Misplaced and Squinting Modifiers

A modifier modifies whatever it’s closest to in a sentence. A misplaced modifier might modify the incorrect thing.

For example, consider the following sentences:
I nearly met all of my sales goals.
I met nearly all of my sales goals.

As the writer, you have to make sure that what you write will be easily understood by the reader. Do you want the reader to think that you were very close to meeting all of your sales goals, or that you met most but not all of your sales goals?

Other examples:

The sun in Florida was hot. (Confusing — is there more than one sun?)
In Florida, the sun was hot. (Clear)

My husband took the newspapers to the bins that were more than a week old. (Confusing — the bins were recyclable?)
My husband took the newspapers that were more than a week old to the bins. (Clear)

A squinting modifier is a modifier that is placed in such a fashion that it could modify either what comes before it or what follows it. Your reader may not know which thing is being modified and will therefore not understand your sentence.

Examples:

He told his daughter eventually the dog would have to go back to its owner. (Confusing — did he tell her eventually, or would the dog eventually have to go?)
He told his daughter the dog would eventually have to go back to its owner. (Clear)

Janice likes that band only because she thinks the guitarist is talented. (Could be confusing — does Janice like only that band, or does she only like the band because of the guitarist?)

Janice only likes that band because she thinks the guitarist is talented. (Clear)

For more information on modifiers, please check our post on Dangling Modifiers.