MODIFIER

What are modifiers

A modifier is a word, phrase, or clause that describes something or makes its meaning more
specific. Modifiers function as adjectives or adverbs.

Table of Contents
 Examples of Modifiers Functioning as Adjectives
 Examples of Modifiers Functioning as Adverbs
 A Summary of Modifiers
 Why Modifiers Are Important
Examples of Modifiers Functioning as Adjectives
When a modifier is an adjective, it modifies a noun or a pronoun. (In these examples, the modifiers
are shaded, and the words being modified are bold.)
Type of Modifier Example
Single-word Adjective  small mackerel (The modifier is a descriptive word.)
 that mouse (The modifier is a demonstrative determiner.)
 the one (The modifier is a definite article.)
  one professor (The modifier is a quantifier.)
Single-word modifiers can be normal adjectives (e.g., "small," "beautiful," "expensive") or
determiners such as:
 possessive determiners (e.g., "my," "your")
 demonstrative determiners (e.g., "this," "those")
 quantifiers (e.g., "many," "some," "two")
 interrogative adjectives (e.g., "which,""what")
 articles ("a," "an," "the")
Type of Modifier Example
 an extremely small mackerel
 mouse in the corner
Adjectival Phrase
 one to remember
 Looking over his glasses, Professor Jones...
Adjectival phrases can be any group of words headed by an adjective (e.g., "an extremely small,"
"the very beautiful," "that really expensive") or another form of multi-word adjective such as:
 prepositional phrases (e.g., "in the corner," "with the cake," "from your collection")
 infinitives (e.g., "to remember," "to buy," "to consider")
 participle phrases (e.g., "Looking over his glasses," "Imbued with common sense,"
"Knowing the area")
Read more about adjective phrases.
Type of Modifier Example
 mackerel that gather near the surface
 mouse that lives in the cupboard
Adjective Clause
 one who knows the secret
 Professor Jones, who taught me at college, visited...
Read more about adjective clauses.

Examples of Modifiers Functioning as Adverbs

When a modifier is an adverb, it modifies a verb, an adjective, or another adverb. (In these
examples, the modifiers are shaded, and the words being modified are bold.)
Type of Modifier Example
 He plays nicely.
 Leave tomorrow.
Single-word  Think carefully. (The adverbs are modifying verbs in the three
Adverb examples above.)
 extremely beautiful (The adverb is modifying an adjective.)
 really quickly (The adverb is modifying an adverb.)
Type of Modifier Example
 He plays in the corner.
Adverbial Phrase  Leave to keep the peace.
 Think very carefully.
Adverbial phrases modify verbs. The three most common formats for adverbial phrases are as
follows:
 Prepositional phrases (e.g., "in the corner," "without any effort whatsoever")
 Infinitive phrases. (e.g., "to keep the peace," "to think about the problem").
  An adverb with an intensifier. (e.g., "very carefully," "extremely slowly," "really loudly")
There are other formats. For example:
 They paid a day later than promised.
 I played every week.
Read more about adverbial phrases.
Type of Modifier Example
 He plays until the stars appear.
Adverbial Clause  Leave if you want to leave.
 Think like a weasel thinks.
Adverbial clauses modify verbs. They have the following properties:
 An adverbial clause contains a subject and a verb. (This is what makes it a clause as opposed
to a phrase.)
 An adverbial clause is a dependent clause. This means it cannot stand alone as meaningful
sentence in its own right.
 An adverbial clause usually starts with a subordinating conjunction (e.g., "because," "if,"
"until," "when," "like")
Read more about adverbial clauses.

A Summary of Modifiers
As shown by these examples, modifiers come in lots of different formats. But, regardless of whether
it's a single word, a phrase, or clause, a modifier functions as an adjective or an adverb. Put simply,
a modifier is just a word(s) that describes another word(s). Also of note, a modifier that comes
before whatever it modifies is called a "premodifier," and a modifier that comes afterwards is called
a "postmodifier."

Why Modifiers Are Important

If you're learning grammar, you can't avoid the word "modifier." Most sentences contain some sort
of modifier. After all, modifiers bring writing to life.

There are many different types of modifiers, and each type has its own writing issues or traps,
which are covered in the lessons for those specific entries (e.g., issues related to possessive
determiners are explained in the lesson on possessive determiners). Here though are three top-level
points related to modifiers.

(Point 1) Be careful where you place your modifiers.

Here are three ways a modifier can fail by being positioned badly:
(1) A Misplaced Modifier
A modifier is best placed alongside whatever it's modifying. If your modifier is too far away, it
could lead to an ambiguous or wrong meaning. For example:
 John heard her when she whispered clearly. (This sentence is about John hearing clearly.
The modifier is too far away from "heard." It looks like "clearly" is modifying "whispered."
It's a misplaced modifier.)
 John heard her clearly when she whispered. (This version is better. It's unambiguous.)
Read more about misplaced modifiers.
(2) A Squinting Modifier
If your modifier could feasibly modify the text to its left or right, move it to a less ambiguous
position or reword your sentence. For example:
 His driving slowly becomes annoying. (Does "slowly" modify "driving" or "becomes"?
This is ambiguous. It's a squinting modifier.)
 His slow driving becomes annoying. (We've changed the modifier to an adjective. This
version is better. It's unambiguous.)
Read more about squinting modifiers.
(3) A Dangling Modifier
Make sure the thing being modified is actually in the sentence. For example:
 Peering out of the bush, a glint caught his eye. ("Peering out of the bush" doesn't modify
anything in this sentence. That makes it a dangling modifier.)
 Peering out of the bush, John noticed a glint. ("Peering out of the bush" now modifies
"John." The dangling modifier has been fixed.)
Read more about dangling modifiers.

(Point 2) If your multi-word adverb (phrase or clause) is

fronted, offset it with a comma.
 If you don't want your kids to be like Bart Simpson, don't act like Homer Simpson.
(Producer Matt Groening) ("If you don't want your kids to be like Bart Simpson" is an
adverbial clause. As it's at the front of the sentence, it is followed by a comma. The comma
is useful to show where the adverbial clause ends and the main clause starts.)
 After climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb.
(President Nelson Mandela) ("After climbing a great hill" is an adverbial phrase. It is
fronted, so it is followed by a comma.)
Now look at these examples. This time, the multi-word adverbs are at the back.
 Don't act like Homer Simpson if you don't want your kids to be like Bart Simpson. (There
is no comma before the adverbial clause because it is post-positioned, i.e., at the back.)
 One only finds that there are many more hills to climb after climbing a great hill. (There is
no comma before the adverbial phrase because it is post-positioned.)
When the fronted adverb is a single word, there is more leniency. It is a common style to omit the
comma.
 Yesterday we obeyed kings and bent our necks before emperors. Today we kneel only to
truth, follow only beauty, and obey only love. (Poet Khalil Gibran)
Read more about using commas with adverbial phrases and adverbial clauses.

(Point 3) If your adjective clause is not essential for meaning,

offset it with commas.
If your adjective clause does not define whatever it is modifying (i.e., it is just additional
information), then offset it with commas.
 John Smith, who saw the snake, has set a trap. (The adjective clause "who saw the snake"
does not define "John Smith." It's just additional information. We could have put the clause
in parentheses (brackets) or even deleted it. That's why it's offset with commas.)
  The boy who saw the snake has set a trap. (This time, "who saw the snake" does define
"the boy." It tells us which boy we're talking about. The clause is not just additional
information. It is essential for meaning. That's why there are no commas.)
Read more about adjective clauses. Read more about using commas with "which," "that," and
"who."

Key Points
 To avoid ambiguity, place your modifier alongside whatever it's modifying.
 If your multi-word adverb is fronted, use a comma. Don't use a comma if it's at the back.
 If your adverbial clause defines it's noun, don't offset it with commas.
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Restrictive Modifier
A restrictive modifier is a word, phrase, or clause that defines another element. A restrictive
modifier is essential for meaning. If a restrictive modifier were to be removed, readers would be left
with a question like "Which one are we talking about?".

Table of Contents
 Examples of Restrictive Modifiers
 Adverbial Restrictive Modifiers and Other Types
 Why Restrictive Modifiers Are Important
Unlike additional information in a sentence (which can be offset with commas or some other
parenthetical punctuation like dashes), a restrictive modifier is not offset with any punctuation, and
this signifies it is essential to the meaning.

There is one notable exception to this. If a restrictive modifier is a phrase or clause that starts a
sentence, it can be separated from the thing it modifies with a comma. (More on this below.)

Defining and Non-defining Modifiers

Restrictive modifiers are often called "defining modifiers," and non-restrictive modifiers are often
called "non-defining" modifiers. These terms are more intuitive because defining a word is a clearer
idea than restricting a word.

Examples of Restrictive Modifiers

Here are some examples of restrictive modifiers (shaded):
 The girl who stole the bread is back.
  The horse that led the way for the whole race fell at the last fence.
 The ornament the dog chewed was worth more than my car.
In the examples above, the restrictive modifiers are all restrictive clauses functioning as adjectives.
Notice how they are not offset with commas. The shaded text is essential to the meaning of the
sentence. Look at these two examples:
 My brother who lives in London is visiting on Saturday. (This is a restrictive modifier. It is
essential information to identify which of my brothers.)
 My brother Mark, who lives in London, is visiting on Saturday. (This is a non-restrictive
modifier. We already know which of my brothers we're talking about. The text in bold is just
additional information. That's why it's offset with commas.)

Adverbial Restrictive Modifiers and Other Types

Restrictive modifiers are not always adjective clauses, like those in the examples above. There are
many other types. For example:
 My brother with a house in London is visiting on Saturday. (This is a prepositional phrase
functioning as a restrictive modifier (specifically, a restrictive adjectival phrase).)
 The pirate in the middle was planning a mutiny. (This is another example of a prepositional
phrase functioning as a restrictive modifier (specifically, a restrictive adjectival phrase).)
With modifiers that function as adjectives, it is relatively easy to see how the modifier defines its
noun. Let's now look at some modifiers functioning as adverbs.
 Take the cake out of the oven when the alarm sounds. (This is an adverbial clause
functioning as a restrictive modifier (specifically, a restrictive adverb of time).)
 I'm leaving because it's raining. (This is another example of an adverbial clause functioning
as a restrictive modifier (specifically, a restrictive adverb of reason).)
With modifiers that function as adverbs, it is far more difficult to see how the modifier defines its
verb. Nevertheless, the term "restrictive modifier" still applies to modifiers functioning as adverbs.

More importantly, notice that there are no commas. These are all restrictive (or defining) modifiers.

Remember that anything that modifies something else in a way that is essential for meaning is a
restrictive modifier. So, the following are all restrictive modifiers:
 My vase
 The vase
 A vase
 The blue vase
However, when people talk about restrictive modifiers, they tend to have adjective clauses and
adjective phrases in mind.

Why Restrictive Modifiers Are Important

Here are the two best reasons to care about restrictive modifiers.

(Reason 1) Know when to leave the commas out.

The meaning of your sentence will be affected by your decision on whether to use commas with an
adjective clause. Both examples below are grammatically sound, but they have different meanings.
  My sister who is married won the lottery. (This is a restrictive modifier. It specifies that I'm
talking about my married sister, i.e., not a different sister.)
 My sister, who is married, won the lottery. (This suggests I have just one sister. I've also
told you that she is married, but I could have omitted that information. The bold text is a
non-restrictive modifier.)
Remember that if your adjective clause is essential to identify its noun, then there are no commas. If
it's just additional information, use commas, dashes, or parentheses (brackets)...or delete it.

Test for a Non-restrictive Clause

If you'd happily put it in parentheses (brackets) or delete it, use commas.
Read more about when to use a comma before "who" and "which."

(Reason 2) Use a comma if your modifier is fronted.

When the modifier is at the start of your sentence (known as "fronted"), offset it with a comma. For
example:
 When the alarm sounds, take the cake out of the oven. (This is a fronted adverbial clause.)
 At 2 o'clock, the third spirit appeared. (This is a fronted adverbial phrase.)
 Famished from the journey, John decided to hunker down with his horse. (This is a fronted
adjective phrase.)
Read more about using commas to offset fronted modifiers. When the modifier is at the back
(especially if it's an adverbial clause or phrase), don't use a comma.
 Take the cake out of the oven when the alarm sounds.
 The third spirit appeared at 2 o'clock. (With post-positioned adverbial modifiers (i.e., ones
at the back), don't use a comma. This is guidance that will keep you safe 99% of the time
because the vast majority of adverbial modifiers are restrictive.)
Things get a little bit trickier with adjective phrases.
 John decided to hunker down with his horse, famished from the journey. (This time, the
comma is required otherwise we'd be talking about a horse that is famished from the
journey. The comma distances the modifier from "horse.")
Read more about using commas before post-positioned modifiers (see Points 3 and 4).

Key Points
 If you'd happily put your adjective clause in parentheses or delete it, use commas.
 If your adverbial is fronted, offset it with a comma. Don't use a comma if it's post-
positioned.
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What Is a Dangling Modifier?
A dangling modifier is a modifier that has nothing to modify. In other words, a dangling modifier is
an error caused by failing to use the word that the modifier is meant to be modifying. For example:

 Walking through the park, the squirrels were chattering in the trees. (The phrase "walking
through the park" is a dangling modifier. It does not modify anything in the sentence.)
 Walking through the park, Sarah could hear the squirrels chattering in the trees. (This time,
the phrase is not a dangling modifier. It modifies "Sarah.")
Table of Contents
 Easy Examples of Dangling Modifiers
 Other Terms for Dangling Modifier
 Real-Life Examples of Dangling Modifiers
 Is a Dangling Modifier Really a Mistake?
 Why Dangling Modifiers Are Important
 Video Lesson

A modifier is meant to describe a word or make its meaning more specific. A modifier cannot do
that if the word does not exist.
Easy Examples of Dangling Modifiers
All the dangling modifiers on this page are shaded.
 Upon entering the room, a skeleton caught my eye. (Nothing in this sentence entered the
room. The skeleton didn't. My eye didn't.)
 Having followed a strict diet, her weight dropped rapidly. (Nothing in this sentence
followed a strict diet. Her weight didn't.)

Other Terms for Dangling Modifier

Dangling modifiers are also known as "hanging modifiers," "floating modifiers," or "dangling
participles."

Other Types of Misplaced Modifier

Dangling modifiers contrast with:
Misplaced Modifiers
A misplaced modifier does not link clearly to what it is meant to modify.
 John hit the man with the cream cake. (Did the man get a cream cake in the face or was he
the one with the cream cake? With a misplaced modifier, the thing being modified is present
(this is how it differs from a dangling modifier), but the modifier does not link to it clearly.)
Squinting Modifiers
A squinting modifier could feasibly modify the text to its left or right.
 Talking quickly annoys people. (Does quick talking annoy people or does talking annoy
people quickly?)
Remember that with a dangling modifier, the thing being modified is not present.

Real-Life Examples of Dangling Modifiers

Dangling modifiers usually occur because writers get ahead of themselves. They assume the thing
they're talking about is so obvious from the context, they forget to mention it.
 Having read your letter, my cat will stay indoors until the ducklings fly off. (It's pretty clear
that the cat's owner read the letter, but the owner is not mentioned. Therefore, "Having read
your letter" is a dangling modifier. It doesn't apply to anything in the sentence. Neither cats
nor ducklings can read.)
A correct version would be:
 Having read your letter, we will keep our cat indoors until the ducklings fly off. (Here,
"Having read your letter" modifies "we.")
Here is another dangling modifier:
 Packing my kit into three huge holdalls, my little Jack Russell could tell a long trip was
coming. (Nothing in this sentence packed the kit. Therefore, "Packing my kit into three
huge holdalls" is a dangling modifier. It doesn't apply to anything.)
A correct version would be:
 Packing my kit into three huge holdalls, I knew my little Jack Russell could tell a long trip
was coming.
It can get tricky. Look at this example of a dangling modifier:
 Meticulous and punctual, David's work ethic is admirable. (Here, the missing word is
"David" because "David" is not the head noun in the phrase "David's work ethic."
"Meticulous and punctual" is modifying the head noun "ethic." The sentence tells us that
David's work ethic is meticulous and punctual, which is illogical.)
A correct version would be:
 Meticulous and punctual, David has an admirable work ethic. (Here, the modifier
"Meticulous and punctual" is modifying "David" as it should, not "David's work ethic.")
Sometimes, a modifier can dangle a bit. This happens when the word being modified is present but
not next to its modifier.
 Vicious smelly creatures with huge tusks, the ship's crew found it difficult to drive the male
walruses from the beach. (This is actually a misplaced modifier. The modifier is not
dangling fully because the thing being modified ("the male walruses") is present.)

Is a Dangling Modifier Really a Mistake?

Dangling modifiers don't usually lead to ambiguity because the missing term is nearly always
implicit or even mentioned, either in a recent sentence or in the form of possessive determiner. Let's
re-examine two of the examples from above.
 Having followed a strict diet, her weight dropped rapidly. (We've marked this example as
wrong, but the word "her" refers to the person who followed a strict diet. Therefore,
technically, the thing being modified is mentioned.)
 Having read your letter, my cat will stay indoors until the ducklings fly off. (In this
example, the word "my" refers to the person who read the letter. Therefore, technically, the
thing being modified is mentioned.)
This is used by some grammarians to claim that most dangling modifiers (i.e., the ones in which the
thing being modified is sufficiently obvious) are not mistakes.

Why Dangling Modifiers Are Important

Notwithstanding what some grammarians think, we think that using a dangling modifier will tell
your grammar-savvy readers that you're not a clear thinker.

Also, knowing about dangling modifiers allows you to tell your boss or your mates that they've used
a dangling modifier, which surely is a win in anyone's book. In terms of its ability to score you
some points, it's probably only trumped by squinting modifier.

To ensure you don't use a dangling modifier yourself, assume any modifier you use is dangling until
you've nailed it to the term it's modifying.
 Walking through the cemetery, the trees became long-fingered ghouls. (If you were writing
this sentence, you should have warning bells sounding before reaching the end of "trees.")
Here are some versions without the dangling modifier:
 Walking through the cemetery, I saw the trees become long-fingered ghouls.
 As I walked through the cemetery, the trees became long-fingered ghouls. (Often, it's best
to sidestep the modifier by rewording.)
To avoid a misplaced modifier, put your modifier next to (typically to the left of) the term it's
modifying. For example:
  While crossing the road, the bus hit Janet. ("Janet" is present. Therefore, this is a misplaced
modifier, i.e., it's not fully dangling.)
 While crossing the road, Janet was hit by the bus. (This is one option for putting the
modifier next to "Janet." It's much tidier.)

Key Points
 Assume your modifier is dangling until you're sure it isn't.
 Put your modifier next to the term it's modifying (typically immediately to the left).

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What Is a Misplaced Modifier?

A misplaced modifier is a word (or group of words) that does not link clearly to what it is intended
to modify. A misplaced modifier makes the meaning of a sentence ambiguous or wrong.

Table of Contents
 Examples of Misplaced Modifiers
 Real-Life Examples of Misplaced Modifiers
 Misplaced Modifiers in Jokes
 Why Misplaced Modifiers Are Important
 Beware Author Blindness!

Examples of Misplaced Modifiers

In these examples, the misplaced modifiers are shaded:
 Lee only eats cakes. (This is ambiguous if the intended meaning is that Lee eats nothing
but cakes. This could mean Lee does not do other things to cakes, e.g., bake them. Be
careful with the word only, which is a type of limiting modifier.)
 Talking quickly annoys people. (This is ambiguous because we cannot be sure if quickly
applies to talking or annoys people. This is called a squinting modifier.)
 Having read your letter, my parrot has since died. (This is wrong because "Having read
your letter" does not apply to anything in the sentence. This is called a dangling modifier.)
Real-Life Examples of Misplaced Modifiers
 We will not sell paraffin to anyone in glass bottles. (Often, common sense tells us what the
writer meant. Clearly, this is about paraffin in glass bottles not people in glass bottles.
However, placing your modifier too far away from the thing being modified will do little to
 showcase your writing skills.)
 Andrew said after the holiday he intends to stop drinking. (Here, it is unclear whether
Andrew made this statement after the holiday or whether he intends to stop drinking after
the holiday.)
 Meticulous and punctual, her work ethic is admirable. (Here, the modifier does not apply
to anything in the sentence.)

Misplaced Modifiers in Jokes

Probably the most famous example of a misplaced modifier turns out not to be a misplaced modifier
at all.
 One morning I shot an elephant in my pyjamas. How he got into my pyjamas I'll never
know. (Writer and comedian Groucho Marx) (This is not a misplaced modifier because the
elephant was actually in his pyjamas.)
Here is a great example of a misplaced modifier from the film Hot Fuzz:
 "He was a hero at his last police station. He once shot a robber with a Kalashnikov."
"Great, where did he get that?"
"No, the robber had the Kalashnikov."

Why Misplaced Modifiers Are Important

A misplaced modifier makes your sentence ambiguous or wrong. You can avoid a misplaced
modifier by placing your modifier next to whatever it's modifying (or putting some distance
between the modifier and whatever it's not meant to be modifying).

Let's fix the examples above. In the corrected examples, the modifiers are shaded and the words
being modified are bold.
 Lee only eats cakes.
 Lee eats only cakes.
 We will not sell paraffin to anyone in glass bottles.
 We will not sell paraffin in glass bottles to anyone. (These have been fixed by moving the
modifiers (shaded) next to the words they modify (bold).)
 Talking quickly annoys people.
 Talking quickly is a sure way to annoy people.
 Andrew said after the holiday he intends to stop drinking.
 After the holiday, Andrew said that he intends to stop drinking. (These have been fixed by
rewording the sentences and putting some distance between the modifiers and the text that is
not being modified.)
 Having read your letter, my parrot has since died.
 Having read your letter, I would like to inform you that my parrot has since died.
 Meticulous and punctual, her work ethic is admirable.
 Meticulous and punctual, Jill has an admirable work ethic. (These have been fixed by
introducing the thing being modified (bold) into the sentence. Remember that they were
missing from the originals.)

Beware Author Blindness!

It is sometimes difficult for writers to spot their own misplaced modifiers because they know what
they meant to say, and they do not see the ambiguity. This is called author blindness. Look at these
two examples. They are both correct, but they have very different meanings.
 He lost nearly $5,000 in Las Vegas. (This means he lost just under $5,000.)
 He nearly lost $5,000 in Las Vegas. (Here, we don't know how much he lost. He might have
lost nothing at all.)
You must make your meaning clear by putting your modifier next to whatever is being modified.

Key Point
 Put your modifier next to whatever it's modifying and far from whatever it feasibly could be
modifying.
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