class on Monday, or did she promise

them for Monday?

The teacher said she would return our essays on Monday. OrOn Monday, the teacher said she would return our

essays.

Source: http://www.new.towson.edu/ows/moduleDangling.com
http://www.new.towson.edu/ows/moduleDangling.comhttp://www.new.towson.edu/ows/moduleDangling.com


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What is a dangling modifier?

A dangling modifier dangles because theword or words it is supposed to describe are notin the sentence.

INCORRECT Jogging in the park, a dog bit me.[The dog wasnt jogging in the park; the actual

jogger is missing from the sentence.]

CORRECT Jogging in the park, I got bitten by adog. ORWhile I was jogging in the park, a dogbit me.


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LETS PRACTICE!CLICK HERE TO START
https://baystate.itslearning.com/data/1512/C205/pptpractice/Misplaced%20and%20Dangling%20Modifiers/quiz.htmlhttps://baystate.itslearning.com/data/1512/C205/pptpractice/Misplaced%20and%20Dangling%20Modifiers/quiz.html

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