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Dangling Modifiers

Dangling Modifiers. Section 19. Dangling Modifiers. What they are… Unpleasant things that don’t belong But, in grammatical language they are phrases or elliptical clauses that don’t sensibly modify any other words in the sentence Avoid dangling modifiers like the plague

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Dangling Modifiers

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  1. Dangling Modifiers Section 19

  2. Dangling Modifiers • What they are… • Unpleasant things that don’t belong • But, in grammatical language they are phrases or elliptical clauses that don’t sensibly modify any other words in the sentence • Avoid dangling modifiers like the plague • Also, try to avoid hackneyed clichés…don’t follow my bad examples • Remember, avoid here doesn’t mean don’t do (at least, not necessarily), it means if it’s there then fix it • But, when you write just don’t do it

  3. Dangling Modifiers • Avoid a dangling participial phrase • What do participial phrases do? • Yes, that’s right. They function as adjectives and modify nouns (most likely subjects of a sentence) • Sometimes a dangling phrase at the beginning of a sentence is simply misplaced • To fix that you move the phrase to a position after the word it modifies • However, most dangling phrases require you to reword the independent clause • Example: • Flying over the city, the skyscrapers could be clearly seen. • What is the dangling modifier? How do you fix it? • Flying over the city, we could clearly see the skyscrapers.

  4. Dangling Modifiers • Avoid a dangling gerund phrase • Same rules as the previous slide apply • (There are a lot of do not's in this presentation huh?) • For example: • By using a good carnauba wax, your car will really shine. • Where is your gerund phrase? • What is it functioning as? • Why is it a dangling modifier? • How would you fix it? • By using a good carnauba wax, you can make your car really shine. • Good, now you have a person using the wax

  5. Dangling Modifiers • Avoid a dangling infinitive phrase • For example: • To run a four-minute mile, excellent condition is required. • What’s wrong with this sentence? • To run a four-minute mile, one must be in excellent condition. • Now you have a person doing the running

  6. Dangling Modifiers • Avoid a dangling elliptical clause • Since I know no one knows what an elliptical clause is, I’ll just tell you. • It’s an adverb clause in which the subject is understood • So, dangling elliptical clauses can happen when the understood subject of the elliptical clause is not the same as that of the independent clause • For example: • When one month old, my grandmother died. • What is the sentence really trying to say? • When I was one month old, my grandmother died. • Good, now the subjects are the same • While emptying the trash at the campground, a large possum startled me. • What wrong with this? • While emptying the trash at the campground, I was startled by a large possum. • Now subjects agree

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