Definitions
a word, phrase, or clause that acts as an adjective or adverb
What is a modifier?
Correct the misplaced modifier: The blue school's chairs are about to break.
What is "The school's blue chairs are about to break"?
Correct the sentence: Leaving quickly, my keys were forgotten.
What is "Leaving quickly, I forgot my keys"?
Correct the sentence: Andrew told us after the holiday he intends to apply for a job.
What is "Andrew told us he intends to apply for a job after the holiday"?
Fix the sentence: Students who miss class frequently fail the course.
What is "Students who frequently miss class fail the course"?
OR
What is "Students who miss class fail the course frequently"?
a modifier placed in the wrong place modifying the wrong thing
What is a misplaced modifier?
Correct this sentence: The broken man's television set was beyond repair.
What is "The man's broken television set was beyond repair"?
Correct the sentence: While playing in the soccer game, his leg broke.
What is "While playing in the soccer game, he broke his leg"?
The type of problem in the sentence: Hoping to excuse my lateness, the note was written and given to my teacher.
What is a dangling modifier?
Fix the sentence: He told his daughter eventually the dog would come home.
What is "He told his daughter the dog would come home eventually"?
a modifier whose item it should modify is missing
What is a dangling modifier?
Correct this sentence: She served sandwiches to the children on paper plates.
What is "She served the children sandwiches on paper plates"?
Correct the sentence: When buying a new house, the price has to be thought about by Lisa.
What is "When buying a new house, Lisa has to think about the price"?
Correct the sentence: On her way home, Jan found a gold man’s watch.
What is "On her way home, Jan found a man’s gold watch"?
Fix the sentence: Jacob likes that band only because he thinks the guitarist is talented
What is "Jacob only likes that band because he thinks the guitarist is talented"?
a modifier that may modify either the word(s) preceding me or the word(s) following me, which leads to confusion and a sentence that could mean two things
What is a squinting modifier?
Correct this sentence: The man stood next to a tree talking on a cell phone.
What is "The man talking on a cell phone stood next to a tree"?
Correct this sentence: Running after the robber, the rain soaked John.
What is "Running after the robber, John was soaked by the rain"?
Correct the sentence: The waiter served a dinner roll to the woman that was well buttered.
What is "The waiter served a dinner roll that was well buttered to the woman"?
Fix the sentence: Cycling up hills quickly strengthens your quadriceps.
What is "Cycling up hills strengthens your quadriceps quickly"?
modifiers should be placed here in the sentence
What is as close to the thing (word) it modifies?
Correct the sentence: We had a big dinner after the show that was both delicious and filling.
What is "After the show, we had a big dinner that was both delicious and filling."
Correct the sentence: Encased in so much Styrofoam, anyone can bring this antique vase anywhere.
What is "Encased in so much Styrofoam, this antique vase can be brought anywhere."
Correct the sentence: The inmate tried to escape when he saw the doctor slipping into the nurse's station.
What is "Slipping into the nurse's station, the inmate tried to escape when he saw the doctor"?
Fix the sentence: She told her nephew eventually the dog would have to go back to its owner.
What is "She told her nephew the dog eventually would have to go back to its owner"?