A dangling modifier is a common grammatical error that occurs when a modifying phrase or word in a sentence is unclear or ambiguously linked to the noun it’s supposed to modify. This typically results in a sentence that can be confusing or even illogical. Developing an understanding of dangling modifiers and the methods to detect and correct them is an essential part of mastering written English language rules.
Dangling modifier in a nutshell
Dangling modifiers happen when a participle phrase (or another modifier) lacks a logical noun to modify in the sentence. To spot a dangling modifier, look for phrases written in a way that modifies the wrong noun.
Definition: Dangling modifier
A dangling modifier is a descriptive word or phrase, typically at the beginning of a sentence, that isn’t clearly or logically connected to the noun it’s meant to modify. This usually happens because the noun is missing from the sentence or the modifier is placed too far from it.
Examples
❌Running down the street, the school bus was missed.
✅Running down the street, she missed the school bus.
❌Searching in his car, the phone couldn’t be found.
✅Searching in his car, he couldn’t find the phone.
How to find a dangling modifier
To identify a dangling modifier, it’s important to pay attention to its placement in the sentence and check if it’s clearly linked to the noun it’s modifying. A sentence that has been modified correctly should position the modifier so that it accurately describes a noun, meaning the subject should shortly follow the comma after the modifier as seen in the example below.
Examples
❌Walking to the shop, my keys were lost.
✅I lost my keys while walking to the shop.
✅Walking to the shop, I realised my keys were lost.
How to fix a dangling modifier
There are two main methods for fixing a dangling modifier:
- Revising the main clause
- Revising the modifier clause
Revising the main clause
This method involves rephrasing the sentence in a way that the modifier will be linked clearly to the noun it is modifying. It can be done by reordering the sentence structure or adding a subject to the sentence.
❌Walking to school, my pen was lost.
The modifier “walking to school” is not linked to a noun, and it is unclear who is walking.
✅I lost my pen while walking to school.
The modifier “while walking to school” is clearly linked to the subject “I.”
❌Running late, the taxi was missed.
The person running late is missing in the sentence, which suggests that it’s the bus that is running late.
✅I missed the taxi because I was running late.
The words are now reordered to clarify the subject.
❌Covered in chocolate, the children ate the cookies.
This phrasing falsely suggests that the children are covered in chocolate.
✅The cookies, covered in chocolate, were eaten by the children.
Now, the main clause is modified to clarify that it’s the cookies that were covered in chocolate, not the children.
Revising the modifier clause
A modifier clause is a clause that modifies or describes a noun or verb in the sentence. The modifier clause must be placed close to the noun or verb it is modifying to avoid confusion and to ensure proper grammar.
❌Walking home, the ice cream melted in my hand.
In this sentence, it’s unclear who is walking home.
✅While I was walking home, the ice cream melted in my hand.
The modifier clause now clarifies who was walking.
❌Having finished the book, the TV was turned on.
By whom was it turned on, and who was finishing the book?
✅Having finished the book, I turned on the TV.
The modifier is now clearly linked to the person, not the TV.
❌After studying all night, the test seemed quite easy.
This sentence structure makes it sound like the test was studying all night.
✅After studying all night, I found the test quite easy.
“I” is now clearly linked with the action of studying.
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FAQs
A dangling modifier example is the sentence “Walking to the shop, the ice cream melted in my hand.” Here, “walking to the shop” is meant to describe the person walking, but it mistakenly seems to describe “the ice cream” since the intended subject is missing.
You know you have a dangling modifier if the modifier doesn’t clearly link to a specific noun in the sentence. Ask yourself, “Who or what is being described by this modifier?” If the subject of the main clause doesn’t match up logically with the modifier, it’s likely dangling.
A dangling modifier is created when the intended noun or subject that the modifier is meant to describe is absent from the sentence. This creates confusion or makes the sentence sound awkward.
You can either revise the main clause or revise the modifier clause.
So, rearrange the sentence to make sure the modifier is clearly linked to the subject in the main clause, or change the modifier clause to directly connect with the subject.
