Definitions
Define “modifier”
A word or group of words that describes another word or phrase
“Before he washed the dishes, the cat jumped onto Kris’ lap.”
Possible answer:
Before Kris could wash the dishes, the cat jumped onto his lap.
What is the modifier in the following sentence?
“After dinner, I returned to my room having to finish my homework.”
Give one example of a sentence with a correctly placed modifier using the terms below:
“after taking a walk”
“the cat”
“Sunny”
Possible answer:
After taking a walk, Sunny returned home and fed his cat.
Add a subject to the following dangling modifier:
“After running for two hours, it began getting dark outside.”
After [name of subject] had been running for two hours, it began getting dark outside.
Define “misplaced modifiers”
Modifiers that are not in the right place in a sentence
“After sleeping, the snow began to fall so Kai checked outside.”
Possible answer:
The snow began to fall after Kai woke up, so he checked outside.
What is the modifier in the following sentence?
“Before leaving the room, I turned off the light so that I could save energy.”
Give one example of a sentence with a correctly placed modifier using the terms below:
“before he crossed the street”
“the bus”
“John”
Possible answer:
Before he crossed the street to catch the bus, John looked both ways.
Add a subject to the following dangling modifier:
“After eating, the dishes had to be washed.”
[Name of subject] had to wash the dishes after she finished eating.
Define “dangling modifier”
When a modifier describes a word that does not appear in a sentence
“While they were out of town, the house was empty.”
Possible answer:
The house was empty while the owners were out of town.
What is the modifier in the following sentence?
“While making dinner, my mother accidentally burned her hand.”
Give an example of a sentence using a modifier as a phrase.
Remember: A phrase has a verb without a subject or a subject without a verb.
What are the three forms of modifiers?
Word, clause, phrase
What is it called when a modifier has no subject to describe?
“Before they played the game, the water bottles needed to be refilled.”
Possible answer:
The water bottles needed to be refilled before the team played the game.
What is the modifier in the following sentence?
“In the mountains, the scientists found the fossils after searching for them for years.”
Give an example of a modifier as a word.
What type of word is similar to a modifier?
Adjective
What is it called when a modifier is not placed correctly in a sentence?
A misplaced modifier
“While watching the movie, the popcorn ran out so Suzy went to go refill it.”
Possible answer:
Suzy went to refill the popcorn when it ran out while she was watching the movie.
Identify 3 purposes of modifiers.
2. To make sentences more interesting
3. To create clear communication when used correctly.Give an example of a modifier as a clause.
Remember: A clause has a subject and a verb.
What are the three steps to fix a dangling or misplaced modifier?
1. Find the modifier.
2. Make sure that the modifier has something to modify.3. Put the modifier and the word it’s connected to as close as possible.