9/23/2015 Agenda!

Learning Target: I can correctly identify

and fix misplaced and dangling modifiers.

Bellringer : Review: What are

coordinate adjectives? Review your
notesask someone around you if
you dont understand.

You try it review

*Write a sentence with two coordinate
adjectives.

Modifier: a word (or words) that

describe another word
Examples:
Stinky armpit

The abandoned, dirty home caught

fire.

Sara smirked at the lazy, hideous

teacher.

Mike laughed hysterically when Joe

told the joke.
Misplaced: to be in the wrong location

Misplaced Modifier = word or words

that describe another word and are
lost in the wrong location of a
sentence.
***Because they are lost in the wrong
location of a sentence, the reader
cant figure out which word the
modifier is modifying (Thats an
example of redundancy.)

Examples:

The salesman sold the Cadillac to the

buyer with leather seats.

This sounds like the buyer had

leather seats on himself.
You need to move the modifier next
to the thing it is describing.
The salesman sold the Cadillac with
leather seats to the buyer.

They saw a fence behind the house

made of barbed wire.
*The house is not made of barbed
wire, but it sounds like it is because
the modifier is next to it in the
sentence.
Move the modifier next to the word it
is really describing.
They saw a barbed wire fence behind
the house.

The waiter served a dinner roll to the

woman that was well-buttered.
*Sounds like the woman was wellbuttered. Gross.
*Move the modifier closer to the word
it should be describing.
The waiter served the well-buttered
dinner roll to the woman.

You try it
If there is a misplaced modifier in the
sentence, fix it. If there is no
misplaced modifier, write OK.
1) Ralph piled all of his clothes in the
hamper that he had worn.
2) On her way home, Janet found a
gold mans watch.

3) The new student will take the

corner seat wearing the muscle
shirt.
4) The boy stepped on the crumpled
up can.
5) The tall boy led the parade with red
hair.

A dangling modifier is an introductory

word group that hangs at the beginning
of sentences and does not refer logically
to the noun or pronoun that follows it.

Examples:
Dangling modifier: Driving west, the
scenery was beautiful.
These words (Driving west) appear to be
dangling at the beginning of the
sentence.

These words make it sound like the

scenery was driving west.
Obviously, a person was driving, so just
add a pronoun. (I, you, he, she, it, we,
they, him, her, us, them) or proper noun
Correction:

Driving west, they saw beautiful scenery.

Dangling modifier: After watching the

game, the snacks were put away.
The dangling modifier at the beginning
makes us think that the snacks had been
watching the game. Thats creepy.
How to fix it? Put a pronoun or proper
noun next to the dangling modifier to
clear things up.

Correction:

After watching the game, we put the

snacks away.

Dangling modifier: While watering, a bee

stung Janet.

This dangling modifier makes it sound like

the bee stung Janet while it was watering
something. Again, thats weird.
How to fix it? Make sure a pronoun or
Janet is next to the dangling modifier.
Correction:

While watering, Janet was stung by a bee.

Now, Janet is next to modifier, so it
sounds like she is the one who is stung.

You try it
Fix the following dangling modifiers by
adding a noun or pronoun.
1)
Having seen the Washington Monument,
the Eiffel Tower is more impressive.
2)
With a sigh of disappointment, the
expensive dress was returned to the rack.

3)
Having finished the assignment, the TV
was turned on.