A participle is a verb form that can function as an adjective, and it typically ends in -ing (present participle) or -ed (past participle) for regular verbs. For example, in the phrases "running water" or "broken vase," "running" and "broken" are participles that describe nouns.
A dangling participle occurs when the participle or participial phrase is not clearly or logically related to a noun in the sentence. This can create confusion or unintended meanings. For example, in the sentence:
"Walking down the street, the flowers caught my eye."
The participial phrase "Walking down the street" appears to modify "the flowers," suggesting that the flowers are doing the walking, which is illogical. A clearer version might be:
"Walking down the street, I noticed the flowers."
This revision makes it clear that "I" was the one walking, not the flowers. Dangling participles can lead to ambiguity and should be corrected for clarity.