Define dangling modifer

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A dangling modifier is a word or phrase that describes something but does so in a way that is unclear or ambiguous because it does not properly connect to the noun it is intended to modify. This often leads to confusion about what is being modified in a sentence.

For example, consider the sentence:

"Walking down the street, the flowers were beautiful."

In this sentence, the phrase "walking down the street" is intended to modify a person, but it mistakenly modifies "the flowers," leading to confusion. The sentence could be revised to clarify the intended meaning, such as:

"Walking down the street, I noticed that the flowers were beautiful."

This revision makes it clear that the person walking is the one noticing the beautiful flowers.

To avoid dangling modifiers, make sure that the modifier is placed next to the word it is meant to modify, ensuring clarity in the sentence.