A modifier is a word or phrase that describes or adds detail to another word or phrase. When used correctly, modifiers improve clarity in writing. However, when used incorrectly, misplaced and dangling modifiers can cause confusion. While this resource provides general information about modifiers, writers should always tailor their work to their audience and assignment.
Modifiers can be single words or full phrases. Common modifiers include adjectives (describing nouns), adverbs (describing verbs), and prepositional phrases (indicating time, location, direction, etc.). To improve clarity, modifiers should be placed as close as possible to the word or phrase they are modifying.
Additional modifier types include articles, possessives, and demonstratives. Articles (the, a, and an) determine general or specific. Possessive adjectives (my, their, your, his, her, its, and our) and possessive pronouns (mine, yours, his, hers, theirs, ours) determine who possesses the word being modified. Demonstratives (this, these, that, those) determine proximity to the word or phrase being modified.
A misplaced modifier is a modifier that is placed too far away from the subject it describes. This can create confusion about which word is being modified. To fix this, simply identify which word is meant to be modified and place the modifier as close to that word as possible.
A dangling modifier occurs when the part of the sentence being modified is missing. Usually, a dangling modifier is found near the beginning of the sentence and starts with either a “verb + ing” or a “to + verb” phrase. To fix this, identify what word is meant to be modified and add or move it next to the modifier.
