In many languages the placement of a modifier— whether a single word, a phrase, or a clause—does not matter. However, in the English language the placement is very important. Incorrect placement can often lead to an ambiguous or a nonsensical meaning. A modifier should be placed so that the writer’s intended meaning is clear. Four problems may potentially occur with the placement of modifiers: squinting modifiers, misplaced modifiers, dangling modifiers, and the careless placement of only.
Sometimes the modifier is placed so that the meaning is ambiguous. It is not clear whether the modifier belongs with one part of the sentence or with another part. Move the squinting modifier so that the meaning is no longer ambiguous, or use that to cluster the modifier appropriately.
- The marathon coordinator said Friday we would have a trial run.— Squinting (Did the coordinator give this information on Friday, or is the trial run on Friday?)
- Friday the marathon coordinator said we would have a trial run.— Clear
- The marathon coordinator said we would have a trial run on Friday.—Clear
- The marathon coordinator said that Friday we would have a trial run.—Clear
- The marathon coordinator said Friday that we would have a trial run.—Clear
- The company representative told us eventually the president would meet with us.— Squinting (Did the representative eventually tell us, or did the president eventually meet with us?)
- The company representative eventually told us the president would meet with us.— Clear
- The company representative told us the president would eventually meet with us.— Clear
Want to learn more? Read our grammar and editing books.