Placement of modifying phrases and clauses

Although phrases and clauses can appear at some distance from the words they modify, make sure that your meaning is clear. When phrases or clauses are oddly placed, absurd misreadings can result.

Heading: Misplaced. Example sentence: The soccer player returned to the clinic where he had undergone emergency surgery in 2004 in a limousine sent by Adidas.

Heading: Revised. Example sentence: Traveling in a limousine sent by Adidas, the soccer player returned to the clinic where he had undergone emergency surgery in 2004.

The revision corrects the false impression that the soccer player underwent emergency surgery in a limousine.

Example sentence with editing. Original sentence: on the walls There are many pictures of comedians who have performed at Gavin's on the walls. Revised sentence: On the walls are many pictures of comedians who have performed at Gavin's.

The comedians weren’t performing on the walls; the pictures were on the walls.

Example sentence with editing. Original sentence: The robber was described as a six-foot-tall man with a mustache weighing 150 pounds. Revised sentence: The robber was described as a 150 pound, six-foot-tall man with a mustache.

The robber, not the mustache, weighed 150 pounds.

Exercise: Awkward and misplaced modifiers

Exercise: Misplaced modifiers 1

Exercise: Misplaced modifiers 2

Exercise: Misplaced modifiers 3