Transcript uwf writing lab rules of thumb for dangling and misplaced modifiers

UWF WRITING LAB
RULES OF THUMB FOR
DANGLING AND
MISPLACED MODIFIERS
From Real Good Grammar, Too
by Mamie Webb Hixon
Created by April Turner Revised by
Mamie Webb Hixon
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When flashing, exit elevator.
SAY WHAT?
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When flashing, exit elevator.
This modifier dangles unless the subject of the
sentence (the understood “you”) is flashing.
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CORRECTION:
When the light is flashing,
exit elevator.
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As an instructor, the following official course shells
have been created for you in eLearning.
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As an instructor, the following official course shells
have been created for you in eLearning.
The phrase “as an instructor” needs a word to describe. That
word is the subject of the sentence – “course shells.” Since
“course shells’ is not the agent being desribed, the end result is .
..
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A DANGLING MODIFIER
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So who’s rapidly sending the photo –
persons with ill-intent or the person with
the iPhone?

If you suspect you are about to
become a victim of kidnapping,
rape, robbery or assault, point your
iPhone at the suspicious person and
push the Ice Pics button on the
iPhone. IcePics will email a picture
of the bad guy along with the GPS
location of that photo instantly to
contacts pre-selected by the owner.
By rapidly sending a photo of a
person to remote emails, persons
with ill-intent will think twice because
their chances of being caught rise
astronomically.
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A Dangling Modifier
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Dangling modifiers are words
or phrases which “dangle”
because they have no word
in the sentence to describe:
While taking a shower, the
doorbell rang.
The doorbell was taking a
shower?
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A Dangling Modifier

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As an instructor, the following
official course shells
have been created for you in
eLearning.
As an instructor, you have
the following official course
shells created for you in
eLearning.
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Dangling Modifiers
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After hearing both sides of the
argument,
the judge decided the case.
or
a decision was made.
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To ensure that all requirements
are met,
a passing score on the test is
needed.
or
each person must pass a test.
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After hearing both sides of the
argument,
the application was turned in.
or
please return this application.
(You is the understood subject.)
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REVISING DANGLING MODIFIERS

Reword the part of the sentence following
the dangling modifier, or reword the
dangling modifier itself.
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Revise dangling modifiers

by adding a headword—a noun or
pronoun that is described:
 While
I was taking a shower, the doorbell
rang.
 OR
 While
taking a shower, I heard the doorbell
ring.
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Here are some modifiers in search of
a subject – a word to modify
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Before swimming, . . .
Exhausted by the hot weather, . . .
Working ten hours a day, six days a week, . . .
In making a career decision, . . .
After moving all the outdoor furniture into the garage, . . .
In filling out the form, . . .
Before starting to bake a cake, . . .
To be an SGA officer, . . .
In order to earn money for your tuition, . . .
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DANGLING MODIFIERS
Before swimming,
heavy meals should be avoided.
avoid heavy meals.
Exhausted by the hot weather,
there was nothing to do but lie in the shade.
we decided to lie in the shade.
Working ten hours a day, six days a week,
John’s first novel was completed in six months.
John completed his novel in six months.
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DANGLING MODIFIERS
In making a career decision,
my adviser was a big help.
I received good help from my adviser.
After moving all the outdoor furniture into the garage,
there was no room left for the car.
we had no room left for the car.
In filling out the form,
an original and two copies are required.
you need an original and two copies.
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MORE
DANGLING MODIFIERS
Before starting to bake a cake,
assemble all of the ingredients.
all of the ingredients need to be assembled.
To be an SGA officer,
you need above average grades.
your grades need to be above average.
In order to earn money for your tuition,
you must get a job.
it’s important that you get a job.
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MORE DANGLING MODIFIERS
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“In addition to being ugly and inappropriate,
the students often make grammatical errors
on their signs.”
“In addition to the signs’ being ugly and
inappropriate, the students often make
grammatical errors on their signs.”
A Misplaced Modifier
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is placed too close to
some other word that it
does not intend to modify:
I only speak one
language.
All you ever do is speak
one language?
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ONLY
Place only next to what it modifies.
I hit him only in the eye.
 Only I hit him in the eye.
 I only hit him in the eye.
 I hit him in the eye only.

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Revise misplaced modifiers
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by placing the modifier next to its
headword:
I speak only one language.
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REVISING MISPLACED MODIFIERS
Move the modifier next to the word it is
actually modifying.

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Toyota may be held
liable for the car to the
plaintiff with broken
wheels.
Toyota may be held
liable to the plaintiff for
the car with broken
wheels.
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Split Infinitive
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An infinitive is a
grammatical unit
consisting of the bare
form of a verb (without
an –s) preceded by the
preposition to: to
choose, to explain, to
dance, to go, to learn,
to be, to brush

Splitting an infinitive is
inserting an adverb
between the sign of the
infinitive (to) and the verb:
to freely choose, to quickly
explain, to gracefully
dance, to boldly go, to
really learn, to not be, to
regularly brush
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Some grammar purists and many
traditional grammarians consider a
split infinitive as a vice, an error.
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Split Infinitives
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are misplaced modifiers which are
placed between the preposition to
and the verb in an infinitive
Dentists encourage children to
regularly brush their teeth.
The modifier regularly is splitting the
infinitive to brush.
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Revising split infinitives
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Move the modifier to another part of the
sentence:
Dentists encourage children to brush their
teeth regularly.
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THE MOST RECOGNIZABLE SPLIT
INFINITIVE IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE
“To boldly go
where no man has
gone before”
 The modifier boldly
is splitting the
infinitive to go.
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THE MOST RECOGNIZABLE SPLIT
INFINITIVE IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE
“To boldly go
where no man has
gone before”
 Grammar purists
want to move
boldly: “To go
boldly where . . . .”

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Revising split infinitives
We hope that you
will take the time to
carefully examine
this new textbook.
 We hope that you
will take the time to
examine this new
textbook carefully.

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Revising split infinitives
The President
promised to quickly
name a successor.
 The President
promised to name
a successor
quickly.
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Revising split infinitives
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The most popular belief about the
purpose of Stonehenge is that it was
built as an observatory to mark the
summer and winter solstices, the
various phases of the moon, shifts in
patterns of the stars, and to perhaps
even predict eclipses.
The most popular belief about the
purpose of Stonehenge is that it was
built as an observatory to mark the
summer and winter solstices, the
various phases of the moon, shifts in
patterns of the stars, and perhaps
even to predict eclipses.
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Split infinitives that should be
avoided:
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An infinitive that is split by a negative word
WRONG:
Try to not be late.
CORRECT:
Try not to be late.
WRONG: Liz and Angie try to not argue over which
Backstreet boy is the cutest.
CORRECT: Liz and Angie try not to argue over which
Backstreet boy is the cutest.
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Split infinitives that should be
avoided:
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An infinitive that is split by multiple words
WRONG:
The manager expects to before the end of the month resign.
CORRECT:
The manager expects to resign before the end of the month.
WRONG:
Students should try to, during the first semester of their
freshman year, satisfy the writing skills requirement.
CORRECT:
Students should try to satisfy the writing skills requirement
during the first semester of their freshman year.
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Some split infinitives are acceptable
because the modifier cannot be moved
without creating an awkward sentence.
Police are looking for a suspect who tried
to sexually assault a college student.
 Prices are expected to more than double
next year.
 The company needs to substantially
increase its level of investment.
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Acceptable or unacceptable?
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This issue
concerns the
people's right to
freely choose.
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Squinting Modifiers
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are misplaced modifiers
which seem to modify two
words:
Patty who was walking
quickly reached the club.
Is Patty walking quickly, or
is she quickly reaching the
club?
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Revise squinting modifiers
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by changing the word order so there is no
ambiguity:
 Patty,
who was quickly walking, reached the
club.
 OR
 Patty
who was walking reached the club
quickly.
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LET’S PRACTICE!!!
Having encountered this problem many times
before, the flat tire was easy for me to fix.
 Having encountered this problem many times
before, I could fix the flat tire easily.
 I only have classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
 I have classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays
only.
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LET’S PRACTICE A LITTLE
MORE!!!
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In group situations, the people who participate
sometimes can be annoying when they don’t
know what they are doing.
…who participate can sometimes be annoying…
It is the citizens’ right to openly criticize the
government without fear of being harassed.
…right to criticize the government openly without
fear of being harassed.
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