A dangling modifier is a word or phrase that modifies a word or phrase that is not actually in the sentence. This can be confusing for the reader, as they may not know what the modifier is actually referring to.

Dangling modifiers often come in the form of introductory phrases, such as "while walking down the street" or "after eating lunch." These phrases typically describe the subject of the sentence, but in the case of a dangling modifier, the subject is missing.

For example, the sentence "While walking down the street, a car hit me" has a dangling modifier. The phrase "while walking down the street" describes the subject of the sentence, but there is no subject in the sentence. The reader is left to wonder who was walking down the street when they were hit by a car.

Here are some other examples of dangling modifiers:

After eating lunch, the food was delicious. (Who was delicious? The food or the person who ate lunch?)

Fumbling with the keys, the door opened. (Who was fumbling with the keys? The door or the person who opened it?)

Running down the street, the dog was hit by a car. (Who was running down the street? The dog or the person who hit it?)

How to Fix Dangling Modifiers

There are a few ways to fix dangling modifiers. One way is to add the missing subject to the sentence. In the example above, we could add "I" to the beginning of the sentence, making it "While walking down the street, I was hit by a car."

Another way to fix a dangling modifier is to change the structure of the sentence. In this case, we could change the sentence to "A car hit me while I was walking down the street." This sentence is now clear and concise, and there is no dangling modifier.

Change the introductory phrase to a subordinate clause. For example, we could change the sentence "After eating lunch, the food was delicious" to "The food was delicious after I had eaten lunch."

Combine the introductory phrase with the main clause. For example, we could change the sentence "Fumbling with the keys, the door opened" to "The door opened as I fumbled with the keys."

Rewrite the sentence entirely. For example, we could change the sentence "Running down the street, the dog was hit by a car" to "The dog was hit by a car while it was running down the street."

The best way to avoid dangling modifiers is to be careful when using introductory phrases. Make sure that the subject of the phrase is also the subject of the sentence. If you can't think of a way to make the modifier clearly refer to the subject of the sentence, change the structure of the sentence or rewrite it entirely.

Here are some tips for avoiding dangling modifiers:

Be aware of introductory phrases. When you're writing, take a moment to think about the subject of the introductory phrase and the subject of the sentence. Make sure that they are the same.

If you can't think of a way to make the modifier clearly refer to the subject of the sentence, change the structure of the sentence. For example, you could change the introductory phrase to a subordinate clause or combine it with the main clause.

Proofread your work carefully. When you're finished writing, take a few minutes to proofread your work for dangling modifiers.

By following these tips, you can avoid dangling modifiers and write clear and concise sentences.

Source:

https://webapps.towson.edu/ows/moduleDangling.htm