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Modifiers

Modifiers are words, phrases, or clauses that clarify or describe other parts of speech, specifically nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs. Misplaced modifiers occur when a modifier is incorrectly positioned, leading to confusion about what it modifies, while dangling modifiers lack a clear word to modify. To correct these issues, modifiers should be placed close to the words they modify, and sentences should be rewritten to include the appropriate subjects or objects.

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29 views43 pages

Modifiers

Modifiers are words, phrases, or clauses that clarify or describe other parts of speech, specifically nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs. Misplaced modifiers occur when a modifier is incorrectly positioned, leading to confusion about what it modifies, while dangling modifiers lack a clear word to modify. To correct these issues, modifiers should be placed close to the words they modify, and sentences should be rewritten to include the appropriate subjects or objects.

Uploaded by

JIMMUEL PASUMBAL
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Modifiers

What is a
modifier?
 Modifiers are used to clarify, explain,
describe and otherwise delimit the
meaning of other parts of speech and
sentence elements.

 These are words, phrases, or clauses


that give descriptive details.

 When considering the proper form of a


modifier, ask yourself what word is being
modified.
 The first step in identifying modifiers is to
read the sentence and look for descriptive
words.

 You should then look at each descriptive word


and try to determine whether it is an
adjective or an adverb.
An adjective describes a noun or
pronoun
It answers the
questions:
 how many
which one
 what kind?
Examples
1. She is a good tennis player.
(What kind of tennis player
is she?)

2. This is an easy exercise.


(What kind of exercise is
it?)

3. She gave the swing a gentle


push. (What kind of push
did she give the swing?)
 An adverb
describes a:
 verb
 an adjective
another adverb
 It answers the questions:
when, where, how, why, and to
what extent
Examples
1. She plays tennis well. (How does she
play?)

2. This exercise is relatively easy. (To what


extent is it easy?)

3. She pushed the swing gently. (How did


she push the swing?)
In the same manner,
remember that adjectives
modify nouns and
pronouns. Do not
mistakenly use an adverb
to modify these parts of
speech.
A modifier should
be placed as
close as possible
to the word it
Misplaced and Dangling
Modifiers
What is a
misplaced
modifier?
MISPLACED
MODIFIER
A misplaced modifier is a word
or word group whose
placement suggests that it
modifies one word or phrase
when it is intended to modify
another.
MISPLACED
MODIFIER
A misplaced
modifier appears to
modify the wrong word
in the sentence.
Example:
Growing wild in
the forest, we
picked the tiny
blossoms.
Example:
The lake
attracted many
birds with
gentle waves.
Example:
Gazing upwards at
the bats, the spelunkers
shone their flashlights
that hung by the
thousands from the roof
of the cave.
Misplaced
Modifiers
• More beautiful than any human
being, the explorer noticed the
mermaid.
• Wild and untamed, Jack entered
the jungle.
• Moaning in haunting voices, the
house contained many ghosts.
How do I fix it?
Revise the sentence, taking care
to put modifying words, phrases, and
clauses in a position that clearly
identifies the headword and that
does not awkwardly interrupt a
sentence.
HINT: Usually, you can just
expand the main clause.
Correct a misplaced
modifier by moving the
phrase or clause closer
to the word it should
logically modify.
Examples:
Incorrect: More beautiful than any
human being, the explorer
noticed the mermaid.

Correct: The explorer noticed the mermaid,


wh0 was more beautiful than any
human being.
Examples:

Incorrect: Wild and untamed, Jack


entered the jungle.
Correct:
Jack entered the wild
and untamed jungle.
Examples:
Incorrect: Moaning in haunting
voices, the house
contained many ghosts.

Correct: The house contained


many ghosts that moaned in
haunting voices.
Q: What is
a
dangling

modifier
?
DANGLING MODIFIER
A dangling modifier
is a word or phrase
that cannot logically
describe, limit, or
restrict any word or
word group in the
DANGLING MODIFIER
A dangling modifier
appears to modify
either the wrong word
or no word at all
because the word it
should logically modify
DANGLING MODIFIER

Pausing to
congratulate
Barbara, the
conversation
continued.
DANGLING MODIFIER

Looking at
the stars, a
meteor flashed
across the sky.
DANGLING MODIFIER

When she was


a baby, Sarah’s
mother was
very strict.
Dangling Modifiers

• Using a variety of pedagogical


techniques, the students were
taught grammar.
• To improve his essay, each page
was proofread.
• While reading the novel, the
pages that contain important
information should be marked.
Q:How do I fix it?
A: Add a word or word
group that the dangling
modifier can logically modify.
HINT: You must usually change
the subject of the main clause.
Correct the
dangling modifier
by rewriting the
sentence to include
the missing word.
Examples:

Incorrect: Using a variety of pedagogical


techniques, the students
were taught grammar.

Correct: Using a variety of pedagogical


techniques, the teacher taught the
students grammar.
Example:

Incorrect: To improve his essay, each page


was proofread.

Correct: To improve his essay, David


proofread each page.
Examples:

Incorrect: While reading the novel,


the pages that contain
important information
should be marked.
Correct: While reading the novel, you
should mark the pages that
contain important information.
ACTIVITY on MISPLACED MODIFIER

1. The watch was his favorite gift that


broke.
2. Lionel sold his bicycle to a friend with
four speeds.
3. The zoo keeper captured the escaped
iguana brandishing a net in his
upraised hand.
4. The boys run from the haunted house
noticeably trembling.
5. Brenda put oranges into the punch
that came from California.
ACTIVITY on MISPLACED MODIFIER

1. The deer bounded into the woods


shaking in panic.
2. Jed ordered a steak and a salad
cooked rare.
3. The fish were photographed at the
pier that we caught.
4. Leaving the party after midnight,
we waved farewell to our happy
guests.
5. He ran to the car with arms full of
ACTIVITY on DANGLING MODIFIER

1. Folding laundry, the phone rang.


2. Researching the topic, three new
ideas were found.
3. Searching for the missing diamond
ring, every possible cranny was
explored.
4. Returning the wallet, the owner
gave a reward.
5. When they misbehaved, the boy’s
parents complained.
ACTIVITY:

Answer the
activity on the
book page 113.

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