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Misplaced modifiers
Any kind of modifier can be misplaced: an adjective, an
adverb, or a phrase or clause acting as an adjective or
adverb. If you put a modifier in a place it doesn't belong,
you risk confusion, awkwardness, and even
unintentional humor.
He saw a truck in the driveway that was red and black.
(misplaced modifier)
If red and black are the colors of the truck rather than the
driveway, write the sentence so that this is clear.
He saw a red and black truck in the driveway.
In the next sentence, it's doubtful that Anna wanted to be
cremated before she died, but the placement of the
adverbial phrase suggests that's just what she wanted.
Perhaps anticipating what scientists would discover,
Anna Anderson, who claimed to be the missing
Anastasia, requested she be cremated before her death.
(misplaced modifier)
Rewrite the sentence to make it clear that the
phrase before her death modifies requested,
not cremated.
Perhaps anticipating what scientists would discover,
Anna Anderson, who claimed to be the missing
Anastasia, requested before her death that she be
cremated.
In the following sentence, the placement of the
modifier by Fridayleaves us with a question: Did we
know by Friday, or would we call for a strike by Friday?
We knew by Friday we would call for a strike. (unclear
modifier)
To avoid any possible confusion, add that.
We knew that by Friday we would call for a strike.
or We knew by Friday that we would call for a strike.
(depending on the intended meaning)
In these examples, the suggested rewritten versions are
not the only possible ways to correct the problem.
Revise your own sentences when you find confusing
modifiers. You may not only correct the problem but
improve the sentence by making it more concise or
changing its emphasis.
Note that the placement of even a simple modifier can
change the meaning of a sentence, as in the following
example.
Dangling modifiers
Dangling modifiers are similar to misplaced modifiers
except that the modifier isn't just separated from the
word it modifies; it is missingthe word it modifies. The