dangling modifier
Wrongly attached phrase
A dangling modifier is a phrase that doesn't clearly attach to the word it's meant to modify, creating confusion or unintended comedy: Walking down the street, the trees were beautiful makes it sound like the trees were walking.
The fix is to supply the missing subject: Walking down the street, I noticed the beautiful trees.
Also called a dangling participle when the modifier is a participial phrase.
- qualifierWord or phrase limiting meaning
- misplacedPut in wrong location
- sentenceComplete thought, grammatically
- sentence structureWord arrangement in clauses
- adjectiveNoun-describing word type
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