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Misplaced and Dangling Modifiers — Answers

Answer sheet with model answers and success criteria for the Year 11 sentences & clauses worksheet.

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Success TutoringWorksheetsAnswer sheetYear 11 · English · Sentences & Clauses

Misplaced and Dangling Modifiers — Answers

Part A: Spot the problem

A misplaced modifier is in the wrong place, so it seems to describe the wrong word. A dangling modifier has no word in the sentence that it can sensibly describe. Circle the best answer.

1.Walking to school, the rain started to pour. What is wrong with this sentence?
  1. ANothing is wrong.
  2. BIt suggests the rain was walking to school.
  3. CIt is a run-on sentence.
  4. DIt uses the wrong tense.

Answer: It suggests the rain was walking to school.

The opening phrase Walking to school must describe the subject that follows it, which here is the rain. This is a dangling modifier.

2.She served sandwiches to the children on paper plates. The modifier problem makes it sound as if:
  1. Athe sandwiches were small
  2. Bthe children were on paper plates
  3. Cshe was on a paper plate
  4. Dthere were no plates

Answer: the children were on paper plates

on paper plates sits next to the children. Better: She served the children sandwiches on paper plates.

3.Which sentence means that Leo ate nothing except the cake?
  1. AOnly Leo ate the cake.
  2. BLeo only ate the cake.
  3. CLeo ate only the cake.
  4. DLeo ate the only cake.

Answer: Leo ate only the cake.

only directly before the cake limits what he ate. Only Leo means nobody else ate it; the only cake means there was one cake.

4.Which sentence is correct?
  1. AHaving finished the exam, the papers were collected by the teacher.
  2. BHaving finished the exam, the students handed in their papers.
  3. CHaving finished the exam, it was time to leave.
  4. DHaving finished the exam, the bell rang.

Answer: Having finished the exam, the students handed in their papers.

The students are the ones who finished the exam, so they must be the subject straight after the opening phrase.

5.I almost read the whole book. Strictly, this means:
  1. AI read most of the book.
  2. BI thought about reading the book but did not start it.
  3. CI read the book twice.
  4. DI read the book quickly.

Answer: I thought about reading the book but did not start it.

almost modifies read, so you almost read it (and did not). I read almost the whole book means you read most of it.

6.The museum displayed a dinosaur skeleton for visitors that was as long as a bus.
  1. Acorrect as written
  2. Bsuggests the visitors were as long as a bus
  3. Cis missing a verb
  4. Dhas no subject

Answer: suggests the visitors were as long as a bus

The clause that was as long as a bus should follow skeleton.

Part B: Fix the modifier

Rewrite each sentence so the modifier clearly describes the right word. You may need to add a subject.

7.Looking out of the plane window, the mountains seemed tiny.

Answer: Looking out of the plane window, I thought the mountains seemed tiny.

  1. Add a subject who is looking. Also correct: As I looked out of the plane window, the mountains seemed tiny.
8.After being fed, the zookeeper locked the lions' enclosure.

Answer: After the lions were fed, the zookeeper locked their enclosure.

  1. As written, the zookeeper was fed. Also correct: The zookeeper locked the lions' enclosure after feeding them.
9.The student found a wallet walking home from the station.

Answer: Walking home from the station, the student found a wallet.

  1. Move the phrase next to the student, not the wallet.
10.To win the competition, a lot of practice is needed.

Answer: To win the competition, you need a lot of practice.

  1. Add a subject who wants to win. Also correct: To win the competition, the team needs a lot of practice.
11.We nearly saw every exhibit in the gallery.

Answer: We saw nearly every exhibit in the gallery.

  1. nearly belongs before every exhibit.

Part C: Your turn

12.Your turn: edit this extract from a science report. It contains four modifier errors. Rewrite the paragraph correctly, then underline each change. Using a thermometer, the temperature of the water was measured every minute. We only recorded results for ten minutes because the bell rang. Heated over a flame, we watched the water begin to bubble. The beaker was placed on the bench with a cracked base, so we replaced it.

Model answer: Using a thermometer, we measured the temperature of the water every minute. We recorded results for only ten minutes because the bell rang. As the water was heated over a flame, we watched it begin to bubble. The beaker with a cracked base was placed on the bench, so we replaced it.

Success criteria:

  • Fixes the dangling modifier in sentence 1 by adding the people measuring
  • Moves only so that it limits ten minutes
  • Fixes the dangling modifier in sentence 3 so the water, not we, is heated
  • Moves with a cracked base next to beaker
  • Keeps the original meaning and a formal report style
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Marking tips

  • Give credit for correct method even when the final answer slips — the working shows where the thinking went right.
  • For open-ended tasks, use the success criteria as a checklist rather than looking for one "right" answer.
  • Celebrate what went well first, then pick one thing to work on next.

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