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Lesson 1 of 2 · Misplaced / dangling modifiers

Dangling participle

Grammar: Voice, Narration, Tenses + Rule Bank · for IPMAT Indore, IPMAT Rohtak and JIPMAT

The idea of Misplaced / dangling modifiers

A modifier is a word or phrase that describes something. It must sit next to the thing it describes. When an opening phrase has no doer of its own, English reads the first noun after the comma as its doer; if that noun is wrong, the modifier dangles (Walking home, a fox was seen says the fox was walking). A misplaced modifier is in the wrong spot (only, or a describing phrase next to the wrong noun). Indore 2020 Q17 (karate) is a dangling-modifier item.

The exam method

  1. Opening phrase before a comma?. Name its doer.
  2. Read the first noun after the comma. If it is not that doer, the sentence dangles.
  3. Pick the option. that puts the doer first, or that gives the opener its own subject.
  4. Describing phrase in the middle or end?. Check it touches its noun.