What are Misplaced Modifiers?

A misplaced modifier is a type of modifiers in English. A misplaced modifier is also known as ambiguous modifier. The use of misplaced modifiers is considered to be grammatically incorrect or mistake.

Let's dive into the chapter of misplaced modifiers, how it is used, why it is considered to be a common mistake and how to fix misplaced modifiers and help you understand how to avoid misplaced modifiers.

This post covers:

What are misplaced modifiers?

Why is a misplaced modifier a mistake?

The difference among misplaced, squinting and dangling modifiers

What are Misplaced Modifiers?

Before you learn what a misplaced modifier is, learn what a modifier is. In simple language, a modifier is a word, phrase or clause that gives us information about another word or phrases in a sentence.

Adjectives, adverbs or words, phrases or clauses which act as adjectives or adverbs can be used to add additional information about other words in a sentence; therefore, they come under the grammatical category of modifier.

Modifiers are used either directly before the words or phrases they modify or after them. The placement of modifiers is essential, because, if not placed correctly, the modifiers can spoil the intended meaning of a sentence.

For example:

Wrong: My brother went to see the doctor with loose motion.

Right: My brother with loose motion went to see the doctor.

When a modifier is placed in a wrong position in a sentence, it is known as misplaced modifier. You can see in the example above that the modifying phrase "with loose motion" is put far away from the word "brother" which it modifies.

Let's dive into the definition and types of misplaced modifiers along with example sentences and how they can be corrected with a little effort.

What is the Definition of a Misplaced Modifier?

A misplaced modifier is a type of modifier which is very far away from the word or phrase which it modifies or describes or gives additional information about, leading to an unintended meaning because of its wrong placement in a sentence. Misplaced modifiers are considered to be grammatically incorrect, because they change the intended meaning of the sentence.

Example: 

Wrong: She almost drove her kids to school every day. (misplaced)

Right: She drove her kids to school almost every day. (rightly placed)

The highlighted word "almost" is placed incorrectly in the first example which suggests that she nearly drove her kids to school but did not do so. However, the intended meaning is "she drove her kids to school almost every day with exception for one or two days."

Types of Misplaced Modifier

Adjectives, adverbs, phrases or clauses which give additional information about another word or phrase in a sentence can placed incorrectly away from the words which they modify. Therefore, there are several types of misplaced modifiers. Here are the most common types:

1. Misplaced Adjectives: Adjectives modify nouns or pronouns. If adjectives are placed incorrectly away from the words they describe, then they are considered to be misplaced adjectives. To correct this type of error, you need to make sure that you place them as close to the words they modify as possible.

Examples:

Wrong: I found a red woman's ring. (misplaced)

Right: I found a woman's red ring. (correctly placed)

2. Misplaced Adverbs: Adverbs modify verbs, adjectives or another adverbs. If they are improperly separated from the words they modify, they will be considered to be misplaced adverbs. To correct this type of mistake, you need to put the modifying adverbs near the verbs, adjectives or another adverbs.

Examples:

Wrong: He almost drove his car for a week. (misplaced)

Right: He drove his car for almost a week. (correctly placed)

3. Misplaced Phrases: A phrase is a group of words that can act as an adjective or adverb and modify nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives or another adverbs. If a phrase is placed far away from the word it modifies, it will be a misplaced phrase. To correct such error, you need to put it close to the word it modifies.

Examples:

Wrong: I saw an eagle with binoculars. (misplaced)

Right: Using binoculars, I saw an eagle. (correctly placed)

4. Misplaced Clauses: Clauses are the group of words that contains a subject and predicate. Clauses can modify other elements in a sentence by means of giving more information about them. If you put the clauses far away from the word it modifies, it will be wrongly positioned and misplaced. To correct this type of errors, you need to position it correctly near the word it modifies.

Examples:

Wrong: The waiter served a dish to the man that was extremely hot. (misplaced)

Right: The waiter served a dish that was extremely hot to the man. (correctly placed)

Difference Among Misplaced, Squinting and Dangling Modifiers

There are several types of modifiers in English grammar which are considered to be grammatically incorrect. Some of them are misplaced, squinting and dangling modifiers. Let's look at the differences among these three types of modifiers.

What is a Misplaced Modifier?

A misplaced modifier is a type of modifier in English that is used far away from the word or phrase it modifies. Misplaced modifiers can be corrected by changing their positions in a sentence.

Examples:

Wrong: John ate the breakfast that he had brought slowly.

Right: John slowly ate the breakfast that he had brought.

What is a Squinting Modifier?

A squinting modifier is a type of misplaced modifier that is used in such a position in a sentence that it modifies the word or phrase before or after it. Squinting modifiers can be corrected by putting them on the right place.

Examples:

Ambiguous: Saying words quickly causes trouble in understanding.

Clear: Quickly saying words causes trouble in understanding.

What is a Dangling Modifier?

A dangling modifier is a type of modifier whose modified word is not present in the sentence which is why the dangling modifier hangs up without its modified word. This type of modifier can be corrected by using the modified word in the sentence.

Examples:

Wrong: Running to the train, the bag dropped.

Right: Running to the train, he dropped the bag.