misplaced and dangling modifiers direct and indirect objects prepositional phrases

Misplaced and Dangling ModifiersDirect and Indirect Objects

Prepositional Phrases


• A phrase is a group of words that functions in a sentence as one part of speech.

• Prepositional phrases always include a preposition and a noun or pronoun (called the Object of the Preposition-OP).

• The phrase may also include modifiers.


• Here are some common prepositions.ToAtOfInOnUp

ForFromBelowWithNearInto

TowardBeneathBetweenBeyondAroundDown

AboveBeforeAfterUntilThroughIn front of

Prepositional Phrases* Warning: Sometimes some of these words also work alone as adverbs: Let the cat in. I could feel that the monster was near.

ToAtOfInOnUp

ForFromBelowWithNearInto

TowardBeneathBetweenBeyondAroundDown

AboveBeforeAfterUntilThroughIn front of


• A prepositional phrase can function either as an adjective or as an adverb.

• Let’s review what adjectives and adverbs do.

Prepositional PhrasesAdjectives Adverbs

Modify Nouns or Pronouns

Verbs, Adjectives, or Other Adverbs

Answer Which one?What kind?How many?How much?

How? When? Where? To what extent?(Why? Under what condition?)


• Find the prepositional phrases; decide whether they are adjective or adverb phrases.

• William sat in the chair near the door.

• After dinner, we walked on the beach.



• William sat in the chair near the door.

• Sat where? Adverb phrase • Which chair? Adjective phrase



• After dinner, we walked on the beach.

• Walked when? Adverb phrase• Walked where? Adverb phrase


• Once words are in a prepositional phrase, they can NOT do any other job in a sentence.

• Find the subject in this sentence.

• A vase of flowers is on the table.


• Eliminating the prepositional phrases makes the subject clear.

• A vase of flowers is on the table.

Direct and Indirect Objects

• A clause is a group of words that has a subject and a verb.

• The verb may be an action verb or a linking verb.


• Sometimes the verb is a linking verb:

• Mary is my friend.• The cat seemed friendly.

• Linking verbs connect the subject to either a noun/pronoun that renames the subject OR to an adjective that describes the subject.


• Sometimes the verb is a linking verb:

• Mary is my friend. Predicate Nominative/Noun

• The cat seemed friendly. Predicate Adjective

• Linking verbs NEVER have Direct or Indirect Objects


• Sometimes the verb is an action verb.

• The cat chased the rat.• Bill sneezed loudly.

• Sometimes a sentence with an action verb also has a direct object.

• Sometimes it does not.


• To find whether the sentence has a direct object, ask “Verbed what?”

• The cat chased the rat.

• “Chased what?” the rat• To check the answer, ask “Is the rat what got chased?”

• Yes=Direct Object (DO)• No=Not a Direct Object


• The cat chased the rat.

• Action verbs that have a direct object are called TRANSITIVE VERBS.

• Trans mean across, as in transfer, transport, and transmit.

• The action of the verb transfers to the DO.

Direct and Indirect Objects• Let’s see if you can find the direct object for this

sentence:

• Joe ate several cookies for dinner.

• Ate what?• Are _________ what got eaten?

• Remember that the noun in the prepositional phrase is the object of the preposition (OP) and cannot do any other job in the sentence.


• Let’s see if you can find the direct object for this sentence:

• I saw a bird sitting on my mailbox.

• Saw what?• Is ______ what got seen?



• Please bring your notebook with you to class.

• Bring what?• Is ______ what you will bring?

• Bonus question: What is the subject?



• Max gave me a pencil.

• Gave what?• Is _____ what was given?


• Max gave me a pencil.• This time you see a pronoun between the verb

and the DO.

• It tells to or for whom or what the DO was given.

• This is called the Indirect Object (IO).


• Max gave me a pencil.• AV IO DO• Gave the pencil to whom? Me.

• The Indirect Object is always in this location in the sentence. Other words may be added, but the ORDER of the AV, IO, and DO will remain the same.


• Max gave me a pencil.• AV IO DO

• The same idea can be written differently:• Max gave a pencil to me.• AV DO ?• • Now the ORDER is wrong. So what is me now?


Me is now the object of the preposition to.

• Max gave a pencil to me.• AV DO OP

• Remember that the noun in the prepositional phrase is the object of the preposition (OP) and cannot do any other job in the sentence.


• A sentence can have a Direct Object with or without an Indirect Object.

• Mary gave the cashier the money for lunch.• AV IO DO

• Mary gave money to the cashier. Prepositional • AV DO OP Phrase

• A SENTENCE CAN NEVER HAVE AN INDIRECT OBJECT WITHOUT A DIRECT OBJECT!


• Sometimes the action verb does not have a direct object.

• Bill sneezed loudly.

• Sneezed what?

• Loudly is HOW he sneezed and is an adverb.• Action verbs that DO NOT have direct objects are

called INTRANSITIVE VERBS


• Determine whether the verbs in these sentences are Transitive or Intransitive.

• 1. Lynn took lunch to her mother.• 2. I apologized for the mistake.• 3. The dog gobbled its dinner quickly.• 4. Many students improved their grades this

quarter.• 5. The cat stretched in the afternoon sun.


• Determine whether the verbs in these sentences are Transitive or Intransitive.

• 1. Lynn took lunch to her mother. T• 2. I apologized for the mistake. I• 3. The dog gobbled its dinner quickly. T• 4. Many students improved their grades this

quarter. T• 5. The cat stretched in the afternoon sun. I

Misplaced and Dangling Modifiers

• A modifier should be placed as close as possible to the word it modifies.

• Dad bought a desk with a secret compartment from an antique dealer.


• A misplaced modifier appears to modify the wrong word in a sentence.

• Dad bought a desk from an antique dealer with a secret compartment.

• Does the antique dealer have a secret compartment????


• A dangling modifier appears to modify the wrong word or no word at all because the word it should logically modify is missing.

• Flying low over the treetops, a herd of elephants charged into our view.

• Were the elephants flying?


• How can we correct this?• Flying low over the treetops, a herd of

elephants charged into our view.

• Who or what was flying? Our is a clue.

• We were flying.


• How can we correct this?• Flying low over the treetops, a herd of

elephants charged into our view.

• Flying low over the treetops, we saw a herd of elephants charge into our view.


• Can you find the misplaced or dangling modifier and correct the sentence.

• Sniffing the carton cautiously, the milk didn’t smell sour.


• Can you find the misplaced or dangling modifier and correct the sentence.

• Maggie found a sweater that had never been worn in the thrift store.

misplaced and dangling modifiers direct and indirect objects prepositional phrases

Documents

direct object direct

prepositional phraseshere

adverb phrases

linking verb

direct object dono

indirect objectssometimes

indirect objectsthe

indirect objectsdirect