IXL | Select the misplaced or dangling modifier

Select the misplaced or dangling modifier.

Also known as wisdom teeth, about thirty-five percent of the population never develops third molars, which usually appear between the ages of seventeen and twenty-five.

ref_doc_title.

Learn with an example

question

Select the misplaced or dangling modifier.

Characterized by rhythmic hand clapping, acoustic guitar, and improvised dancing, music historians believe flamenco music originally consisted of singing and beating a staff or cane on the ground.

key idea

A modifier is a word or phrase that modifies, or describes, another word or phrase.

A misplaced modifier is a modifier that appears to modify the wrong word or phrase because it is too far from the word or phrase that it should modify.

Winston saw monkeys and peacocks on vacation in India.

This sentence has a misplaced modifier. It wrongly suggests that the monkeys and peacocks were on vacation.

On vacation in India, Winston saw monkeys and peacocks.

This sentence correctly suggests that Winston was on vacation.

A dangling modifier is a modifier that appears to modify the wrong word or phrase because the word or phrase that it should modify is missing from the sentence.

Trying to fall asleep, the sheets felt uncomfortably hot.

This sentence has a dangling modifier. It wrongly suggests that the sheets were trying to fall asleep.

Trying to fall asleep, I felt uncomfortably hot in the sheets.

This sentence correctly suggests that I was trying to fall asleep.

solution

Characterized by rhythmic hand clapping, acoustic guitar, and improvised dancing is a misplaced modifier because it appears to modify music historians. The sentence wrongly suggests that music historians are characterized by rhythmic hand clapping, acoustic guitar, and improvised dancing.

Characterized by rhythmic hand clapping, acoustic guitar, and improvised dancing, music historians believe flamenco music originally consisted of singing and beating a staff or cane on the ground.

$Confetti$

Excellent!

Now entering the Challenge Zone—are you ready?

Questions
answeredQuestions

Time
elapsedTime

hr	min	sec
00	00	06

SmartScore
out of 100
IXL's SmartScore is a dynamic measure of progress towards mastery, rather than a percentage grade. It tracks your skill level as you tackle progressively more difficult questions. Consistently answer questions correctly to reach excellence (90), or conquer the Challenge Zone to achieve mastery (100)! Learn more

Teacher tools

Work it out

Not feeling ready yet? This can help:

EE.1Misplaced modifiers with pictures

Excellent! You got that right!

Jumping to level 1 of 1

Excellent!