MODIFIERS

A MODIFIER is a word or group of words that functions as an adjective or adverb; it gives information about some word or word group in a sentence. To "modify" means to alter or change.

Similarly, a MODIFIER in grammar clarifies, qualifies, or limits a word and therefore changes or alters it. For example, in the following sentence, "My youngest sister is a lawyer," "youngest" modifies "sister": It lets us know specifically which sister is a lawyer.

MODIFIERS should be placed as close as possible to the word or words they modify. In the following sentence, the modifier is too far away from the word it modifies to make sense:

"Playing with a toy mouse, I sat watching my cat."

The sentence says that "I" was "playing with a toy mouse," not that the cat was playing with a toy mouse. Move the modifier close to the thing it modifies and we have, "I sat watching my cat playing with a toy mouse." (If you were the only one playing with the mouse, however, the first sentence is correct.)

There are two kinds of problems with MODIFIERS: DANGLING and MISPLACED.

A DANGLING MODIFIER has no word or words to modify; it just dangles there in the sentence.

The term, MISPLACED MODIFIER, is self-explanatory: It refers to a modifier that is too far away from the word or words it's supposed to modify.

Here are a couple of examples of Dangling Modifiers:

1. At the age of six [modifier], my mother had another baby.

The sentence actually says that the mother was six when she had another (!) baby. We may understand what the writer meant to say, but that's a risky premise: In order to be understood, writers must say what they mean instead of leaving it to readers to guess.

Here's a revised version, giving the modifier (the phrase, "At the age of six") something to modify ("I"):

Revised: When I was six, my mother had another baby.

2. Sitting there looking at the ocean, her decision was finally made. [modifier]

This one is tricky, since - like many modifier errors - it seems to make sense. But read it again: Just who or what is "sitting there looking at the ocean"?

According to the sentence, it's "her decision," which is sitting looking at the ocean; this makes no sense. The modifier, "Sitting there looking at the ocean," needs something else to modify.

Revised: Her decision was finally made as she sat there looking at the ocean.

Revised: Sitting looking at the ocean, she finally made her decision.

MISPLACED MODIFIERS: Following are examples of modifiers that are placed too far away from what they modify.

1. I read that the hit-and-run driver had been caught in the morning paper. [modifier]

That must have been a truly amazing paper! We'll revise the sentence by putting the modifier, "in the morning paper," next to what it modifies: "I read."

Revised: I read in the morning paper that the hit-and-run driver had been caught.

2. She is going out with a man who owned a BMW named Herman. [modifier]

This sentence would be correct if the BMW were named Herman, but let's assume Herman is her boyfriend's name and place the modifier, "named Herman," next to what it modifies:

Revised: She was going out with a man named Herman who owned a BMW.

Two more points about MODIFIERS:

1. LIMITING MODIFIERS (adverbs) like only, just, almost, hardly, barely, at first, simply, etc. always limit the word they immediately precede. Placed anywhere else in the sentence, they change the meaning.

Read the following four sentences and note how the meaning changes with the placement of the modifier, Only.

Only counselors say that high salaries determine students' career choices. [No one else says that.]

Counselors only say that high salaries determine students' career choices. [The counselors don't really believe it; they only say it; or, that's all they say.]

Counselors say that only high salaries determine students' career choices. [The counselors think nothing else plays a role in career choice.]

Counselors say that high salaries determine only students' career choices. [No one else's career choice is determined by high salaries - only students'.]

2. The Limiting Adverb, NOT, is frequently misplaced, creating a meaning the writer did not intend.

For example, the sentence, "All music is not relaxing," means that no music is relaxing. This revision makes the writer's meaning clear: Not all music is relaxing.

MODIFIERS—EXERCISE:

YOUR NAME:
YOUR EMAIL:
TODAY'S DATE:

 

 

For practice, correct the modifier problems in the following sentences. They contain misplaced or dangling modifiers. None are correct.

Reminder: DANGLING modifiers need something to modify; MISPLACED modifiers need to be moved close to what they modify. Often - but not always - a misplaced modifier can be corrected by simply moving the sentence parts around without adding or changing anything.

1. A report was made about the holdup by the police.

2. I bought a second-hand car from a man with generator trouble.

3. After smelling up the whole house, I finally gave my dog a bath.

4. Determined to learn to write, the textbook was slowly mastered.

5. She left the meat on the table that was too tough to eat.

6. My mother-in-law took me to the hospital after breaking my leg.

7. The bank will make loans to responsible people of any size.

8. I couldn't even at first touch my toes.

9. She described her father as a six-foot-tall man with a mustache weighing 150 pounds.

10. Being a conceited fool I didn't much care for his company.

11. Dressed in a black satin gown, he watched her stroll by.

12. Completely smashed, I saw that my car was beyond repair.

13. We saw a deer on the way to the mall.

14. We gave all the newspapers to the Boy Scouts that have been lying around for months.

 

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