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What is a pendant modifier? (with examples)
A dangling modifier is a modifier that has nothing to modify.
A modifier is intended to describe a word or make its meaning more specific. A modifier can’t do that if the word doesn’t exist. In other words, a dangling modifier is an error caused by not using the word that the modifier is supposed to modify.
Easy Examples of Dangling Modifiers
All 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
Los modificadores colgantes también se conocen como“dangling modifiers“,“floating modifiers“o“hanging participles“. Dangling modifiers contrast with:
Misplaced Modifiers. A misplaced modifier is not clearly related to what it is supposed 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. Un modificador de entrecerrar los ojos podría modificar el texto a su izquierda o derecha.
- 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.
Recuerde que con un modificador colgante, la cosa que se modifica no está presente.
Real-Life Examples of Dangling Modifiers
Dangling modifiers usually happen because writers get ahead of themselves. They assume that what they are talking about is so obvious from the context that 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.)
Una versión correcta sería:
- 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.)
Una versión correcta sería:
- 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 are rarely ambiguous because the missing term is almost always implied or even mentioned, either in a recent sentence or as a possessive determiner. Let’s re-examine two of the examples 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.)
Some grammarians use this to claim that most dangling modifiers (ie those where the thing being modified is obvious enough) are not errors.
Why Should I Care about Dangling Modifiers?
Regardless of what some grammarians think, we believe that using a dangling modifier will tell your grammar-savvy readers that you are not a clear thinker.
Also, knowing dangle mods allows you to tell your boss or co-workers that they’ve used a dangle mod, which is surely a win in anyone’s book. In terms of its ability to score some points, it’s probably only second to the squint modifier.
To make sure you don’t use a dangling modifier yourself, assume that any modifier you use is dangling until you’ve pinned it to the term you’re 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, place your modifier to the side (usually to the left) of the term you are 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 hanging until you’re sure it isn’t.
- Place your modifier next to the term you are modifying (usually immediately to the left).
