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What Is a Dangling Modifier? (with Examples)
Dangling Modifier
A dangling modifier is a modifier that has nothing to modify.

Easy Examples of Dangling Modifiers
All the dangling modifiers on this page are shaded.- Upon entering the room, a skeleton caught my eye.
- Having followed a strict diet, her weight dropped rapidly.
Other Terms for Dangling Modifier
Dangling modifiers are also known as "hanging modifiers," "floating modifiers," or "dangling participles." Dangling modifiers contrast with:- Misplaced Modifiers. A misplaced modifier does not link clearly to what it is meant to modify.
- John hit the man with the cream cake. (Did the man get a cream cake in the face or was he the one with the cream cake? With a misplaced modifier, the thing being modified is present (this is how it differs from a dangling modifier), but the modifier does not link to it clearly.)
- Squinting Modifiers. A squinting modifier could feasibly modify the text to its left or right.
- Talking quickly annoys people. (Does quick talking annoy people or does talking annoy people quickly?)
A Video Summary
Here is a short video summarizing this lesson on dangling modifiers:Real-Life Examples of Dangling Modifiers
Dangling modifiers usually occur because writers get ahead of themselves. They assume the thing they're talking about is so obvious from the context, they forget to mention it.- Having read your letter, my cat will stay indoors until the ducklings fly off.
- Having read your letter, we will keep our cat indoors until the ducklings fly off.
- Packing my kit into three huge holdalls, my little Jack Russell could tell a long trip was coming.
- Packing my kit into three huge holdalls, I knew my little Jack Russell could tell a long trip was coming.
- Meticulous and punctual, David's work ethic is admirable.
- Meticulous and punctual, David has an admirable work ethic.
- Vicious smelly creatures with huge tusks, the ship's crew found it difficult to drive the male walruses from the beach.
Read about squinting modifiers.
Is a Dangling Modifier Really a Mistake?
Dangling modifiers don't usually lead to ambiguity because the missing term is nearly always implicit or even mentioned, either in a recent sentence or in the form of possessive determiner. Let's re-examine two of the examples from above.- Having followed a strict diet, her weight dropped rapidly.
- Having read your letter, my cat will stay indoors until the ducklings fly off.
Why Should I Care about Dangling Modifiers?
Notwithstanding what some grammarians think, we think that using a dangling modifier will tell your grammar-savvy readers that you're not a clear thinker.Also, knowing about dangling modifiers allows you to tell your boss or your mates that they've used a dangling modifier, which surely is a win in anyone's book. In terms of its ability to score you some points, it's probably only trumped by squinting modifier.
To ensure you don't use a dangling modifier yourself, assume any modifier you use is dangling until you've nailed it to the term its modifying.
- Walking through the cemetery, the trees became long-fingered ghouls.
- Walking through the cemetery, I saw the trees become long-fingered ghouls.
- As I walked through the cemetery, the trees became long-fingered ghouls.
- While crossing the road, the bus hit Janet.
- While crossing the road, Janet was hit by the bus.
Key Points
- Assume your modifier is dangling until you're sure it isn't.
- Put your modifier next to the term it's modifying (typically immediately to the left).
Interactive Exercise
Here are three randomly selected questions from a larger exercise, which can be edited, printed to create an exercise worksheet, or sent via email to friends or students.- Do you disagree with something on this page?
- Did you spot a typo?