What Are Modifiers
A modifier adds additional information to another element in a sentence. It can be an adjective or an adverb; a phrase or a clause acting as an adjective or an adverb. To make writing better, modifiers should be placed correctly in a sentence.
Misplaced Modifiers
Misplaced modifiers create confusion in understanding the idea communicated through the sentence. As these are placed to modify wrong component; therefore, we should avoid misplaced modifiers.
To avoid this mistake, place single-word modifiers near the word or words they modify.
Example:
- After our conversation lessons, we could understand the Spanish spoken by our visitors from Madrid easily.(Confusing sentence)
It is confusing in the way that; do we understand the Spanish easily or the visitors speak Spanish easily?
It can be clear if we write it in this way:
- We could easily understand the Spanish spoken by our visitors from Madrid.(Clarity)
Limiting Modifiers
Limiting modifiers such as almost, hardly, nearly, just, only, merely, simply, at first, change the meaning of the sentence; if placed next to the wrong word.
Examples:
- Merely, this car covered 100 miles and broke down. (Means only this car can cover the mileage)
- This car merely covered 100 miles and broke down. (Means only mentioned mileage is covered by this car)
Misplaced Phrases and Clauses
It is important to place the modifying phrase or clause as close as possible to the word or words it modifies; to convey the right message/idea.
Examples:
- By accident, he poked the little girl with his finger in the eye. . (This shows as he poked little girl with finger)
- By accident, he poked the little girl in the eye with his finger. (This shows he poked his finger in the eye)
After the wedding, Ian told us at his stag party that he would start behaving like a responsible adult. (Here it is as ‘Ian told after the wedding’)
Ian told us at his stag party that he would start behaving like a responsible adult after the wedding. (Here it is as ‘Ian will behave after the wedding’)
Squinting Modifiers
A squinting modifier is placed in such a way that it creates confusion for the position of the word it is modifying; whether it is before or after the modifier.
Examples:
- Taking aspirin often helps with headaches. (Confusing: is it headaches that often gets better or is it taking aspirin often)
- Often, taking aspirin helps with headaches. (Clear message)
Dangling Modifiers
A dangling modifier occurs when the anticipated subject of the modifier is missing from the sentence, and instead another subject appears in its place.
In a correct sentence, the subject (or doer) that is modified should immediately follow the comma after the modifier.
Examples:
- Hungry after two hours of hiking, my packed sandwich was quickly devoured upon reaching the peak.(Dangling modifier: subject[doer] of the action is missing; who eat the sandwich?)
- after two hours of hiking,I quickly devoured my packed sandwich upon reaching the peak.(Clear: it’s ‘I’ who eat the sandwich)
Split Infinitives
The infinitive form of the verb consists of the word ‘to’ followed by the base form of the verb: ‘to be’, ‘to serve’, ‘to chop’ etc.
Placing a word or words between the ‘to’ and the ‘verb’ of an infinitive creates what is known as a split infinitive.
It is better to avoid inserting words between ‘to’ and ‘verb’ to construct clear sentence.
Examples:
- marketing team voted to before they launched the new software, run an anticipatory ad campaign.(Disruptive -- the infinitive should not be split)
- The marketing team voted to run an anticipatory ad campaign before they launched the new software.