Misplaced Modifiers

Misplaced Modifiers Smokey the Bear Says, “Only You Can Prevent Misplaced Modi-fires!”

What’s Wrong with This Sentence? Yoko Ono will talk about her husband, John Lennon, who was killed in an interview with Barbara Walters. - Richard Lederer, Anguished English

Misplaced Modifiers • A modifier is a word or phrase that describes or modifies part of a sentence. They should be placed as near as possible to the idea they are meant to describe or modify. • A misplaced modifier is a modifier that’s attached to the wrong part of the sentence, modifying something other than intended.

“Yeah, but You Know What I Meant…” • Yeah, I did. But why risk confusion? Not all readers are as smart as I am… • So how can we correct the sentence? Move the modifier closer to the thing it’s modifying (which I’ll call the “modifyee,” which is not a real word). • In an interview with Barbara Walters [MODIFIER], Yoko Ono[MODIFYEE] will talk about her husband, John Lennon, who was killed.

Mocking Misplaced Modifiers Let’s have fun with other people’s mistakes by mocking these misplaced modifiers. (Don’t worry, they’re not your mistakes. We don’t mock each other in this class!) • Barking like a burglar was breaking in, I checked on the dog. • The thief decided to make a run for it when he saw the police officer, abandoning the stolen car and dashing into the woods. • Carrying a heavy pile of books, her foot caught on the step.

Create Your Own! Can you come up with any ridiculously wrong misplaced modifiers?

Put out the Fire! For these exercises, put out the misplaced modi-fire by moving it closer to the modifyee. • The company is now running a late bus for skiers leaving at 6:15. • The mystery has been solved after ten years of the missing portrait. • The community center was built by Mrs. Borden, who later became Mrs. Gruber, at a cost of $800,000. • She wore a straw hat on the back of her head which was obviously too small.

Misplaced Modifiers