The definition of a Misplaced modifier: An adjective that is misused, and that may cause a reader to think the wrong idea about the subject. Although the idea of the sentence might have been meant to be understood as something else.
In the picture above we see how one man takes what the police told him about his dog a little to literally.
The cop told him that the mans dog was chasing people that were on bikes.
Instead of saying in terms that made sense: The police man simply stated the dog was chasing people on bikes.
Now that would be quite a sight because we all know dogs can't ride bikes, but that's exactly how the police man said it.
In the picture above we see how one man takes what the police told him about his dog a little to literally.
The cop told him that the mans dog was chasing people that were on bikes.
Instead of saying in terms that made sense: The police man simply stated the dog was chasing people on bikes.
Now that would be quite a sight because we all know dogs can't ride bikes, but that's exactly how the police man said it.
So to avoid silly or awkward sentences like the one above, just place the modifier as close as possible to what they are describing.
Another types of modifier is a dangling modifiers, which is a modifier that opens a sentence immediately followed by the word that it's meant to describe.
Another types of modifier is a dangling modifiers, which is a modifier that opens a sentence immediately followed by the word that it's meant to describe.
This sentence is an awesome example of how it's a misplaced and dangling modifier.
Let's pretend we are looking at this sentence as a dangling modifier, the bold term "on Monday" should be at the start of the sentence:
Example) On Monday, the teacher said she would return our essays.
Now our sentence is perfect!
Maybe you might have looked at our photo and thought it was a misplaced modifier instead of a dangling one.
We could have easily fixed it to looking a little more like this:
Example) The teacher said she would return our essays on Monday.
Now this sentence is complete because we've put our modifier "on Monday" closer to what were describing "return our essays."
Let's pretend we are looking at this sentence as a dangling modifier, the bold term "on Monday" should be at the start of the sentence:
Example) On Monday, the teacher said she would return our essays.
Now our sentence is perfect!
Maybe you might have looked at our photo and thought it was a misplaced modifier instead of a dangling one.
We could have easily fixed it to looking a little more like this:
Example) The teacher said she would return our essays on Monday.
Now this sentence is complete because we've put our modifier "on Monday" closer to what were describing "return our essays."
It's your turn now, for the next few examples I just want you to try and fix these sentences.
Either by making the misplaced or dangling modifiers complete.
Keep in mind there are more then one way to answer these questions.
Example 1) While eating my sandwich, five mosquitoes bit me.
Example 2) My uncle saw a kangaroo at the window under the influence of apple juice.
Example 3) Breaking suddenly, the packages flew from all directions, and my fresh cup of coffee landed in my lap.
Either by making the misplaced or dangling modifiers complete.
Keep in mind there are more then one way to answer these questions.
Example 1) While eating my sandwich, five mosquitoes bit me.
Example 2) My uncle saw a kangaroo at the window under the influence of apple juice.
Example 3) Breaking suddenly, the packages flew from all directions, and my fresh cup of coffee landed in my lap.
The cheat sheet!
Example 1) I was bitten by five mosquitoes, while eating my sandwich.
For the first example I used the dangling modifier method to fix this sentence. "five mosquitoes bit me" was the modifier, so I just put it as a detail in the beginning of our sentence. Now our sentence is one complete sentence.
Example 2) While my uncle was under the influence of apple juice, when he noticed a kangaroo at the window.
In example two I used the same approach as the first because it was an easy change that would made the sentence complete.
Example 3) When I hit the breaks of my car, all the packages flew, and my steaming coffee landed on my lap.
The approach I took to fix this sentence was adding my displaced modifier closer to what I was trying to explain(misplaced modifier). So I mentioned how "all the packages flew" in between both of the things I was trying to describe, which were "when I hit the brakes of my car" and "my steaming coffee landed on my lap."
Example 1) I was bitten by five mosquitoes, while eating my sandwich.
For the first example I used the dangling modifier method to fix this sentence. "five mosquitoes bit me" was the modifier, so I just put it as a detail in the beginning of our sentence. Now our sentence is one complete sentence.
Example 2) While my uncle was under the influence of apple juice, when he noticed a kangaroo at the window.
In example two I used the same approach as the first because it was an easy change that would made the sentence complete.
Example 3) When I hit the breaks of my car, all the packages flew, and my steaming coffee landed on my lap.
The approach I took to fix this sentence was adding my displaced modifier closer to what I was trying to explain(misplaced modifier). So I mentioned how "all the packages flew" in between both of the things I was trying to describe, which were "when I hit the brakes of my car" and "my steaming coffee landed on my lap."