Ch' 12: Misplaced

1
Ch. 12Misplaced Dangling Modifiers

• For Sale Antique desk suitable for a lady with
  thick legs and large drawers.

2
Modifiers

• Modifiers can take the form of a word, phrase, or
  clause, and should point clearly toward the words
  they modify.
• As a rule, modifiers and related words should be
  kept close together in a sentence. Proximity
  matters!
• Misplaced and dangling modifiers often result in
  comic miscommunications.

3
Limiting Modifiers

• Limiting modifiers are words like only, even,
  almost, nearly, rarely, and just.
• Limiting modifiers should appear before the verb
  only if they modify the verb if they modify the
  meaning of some other word in the sentence, they
  should come before that word.

4
Limiting Modifiers

• The samurai only takes naps when he is sick.
• The samurai takes naps only when he is sick.
• Lasers only destroy the target, leaving the
  surrounding tissue intact.
• Lasers destroy only the target, leaving the
  surrounding tissue intact.

5
Limiting Modifiers

• Not is a limiting modifier that is commonly
  misplaced.
• In the United States in 1860, all black
  southerners were not slaves.
• In the United States in 1860, not all black
  southerners were slaves.
• The first sentence asserts that no black
  southerners were slaves the second asserts that
  some, but not all, black southerners were slaves.

6
Proximity Matters!

• Put modifying phrases and clauses close to what
  they modify, and move modifiers that are awkward.
• Sometimes a misplaced modifier can result in a
  sentence that is ambiguous. In that case, the
  author must decide which meaning is intended and
  correct the problem accordingly.

7
Proximity Matters!

• Misplaced The king returned to the clinic where
  he had undergone heart surgery in 2000 in a
  limousine sent by the White House.
• He had surgery in a limousine??? Awesome.
• Corrected Traveling in a limousine sent by the
  White House, the king returned to the clinic
  where he had undergone heart surgery in 2000.

8
Proximity Matters!

• Ambiguous The exchange students we met for
  coffee occasionally questioned us about our
  latest slang.
• Clear The exchange students we met occasionally
  for coffee questioned us about our latest slang.
• Clear The exchange students we met for coffee
  questioned us occasionally about our latest slang.

9
Proximity Matters!

• Ambiguous There are many pictures of comedians
  who have performed at Gavins on the walls.
• Like Spider Man, duh.
• Clear On the walls are many pictures of
  comedians who have performed at Gavins.

10
Move Awkward Modifiers!

• As a rule, sentences should move smoothly from
  subject to verb to object.
• Modifiers that interrupt this pattern should be
  moved to reduce awkwardness.

11
Move Awkward Modifiers!

• Awkward King Kong, after climbing more than 100
  stories up the Empire State Building, was
  tranquilized and put in captivity.
• Clear After climbing more than 100 stories up
  the Empire State Building, King Kong was
  tranquilized and put in captivity.
• Notice that the second sentence features a
  smooth, uninterrupted transition from subject
  (King Kong) to verb (was tranquilized).

12
Avoid Split Infinitives!

• An infinitive consists of to plus a verb.
• Examples to juggle, to undulate, to vanquish,
  to squander
• When a modifier appears between to and the
  verb, it splits the infinitive the result is
  usually awkward, especially when the modifier is
  long.

13
Avoid Split Infinitives!

• Split The patient should try to if possible
  avoid going up and down stairs.
• Correct If possible, the patient should try to
  avoid going up and down stairs.
• Correct The patient should try to avoid going
  up and down stairs, if possible.

14
Repair Dangling Modifiers!

• A dangling modifier fails to refer logically to
  any word in the sentence.
• Often, dangling modifiers suggest to what they
  refer, but do not specifically name it.
• When a sentence opens with such a modifier, the
  reader expects that the subject relates to the
  modifier. If it doesnt, the modifier dangles.

15
Repair Dangling Modifiers!

• Dangling Opening the window to let out a huge
  bumblebee, the car accidentally swerved into an
  oncoming car.
• Correct When the driver opened the window to
  let out a huge bumblebee, the car accidentally
  swerved into an oncoming car.
• You can see that the first sentence omits the
  agent. To correct the dangling modifier, insert
  the agent.

16
Repair Dangling Modifiers!

• Dangling Upon entering the doctors office, a
  skeleton caught my attention.
• Correct As I entered the doctors office, a
  skeleton caught my attention
• The first sentence omits the agent, thus leading
  the reader to believe that the skeleton was
  entering the doctors office, which would be
  amazing and creepy.

17
Repair Dangling Modifiers!

• Dangling Though only sixteen, UCLA accepted
  Marthas application.
• Correct Though Martha is only sixteen, her
  application was accepted at UCLA.
• The first sentence suggests that UCLA is only
  sixteen.

18
Ch. 13 Distracting Shifts

• Be consistent in point of view.
• Whether choosing first, third, or third
  omniscient (NEVER second in academic essays), be
  consistent. That is, pick one and go with it!

19
Distracting Shifts 13a

• Distracting Shifts One week our class met in a
  junkyard to practice rescuing a victim trapped in
  a wrecked car. We learned to dismantle the car
  with tools. You were graded on your speed and
  skill.
• Correct One week our class met in a junkyard to
  practice rescuing a victim trapped in a wrecked
  car. We learned to dismantle the car with tools.
  We were graded on our speed and our skill.

20
Distracting Shifts 13a

• Second person (you) is acceptable only when
  giving specific directions.
• Example Before assembling this Ikea end table,
  you need to gather the appropriate tools, clear
  your workspace, and prepare yourself for four
  hours of frustration.

21
Distracting Shifts 13b

• Maintain consistent verb tense.
• Pick one and go with it!
• When writing about literature, ALWAYS write in
  the present tense.
• Example In Ceremony, Tayo slowly comes to
  discover that witchery is not only perpetrated
  by whites, but also includes actions perpetrated
  by those in his own culture.

22
Distracting Shifts 13c

• Use verbs that are consistent in mood and voice.
• Inconsistent Mood The officers advised us
  against allowing anyone into our homes without
  proper identification. Also, alert neighbors to
  vacation schedules.
• Correct The officers advised us against
  allowing anyone into our homes without proper
  identification. They also suggested that we
  alert neighbors to vacation schedules.
• The corrected sentence creates consistency in the
  indicative mood.

23
Distracting Shifts 13c

• Inconsistent Voice When the tickets are ready,
  the travel agent notifies the client. Each
  ticket is then listed on a daily register form
  and a copy of the itinerary is filed.
• Corrected When the tickets are ready, the
  travel agent notifies the client, lists each
  ticket on a daily register form, and files a copy
  of the itinerary.
• The corrected passage is written consistently in
  active voice.

24
Distracting Shifts 13d

• Avoid shifts from indirect to direct questions.
• Shifting from an indirect to direct quotation is
  common in some dialects and colloquial speech.
  Be aware of this shift and eliminate it from your
  academic writing.

25
Distracting Shifts 13d

• Indirect to Direct I wonder whether the sister
  knew of the theft and, if so, did she report it
  to the police.
• Corrected I wonder whether the sister knew of
  the theft and, if so, if she reported it to the
  police.
• Corrected Did the sister know of the theft?
  Did she report it to the police?