Misplaced ModifiersSentence Structure

Misplaced Modifiers• A modifying phrase needs to be near what it is

modifying. If it gets too far away, it can get misplaced.

• Sweeping up the shards of glass, the missing key to the jewelry box was found by Aunt Sally.

• As written this sentence gives the impression that the missing key was sweeping up the shards of glass.

Misplaced Modifiers• When a sentence begins with a modifying

phrase (a group of words without a subject), the noun being modified must follow the phrase.

• Who was sweeping up the shards of glass? Aunt Sally, of course.

• The correct version of the sentence would be:• Sweeping up the shards of glass, Aunt Sally

found the missing key to her jewelry box.

ACT• Here’s how a misplaced modifier might look on the ACT.

Walking to the pawnshop, Bob’s watch dropped into the sewer.

A. NO CHANGEB. Bob’s watch dropped into the sewerC. Bob dropped his watch into the sewerD. Bob’s dropped watch into the sewer

Work Cited• Martz, Geoff, Kim Magloire, and Theodore

Silver. Cracking the ACT. 2007 ed. New York: Random House, 2007.