What are Modifiers Modifiers are words or phrases that give a bit more information about a subject being described Modifiers help make writing more vivid and interesting to read BUT There are some things to look out for when using them ID: 464767
Download Presentation The PPT/PDF document "MODIFIERS" is the property of its rightful owner. Permission is granted to download and print the materials on this web site for personal, non-commercial use only, and to display it on your personal computer provided you do not modify the materials and that you retain all copyright notices contained in the materials. By downloading content from our website, you accept the terms of this agreement.
Slide1
MODIFIERSSlide2
What are Modifiers?
Modifiers are words or phrases that give a bit more information about a subject being described.Modifiers help make writing more vivid and interesting to read.BUT: There are some things to look out for when using them…Slide3
Modifier Placement
Position the modifier close to the word it modifies:Incorrect: “Nixon told reporters that he planned to get out of politics after he lost the 1962 Election.”
Correct:
“
After Nixon lost the 1962 election, he told reporters that he planned to get out of politics.”
Incorrect:
“I told my friend Michelle that I was planning to get a dog last Christmas.”
Correct:
“Last Christmas I told my friend Michelle that I was planning to get a dog.”Slide4
Limiting Modifiers
change the degree of something. Words like almost, just, only, barely, and even.
Incorrect:
“The city
almost
spent $20 million on the new stadium.”
Correct:
“The city spent
almost
$20 million on the new stadium”
Incorrect:
“She
only
goes to school on Wednesdays.”
Correct:
“She goes to school
only
on Wednesdays.”Slide5
Disruptive ModifiersIf a modifier is placed in the middle of a thought, it can be distracting:
Incorrect: “My hair is, after blow-drying, very frizzy.”Correct: “After blow-drying, my hair is very frizzy.”Slide6
MOVE THE MODIFIERS THAT UNNECESSARILY SPLIT AN INFINITIVE
Don’t place a modifier between the to and the verb of an infinitive.EX:
Split:
I hope
to
almost
equal
my last years income.
Revised:
I hope that I will earn almost as much as I did last year.
Split:
The teacher expected the students to fairly quickly finish the quiz.
Revised:
The teacher expected the students to finish the quiz fairly quickly.Slide7
REVISE DANGLING MODIFIERS
Dangling modifiers are words that modify nothing in particular in the rest of the sentence.Dangling modifiers frequently appear at the beginnings or ends of sentence. EX: Dangling: Driving nonstop, Raleigh is located two hours south of Jacksonville. Revised:
Driving nonstop from Jacksonville, you can reach Raleigh in two hours
.Slide8
To revise a dangling modifier, often you need to add a subject that the modifier clearly refers to.
EX: Reluctantly, the hound was given away to a neighbor.
Reluctantly, our family gave away the hound to a neighbor.
As a young boy, his grandmother told stories of her years as a country school teacher.
When he was a young boy, his grandmother told stories of her years as a country school teacher.