A dangling modifier “dangles” because the word or words it is supposed to modify are not in the sentence. Dangling modifiers usually appear at the beginning of a sentence and may seem to modify the noun or pronoun that immediately follows — but they do not.
Correct dangling modifiers either by adding the word being modified right after the opening modifier or by adding the word being modified to the opening modifier. Note that to correct a dangling modifier, you might have to reword the sentence.
| DANGLING | Talking on the telephone, the dinner burned. [Was the dinner talking on the telephone? No.] |
| CORRECT | While Sharon was talking on the telephone, the dinner burned. |
| The dinner burned while Sharon was talking on the telephone. | |
| DANGLING | While waiting in line, the alarms went off. [Were the alarms waiting in line? No.] |
| CORRECT | While waiting in line, I heard the alarms go off. |
| While I was waiting in line, the alarms went off. |