Dangling and misplaced modifiers

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Modifiers are single words or phrases that modify other words or phrases. Position a modifier to make it clear what it modifies.

If you keep sentences short and simple and use active voice, you probably won’t run into dangling or misplaced modifiers.

  • A dangling modifier doesn’t modify anything in the sentence.
  • A misplaced modifier is too far from the thing it modifies or too near to something else that it could modify.
Example Meaning
Only the selected text is deleted. Nothing other than the selected text is deleted.
The selected text only is deleted. Only could modify is deleted or text. This sentence could mean one of two things:
  • The selected graphics aren't deleted.
  • The text is deleted but not archived.
There are files that can’t be removed on the disk. The phrase that can’t be removed modifies the files. This sentence clearly explains that the files can’t be removed, and they are on the disk.
There are files on the disk that can’t be removed. The phrase that can’t be removed probably modifies the disk, but the writer may have intended to modify files. This sentence could mean one of two things:
  • The files can’t be removed.
  • The disk can’t be removed.