At a glance
- Start
- Does the -ing / -ed phrase at the start describe the subject right after it?YesCorrectWalking to school, I saw a rainbow.
- Is the person it describes missing from the sentence?YesDangling modifier: add the person
Walking to school, a rainbow appeared. - Is it far from the word it describes?YesMisplaced modifier: move it
She bought a dress for her sister with long sleeves. - Check only, almost, just: put them before the word they describeI ate only one apple.
Dangling modifiers
Walking to school, the rain started. → Walking to school, I got caught in the rain.
Having finished dinner, the dog was fed. → Having finished dinner, we fed the dog.
At the age of five, my father taught me to swim. (Was my father five?) → When I was five, my father taught me to swim.
Misplaced modifiers
She bought a dress for her sister with long sleeves. → She bought her sister a dress with long sleeves.
The man was walking his dog wearing a hat. → The man wearing a hat was walking his dog.
Only, almost, just
I ate only one apple. (not two)
Only I ate an apple. (nobody else did)
I almost failed the test. (but I passed)
I failed almost every test. (I failed most of them)
Practice
Answer the questions. Get 7 out of 10 to finish this lesson.