Misplaced Modifiers

MISPLACED
MODIFIERS
WHAT ARE MODIFIERS?
• A modifier is a word or participial phrase that provides more
information about something being discussed in the sentence.
• Modifiers are words or phrases that dress up otherwise plain

sentiments. It’s important for modifiers to stick close to the word or
words they’re modifying. When they stray too far, they become
misplaced modifiers — and if they get too far, it may look like they’re
modifying something else.
• Sometimes, modifiers can get lost or misplaced in a sentence. When

this happens, things can get very confusing!
EXAMPLE #1
A word like "only," for example, could modify a noun, verb or adjective,
depending on where it is in the sentence. For example:
• Misplaced modifier - Only Pastor Johnson gave me $5 to clean all his

sidewalks.
• Correction - Pastor Johnson gave me only $5 to clean all his sidewalks.
This sentence makes it sound like only this one pastor, Pastor Johnson,
paid $5. In other words, no other pastor paid $5 to clean the sidewalk.
The intent is to emphasize that Pastor Johnson only paid a meagre
amount.
EXAMPLE #2
Adverb as misplaced modifier
• Misplaced modifier - He nearly drove the car for six hours a day.

• Correction - He drove the car for nearly six hours a day.
The adverb "nearly" is modifying the adjective "six," not the verb
"drove." Just put the adverb in front of the adjective it's modifying.
EXAMPLE #3: FAILED EXAMS
Because adverbs can modify both adjectives and verbs, they are easily misplaced. Read another example of
adverbs as misplaced modifiers:
•Misplaced modifier - Iris almost failed every exam she took.
•Correction - Iris failed almost every exam she took.
Moving one word gives these two sentences very different meanings! In the first sentence, "almost" modifies
"failed," meaning that Iris barely passed every exam. However, the corrected sentence shows that "almost"
actually modifies "every," revealing that Iris failed most of her exams and only passed a few.
EXAMPLE #4:
• Misplaced modifier - People who laugh rarely are sad.
• Correction - People who rarely laugh are sad.
PHRASES AS MODIFIERS
No matter which type of phrase you use as a modifier, it needs

to be next to the noun it's describing. Participial phrases are
easy to misplace because they often come at the beginning or
end of a sentence, while the word they're modifying might be
in the middle of the sentence. Read these misplaced modifier
examples featuring participial phrases.
EXAMPLE #5
Starting a sentence with a participial phrase is an effective way to
vary your sentence structure. However, be sure that your subject
comes right after your modifier in these cases. For example:
• Misplaced modifier - Eagerly awaiting her birthday, Mary's

presents were all picked up and admired by Mary many times
throughout the day.
• Correction - Eagerly awaiting her birthday, Mary picked up and
admired her presents many times throughout the day.
EXAMPLE #6
It's easy to mistake which noun you're modifying with a participial phrase, but it's
important to check your meaning. Check out another example of a participial phrase as
misplaced modifiers.
• Misplaced modifier - Tired of all of the nights in hotels, delight

overcame Mitch when his boss finally said he didn't have to travel anymore.
• Correction - Tired of all of the nights in hotels, Mitch was delighted when his boss
finally said he didn't have to travel anymore.
The phrase “tired of all of the nights in hotels” is modifying the noun "delight."
Unfortunately, “delight” can't be tired, because delight isn't a person. Instead, it is more
likely that “Mitch” is tired.
EXAMPLE #7
• Misplaced modifier - James bought a horse for his sister called Prince.

• Correction - James bought a horse called Prince for his sister.
• Because the phrase "called Prince" comes right after "sister," it sounds like the sister’s name is
Prince, which is probably not true. A quick rewording can make it clear that the horse is named
Prince, and James purchased it for the sister.
EXAMPLE #8
• Misplaced modifier - She served sandwiches to the children on paper
plates.
• Correction - She served the children sandwiches on paper plates.
Because the indirect object "children" is next to the modifier, a reader

may believe that the children were actually on paper plates. "On paper
plates" is actually modifying the direct object "sandwiches." All you
need to do is move "sandwiches" right before the modifier.
MONITOR YOUR MODIFIERS
Modifiers are one of the most beautiful elements of the

English language. They paint our prose and add
starlight to our stanzas. Just make sure your modifiers
are standing as close as possible to the word or words
they’re describing.
Why Should I Care about Misplaced Modifiers?

• A misplaced modifier makes your sentence ambiguous or wrong. You can avoid a misplaced
modifier by placing your modifier next to whatever it's modifying (or putting some distance
between the modifier and whatever it's not meant to be modifying).
BEWARE AUTHOR BLINDNESS!
• It is sometimes difficult for writers to spot their own misplaced modifiers because they know
what they meant to say, and they do not see the ambiguity. This is called author blindness.
Look at these two examples. They are both correct, but they have very different meanings.
• He lost nearly $5,000 in Las Vegas.

(This means he lost just under $5,000.)
He nearly lost $5,000 in Las Vegas.

(Here, we don't know how much he lost. He might have lost nothing at all.)
• You must make your meaning clear by putting your modifier next to whatever is being
modified.
LET’S FIX SOME MORE SENTENCES
• Lee only eats cakes.
• Lee eats only cakes
• We will not sell paraffin to anyone in glass bottles.
• We will not sell paraffin in glass bottles to anyone.
• Talking quickly annoys people.
• Talking quickly is a sure way to annoy people.
• Andrew said after the holiday he intends to stop drinking.
• After the holiday, Andrew said that he intends to stop drinking.
• Meticulous and punctual, her work ethic is admirable.
• Meticulous and punctual, Jill has an admirable work ethic.
EXERCISE
1. Always eager for cake, the birthday party was attended by everyone.
2. Water from the sprinklers started to rust the brand-new child’s bike.
3. Driving to the party, the present rattled around in the trunk.
4. Forgetting that the microphone was on, the whole audience heard the singer's fight with
his wife.
5. Wagging her tail, the puppy climbed into my lap.

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MISPLACED

• Modifiers are words or phrases that dress up otherwise plain

• Sometimes, modifiers can get lost or misplaced in a sentence. When

• Misplaced modifier - Only Pastor Johnson gave me $5 to clean all his

• Misplaced modifier - He nearly drove the car for six hours a day.

adverbs as misplaced modifiers:

•Misplaced modifier - Iris almost failed every exam she took.

•Correction - Iris failed almost every exam she took.

No matter which type of phrase you use as a modifier, it needs

• Misplaced modifier - Eagerly awaiting her birthday, Mary's

• Misplaced modifier - Tired of all of the nights in hotels, delight

• Misplaced modifier - James bought a horse for his sister called Prince.

Because the indirect object "children" is next to the modifier, a reader

Modifiers are one of the most beautiful elements of the

Why Should I Care about Misplaced Modifiers?

• He lost nearly $5,000 in Las Vegas.

He nearly lost $5,000 in Las Vegas.

3. Driving to the party, the present rattled around in the trunk.

5. Wagging her tail, the puppy climbed into my lap.

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