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.

My Darling Dangling Modifier

One of the most common grammatical errors is the dangling modifier. Although your reader may be able to decipher your intended meaning from the sentence, having a dangling modifier can create misleading information, confusion or concern.

What is a modifier? A modifier (also known as a participle) is a descriptive word, phrase or clause that adds detail to the noun to which it’s attached. It describes the noun closest to it. Dangling modifiers — also called dangling participles — are descriptive words, phrases or clauses suffering from separation anxiety. We usually find them at the beginning of sentences. The modifiers are perfectly happy (and grammatically correct) when the thing they describe is planted right next to them. When that modified thing isn’t next to the descriptive phrase, the participle will clutch at and describe the closest noun, ultimately changing the meaning of your sentence.

Let’s look at a few examples:

Example 1: Incorrect: Smashed flat by a passing truck, the dog sniffed at what was left of a half-eaten hamburger.

Oh no! That poor dog! Because of the way this sentence is arranged, the modifier in the above sentence — “smashed flat by a passing truck” — describes the noun nearest it, which is the dog. That was not the author’s intent. Read the sentence below with the modifier describing the appropriate noun.

Example 1: Correct: The dog sniffed at what was left of a half-eaten hamburger that had been smashed flat by a passing truck.

Let’s try another one:

Example 2: Incorrect: After rotting in the basement for a week, your brother brought me an orange.

According to this example, your brother has been “rotting in the basement for a week.” No one wants a rotten brother anywhere near them, so we move the dangling modifier to correctly modify the appropriate subject.

Example 2: Correct: Your brother brought me an orange that had been rotting in the basement for a week.

Here’s a slightly more serious example and one that is more likely to occur in an office setting. A company policy reads:

Example 3: Incorrect: If taking more than 3 consecutive sick days, a signed doctor’s note is needed.

Who is taking more than 3 consecutive sick days? This sentence says that “a signed doctor’s note” is taking more than 3 consecutive sick days. That is not the intended meaning. To revise, decide who actually will be taking off these days.

Example 3: Correct: If taking more than 3 consecutive sick days, an employee will need to provide a note from their doctor.

Dangling modifiers plague our emails, memos, letters, reports and policies, changing the meaning of them in unintended ways. When you know what to look for and be aware of, you too can avoid this common grammatical pitfall.