Dangling Modifiers

You know that moment when you’re reading your own writing, feeling like a literary genius, and something just feels... off? Something you can't quite put your finger on? Something like: “Running down the street, my coffee flew out of my hand.”  Wait, what? My coffee was running down the street?

Cue the facepalm.

That, my friends, is a dangling modifier. And once you learn what they are, you’ll see them everywhere—in your own writing, in published books, in your favorite song lyrics. They're sneaky little things, and today I want to help you spot (and fix) them before they trip you up.

What Is a Dangling Modifier?
A dangling modifier is a descriptive phrase that’s left “dangling” because it doesn’t clearly or logically match the subject of the sentence. Usually, it’s at the beginning of the sentence, trying to describe something, but it ends up attached to the wrong noun—or worse, nothing at all.

Incorrect: “Walking through the forest, the birds chirped loudly.”

Who’s walking through the forest? According to this sentence, it’s the birds. That's certainly possible, but probably not what the author intended. 

Corrected: “Walking through the forest, I heard the birds chirping loudly.”

I’m walking, the birds are chirping.

Why Do Writers Use Them?
Because they're human. And often, they're trying to write fast and get the idea down. Dangling modifiers happen when we use descriptive phrases but forget to clearly state who's doing the action. It’s especially easy to slip up when we’re in the flow of writing and don’t slow down to reread.

I think a lot of people fall into the trap of trying to sound “writerly” too. Starting sentences with cool, sensory phrases: “Glowing in the moonlight,” “Rushing to finish,” “Having never skydived before...” And hey, there’s nothing wrong with that! You just have to make sure that the noun right after the modifier is the thing doing the action.

How to Catch a Dangling Modifier
Whenever you start a sentence with a phrase like:

• After eating lunch…
• While driving home…
• Covered in mud…
• Tired and frustrated…

Immediately ask yourself: Who is doing that action? Is it clear? Is it logical? If not, fix it.

Dangling: “After eating too much pizza, the couch felt heavenly.”
(Unless your couch has taste buds, something’s off.)

Better: “After eating too much pizza, I sank into the couch, which felt heavenly.”

Dangling modifiers aren’t the end of the world, but they do mess with clarity and sometimes give your readers a laugh for the wrong reasons. If you’re serious about leveling up your writing (and not accidentally sending your coffee jogging down Main Street), keep an eye out for them during revision.

Once you learn to spot them, they’re hard to ignore. Like plot holes. Or bad metaphors. Or books with no chapter breaks. You get the idea.

May your modifiers always dangle with purpose!