Dangling Modifiers
Grammar Rules Guide - Chapter 12
A dangling modifier is a phrase or clause that does not connect grammatically with what it is intended to modify.
The problem is most common with adjective participial phrases, especially when they open the sentence. Such open participial phrases can be taken to modify the noun, but when the noun is not present in the sentence, then the phrase becomes nonsensical.
Problems with Dangling Modifiers
There are two kinds of problems with dangling modifiers:
1) A word (often a pronoun) has been left out, so that the introductory phrase does not complement what follows.
Unclear:
Running across the street, the bus left.
2) A phrase or word in a sentence is too far from the idea that it modifies.
Unclear:
A dependable car, the family decided to buy the mini-van.
Correcting Dangling Modifiers
There are two ways to correct dangling modifiers.
1) The main clause can be left alone and the participial construction altered, usually to an adverbial phrase.
Unclear:
Running down the street, the house was on fire.
Revised:
When the man ran down the street, the house was on fire.
2) The participial construction can be allowed to stand and the main clause modified so that the modified object is in the subject position.
Revised:
Running down the street, the man saw the house was on fire.
Grammar Rules Guide Index
Active and Passive Voice - Chapter 1
Adjective, Adverb, and Noun Clauses - Chapter 2
Adjectives - Chapter 3
Adverbs - Chapter 4
Appositives - Chapter 5
Auxiliary Verbs - Chapter 6
Common and Proper Nouns - Chapter 7
Comparatives and Superlatives - Chapter 8
Complements - Chapter 9
Conjunctions - Chapter 10
Conjunctive Adverbs - Chapter 11
Dangling Modifiers - Chapter 12
Direct and Indirect Objects - Chapter 13
Fused Sentences, Run-Ons, and Comma Splices - Chapter 14
Homophones - Chapter 15
Independent and Dependent Clauses - Chapter 16
Interjections - Chapter 17
Mass and Count Nouns - Chapter 18
Misplaced Modifiers - Chapter 19
Noun and Pronoun Case - Chapter 20
Noun and Verb Phrases - Chapter 21
Nouns - Chapter 22
Parallelism - Chapter 23
Perfect and Progressive Verb Forms - Chapter 24
Prepositional Phrases - Chapter 25
Prepositions - Chapter 26
Principal Parts of Verbs - Chapter 27
Pronoun and Antecedent Agreement - Chapter 28
Pronouns - Chapter 29
Regular and Irregular Verbs - Chapter 30
Relative Clauses - Chapter 31
Restrictive and Non-Restrictive Clauses - Chapter 32
Sentence Fragments - Chapter 33
Sentence Types - Chapter 34
Subjects and Predicates - Chapter 35
Verb Mood - Chapter 36
Verbals and Verbal Phrases - Chapter 37
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