Fix dangling modifiers - Ten ways to avoid grammatical errors

100 ways to improve your writing - Gary Provost 2019

Fix dangling modifiers
Ten ways to avoid grammatical errors

A dangling modifier is a word or group of words that appears to modify an inappropriate word in the same sentence. The error occurs most often when passive rather than active verbs are used.

Dangling

Revised

In drawing the picture, his wife was used as the model.

In drawing the picture, he used his wife as the model. (His wife did not draw the picture.)

To find out who killed him, all the criminals had to be questioned.

To find out who killed him, I had to question all the criminals. (The criminals did not find out.)

Knowing this, and wanting a nice home, a new kitchen had to be installed.

Knowing this, and wanting a nice home, the Smith family had to install a new kitchen. (The kitchen did not know, or want.)