What Is a Dangling Modifier? (With Examples)
As a proofreader, you’ll need to spot and fix grammatical errors. One of the most common of these is the dangling modifier. In this post, we’ll provide a crash course on what dangling modifiers are, how to identify them, and what to do with them when proofreading.
What Is a Dangling Modifier?
A modifier is a word or phrase that describes, changes, or qualifies another word or phrase in the same sentence. A modifier can be:
- An adjective (e.g., “large,” “scary,” “green”)
- An adverb (e.g., “very,” “quickly,” “heavily”)
- An adjectival phrase (e.g., “under the bed,” “in the morning”)
When we talk about dangling modifiers, we’re referring to a modifier that lacks a clear subject to modify. If the intended subject is missing, the modifier appears to refer to a different word or phrase instead. As a result, the sentence becomes unclear and confusing:
Unimpressed, the glass vase was knocked to the floor. ✘
Flying away into the trees, the hunter missed his shot. ✘
When drawing circles, a compass should be used. ✘
These dangling modifiers are grammatical errors that need to be fixed.
How to Spot a Dangling Modifier
There are several ways to recognize a dangling modifier. Pay special attention to:
- Introductory phrases, especially those starting with infinitive verbs.
To access the building, a security code is needed. ✘
- Modifying phrases that include verbs that end in “-ing.”
After winning the dance competition, a medal was received. ✘
When a modifying phrase is used at the start of a sentence, the subject after the comma is the thing that is modified. When the subject after the comma is clearly not the intended subject, then, the dangling modifier is obvious. Take the example below:
Tentatively shutting the door, the guard dog still jolted awake. ✘
“The guard dog” is the subject that immediately follows the modifying clause and comma. But it’s safe to assume that the guard dog, who appears to have been sleeping, is not the one who tentatively shut the door. Once you know what to look out for, you’ll be able to fix any dangling modifiers you spot.
How to Fix a Dangling Modifier
There are two main approaches to fixing a dangling modifier. First, you can provide the subject to clarify the meaning of the sentence. Using this method, we could correct the above examples of dangling modifiers like so:
Unimpressed, the cat knocked the glass vase to the floor. ✔
Flying into the trees, the bird evaded the hunter’s shot. ✔
When drawing circles, you should use a compass. ✔
To access the building, you will need a security code. ✔
After winning the dance competition, my brother received a medal. ✔
Tentatively shutting the door, Naomi winced as the guard dog still jolted awake. ✔
Alternatively, you can restructure the sentence to make it less confusing:
The cat, who was unimpressed, knocked the glass vase to the floor. ✔
The bird flew into the trees, causing the hunter to miss his shot. ✔
You should use a compass when drawing circles. ✔
You will need a security code to access the building. ✔
My brother received a medal for winning the dance competition. ✔
Naomi tentatively shut the door, but the guard dog still jolted awake. ✔
You can usually make an informed guess as to the intended subject of the sentence given its context. But if you aren’t completely sure, you should always leave a comment asking your client to clarify the intended meaning.
Remember, as a proofreader, your job is to preserve the author’s voice as much as possible. With this in mind, you should choose the method of fixing a dangling modifier that results in the fewest changes to the original sentence.
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