1. DANGLING AND MISPLACED MODIFIERS

2. DEFINING DANGLING MODIFIER A MODIFIER (A PARTICIPLE OR PARTICIPIAL PHRASE) THAT DOES NOT MODIFY A NOUN CORRECTLY. ATTEMPTS TO DESCRIBE A NOUN THAT CANNOT DO THE ACTION

3. RULE IF THERE IS A PARTICIPLE OR PARTICIPIAL PHRASE THAT DESCRIBES A NOUN, THE NOUN MUST BE ABLE TO BE DESCRIBED BY THE PHRASE PROPERLY. MEANING: THE NOUN IS ABLE TO PREFORM THE ACTION BEING DESCRIBED. OR THE NOUN IS ABLE TO HAVE THE CHARACTERISTICS BEING DESCRIBED.

4. EXAMPLE CLIMBING REALLY FAST UP THE TREE, THE MONKEY ATE THE BANANA THAT HE STOLE FROM THE GORILLA. FIRST FIND THE MODIFIER. THEN FIND THE NOUN. LASTLY, ASK CAN THE NOUN PERFORM THE ACTION BEING DESCRIBED?

5. EXAMPLE EXPLAINED CLIMBING REALLY FAST UP THE TREE, THE MONKEY ATE THE BANANA THAT HE STOLE FROM THE GORILLA. THE MODIFIER IS CLIMBING REALLY FAST UP THE TREE. THE NOUN IS MONKEY. LASTLY, CAN THE MONKEY CLIMB A TREE REALLY FAST? YES, IN THIS CASE, THERE IS NOT A DANGLING MODIFIER

6. EXAMPLE LOOKING TOWARDS THE WEST, A TORNADO STIRRED UP DUST AND DEBRIS. FIRST FIND THE MODIFIER. THEN FIND THE NOUN. LASTLY, ASK CAN THE NOUN PERFORM THE ACTION BEING DESCRIBED?

7. EXAMPLE EXPLAINED LOOKING TOWARDS THE WEST, A TORNADO STIRRED UP DUST AND DEBRIS. THE MODIFIER IS LOOKING TOWARDS THE WEST. THE NOUN IS TORNADO. LASTLY, CAN A TORNADO LOOK TO THE WEST? NO, IN THIS CASE, THERE IS A DANGLING MODIFIER.

8. TORNADO EXAMPLE CORRECTED LOOKING TOWARDS THE WEST, I SAW THAT A TORNADO STIRRED UP DUST AND DEBRIS. THE MODIFIER NOW REFERS TO THE NOUN I. THE SENTENCE IS CORRECT.

9. ANOTHER EXAMPLE DRAW WHAT THIS SENTENCE LOOKS LIKE: WALKING DOWN THE BEACH, THE SUNSET WAS BEAUTIFUL.

11. EXAMPLE EXPLAINED WALKING DOWN THE BEACH, THE SUNSET WAS BEAUTIFUL. THE MODIFIER IS WALKING DOWN THE BEACH. THE NOUN IS SUNSET. LASTLY, CAN THE SUNSET WALK DOWN THE BEACH? NO, IN THIS CASE, THERE IS A DANGLING MODIFIER. HOW COULD WE CORRECT IT?

12. SUNSET EXAMPLE CORRECTED WALKING DOWN THE BEACH, I THOUGHT THE SUNSET WAS BEAUTIFUL. THE MODIFIER NOW REFERS TO THE NOUN I. THE SENTENCE IS CORRECT. WHAT DOES THE CORRECTED PICTURE LOOK LIKE?

14. DEFINING MISPLACED MODIFIER A PARTICIPLE OR PARTICIPIAL PHRASE THAT MODIFIES THE WRONG NOUN. IT IS A PARTICIPLE OR PARTICIPIAL PHRASE PLACED NEXT TO THE WRONG NOUN.

15. RULE IF THERE IS A PARTICIPIAL PHRASE THAT DESCRIBES A NOUN, THE PHRASE MUST COME AS CLOSE TO THE NOUN IT DESCRIBES AS POSSIBLE.

16. EXAMPLE I SAW A FAMILY OF DUCKS WALKING TO SCHOOL FIRST FIND THE PARTICIPLE OR PARTICIPIAL PHRASE THEN FIND THE CLOSEST NOUN LASTLY, ASK IF THE PARTICIPIAL PHRASE IS MODIFYING THE NOUN CLOSEST TO IT.

17. EXAMPLE EXPLAINED I SAW A FAMILY OF DUCKS WALKING TO SCHOOL. PARTICIPIAL PHRASE IS WALKING TO SCHOOL. THE CLOSEST NOUN IS DUCKS. LASTLY, IS WALKING TO SCHOOL MODIFYING DUCKS? NO, IN THIS CASE, THERE IS A MISPLACED MODIFIER.

18. DUCKS EXAMPLE CORRECTED WALKING TO SCHOOL, I SAW A FAMILY OF DUCKS. THE PARTICIPIAL PHRASE NOW REFERS TO THE NOUN I. THE SENTENCE IS CORRECT.

19. THINGS TO REMEMBER FOR A SENTENCE TO BE STRUCTURED CORRECTLY, THE PARTICIPLE OR PARTICIPIAL PHRASE HAS TO DESCRIBE THE NOUN ACCURATELY. ALSO, THE PARTICIPLE OR PARTICIPIAL PHRASE NEEDS TO BE AS CLOSE TO THE NOUN IT DESCRIBES AS POSSIBLE.