SENTENCE ESSENTIALSSentences hold your thoughts. Craft them with care.
| SENTENCE ESSENTIALS Sentences hold your thoughts. Craft them with care. |
| PROBLEMS WITH MISPLACED MODIFIERS
A modifying phrase must be placed near the sentence element it modifies. When modifiers are misplaced, they modify the wrong sentence element and create confusion. |
| ♦ Misplaced Modifiers: Participial Phrases |
| 1. Bob heard the explosion entering the house.
Entering the house, Bob heard the explosion. [Was the explosion entering the house? Click the sentence to see correct order.] | 2. Lisa saw an accident walking to school.
Walking to school, Lisa saw an accident. [Was the accident walking to school? Click the sentence.] |
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3. Michael got into more trouble enraged at the police officer.Enraged at the police officer, Michael got in more trouble.
[Was trouble enragedextremely angry? Click the sentence.] |
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4. Alexandra saw the countryside taking the train.Taking the train, Alexandra saw the countryside. [Was the countryside taking the train? Click the sentence.] |
| PROBLEMS WITH DANGLING MODIFIERS
A dangling modifier has no stated sentence element to modify. The element it is supposed to modify is only implied. The writer must state the missing element to revise the sentence correctly. |
| ♦ Misplaced Modifiers: Dangling Modifiers |
| 1. Running a red light, a pedestrian was hit and seriously injured.Running a red light, the driver hit and seriusly injured a pedestrian. [Was the pedestrian running a red light? Click the sentence.] |
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2. Seeking a compromise, the agreement fell through.Seeking a compromise, the parties failed to reach an agreement. [Was the agreement seeking a compromise? Click the sentence.] |
| 3. Attempting to leave on time, my keys disappeared.Attempting to leave on time, I couldn't find my keys. [Were the keys attempting to leave on time? Click the sentence.] |
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4. Hoping to attract nurses, the nursing and allied health job fair was well attended. Hoping to attract nurses, the organizers were pleased that the nursing and allied health job fair was well attended. [Does the job fair want to attract nurses? Click the sentence.] |
| PROBLEMS WITH MISPLACED PREPOSITIONAL AND APPOSITIVE PHRASES Prepositional and appositive phrases must be placed after the noun they modify. |
| ♦ Misplaced Modifiers: Prepositional Phrases |
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1. Terry went to Papyrus to buy for her dad a card.Terry went to Papyrus to buy a card for her dad. Whom was the card for? Click the sentence for revision. Click here for an alternate version.Terry went to Papyrus to buy her dad a card. |
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2. I did for my mom a big favor.I did a big favor for my mom. Both sentences show confusion with use of direct and indirect objects. Click the sentence for revision. Click here for the alternate version.I did my mom a big favor. |
| ♦ Misplaced Modifiers: Appositive Phrases |
| 1. Africa has had a decrease in food production, home to 16 of the 18 most undernourished countries. Home to 16 of the 18 most undernourished countries, Africa has had a decrease in food production. [The noun phrase refers to Africa. Click the sentence for revision.] |
| 2. The United States of America attracts many immigrants, land of the free and home of the brave. Land of the free and home of the brave, The United States of America attracts many immigrants. [What is referred to as "the land of the free and the home of the brave"? Click the sentence for revision.] |