Chapter 9: Correcting Problems with Modifiers

Adjectives, adverbs, and prepositional phrases are all part of a group of words, clauses, and phrases that are modifiers. Modifiers describe nouns, pronouns, and verbs in a sentence. Modifiers help to make your writing vivid, clear, and specific.

The problems with modifiers are created when the modifier either has nothing to describe in a sentence or it has been placed in the wrong spot in the sentence so it describes the wrong element in the sentence. Misplaced or dangling¹ modifiers can create confusing and often unintentionally funny sentences.

The best way to avoid the problem of dangling or misplaced modifiers is to be sure that the modifier is placed next to what it describes in a sentence. This is fairly simple with single word modifiers. Working with phrases and clauses that modify requires paying very close attention to what is being described by the phrase or clause so that you can be certain that placement in the sentence is correct.