In one line
A modifier is a word or phrase that describes something; it is misplaced when it sits next to the wrong word and dangling when the word it should describe is missing from the sentence.
Explained simply
'I saw a dog running to college.' Who was running to college: you or the dog? The phrase 'running to college' is sitting next to 'dog', so the sentence says the dog was going to college. Funny, but wrong. Modifiers must sit right next to what they describe.
Technically, a misplaced modifier is placed so that it appears to modify the wrong word. A dangling modifier (usually an opening -ing or -ed phrase) has no logical subject in the sentence at all. Both are tested in grammar error-spotting at the CAT/GMAT/GRE level, and GMAT especially.
How it works
- Find the modifier: a word ('only', 'just', 'almost', 'nearly') or phrase ('running late', 'with a red cover').
- Ask: what does it describe?
- Misplaced: move the modifier next to the word it describes. Limiting words go just before the word they limit: 'He scored only 40 marks' (not 'He only scored 40 marks' in formal writing).
- Dangling: after an opening phrase, the subject of the main clause must be the doer of that phrase. Fix by making the doer the subject or by turning the phrase into a clause.
Quick example
Misplaced: 'The manager handed the report to the client with a red cover.' (The client has a red cover?) Correct: 'The manager handed the report with a red cover to the client.'
Dangling: 'Walking to college, the rain drenched me.' (The rain was walking?) Correct: 'Walking to college, I got drenched in the rain' or 'While I was walking to college, the rain drenched me.'
Dangling: 'After testing the circuit, the fault was found.' Correct: 'After testing the circuit, the engineer found the fault.'
Common mistakes
- Fixing only the word order of a dangling modifier; you usually need to add the missing doer.
- Placing 'only' loosely, which changes meaning: 'Only I passed' vs 'I only passed' vs 'I passed only Maths'.
- Assuming the noun nearest the phrase is always its target; check logic.
How MU asks it
Asked in error-identification sets (1 mark each) and sometimes 'Rewrite the sentences correcting misplaced modifiers' (3 marks for a set). Rewrite the complete corrected sentence; if asked to explain, state what the modifier wrongly describes and how you fixed it.