Misplaced/Dangling Modifiers

Occasionally, you may read something that is worded in such a way that you are left wondering what the writer meant.  In published works, this is rare, but there have been a couple of times I wanted to contact an author and ask their meaning!
I can usually figure it out by rereading several times, but I lose confidence in the author if it happens several times in the same book.

When learning about writing, misplaced modifiers are one thing to watch out for.   Sometimes they are so funny!

Example:  "Hanging on a nail in his closet, my husband found his tie."
Was my husband really hanging on a nail in his closet when he found his tie?
Correction:  "My  husband  found his tie hanging on a nail in his closet."
OR "Hanging on a nail in his closet, my  husband's tie was found."
The phrase "hanging on a nail in his closet" modifies the noun "tie."
The second way of correction doesn't seem to flow as smoothly as the first, and it changes the subject of the sentence (which is fine).  Sometimes you may need to try several sentence structures before finding the one that conveys the meaning you wish.

Example:  "The boys ate sandwiches that Mom had made in the tent."
Did Mom make the sandwiches in the tent?  She could have, but is this what the writer intended to say?
Correction:  "In the tent, the boys ate sandwiches that Mom had made."
If Mom did make the sandwiches in the tent, the first sentence would be correct, but may leave the reader unsure, especially if they know about misplaced modifiers.
This example, "In the tent, Mom had made the sandwiches that the boys ate," still sounds like the Mom was in the tent.
I also wouldn't say, "Mom had made the sandwiches in the tent that the boys ate."
How funny!  Those are some hungry boys!  =)

Example:  "Jumping up and down with excitement, the gift was given to me."
Was the gift jumping up and down with excitement?
This sentence needs to be reworded a little, as well as needing additional words.
Correction:  "I jumped up and down with excitement as the gift was given to me."
Or:  "Jumping up and down with excitement, I accepted the gift."

►Learn more about misplaced and dangling modifiers and take online quizzes to see how you do at Towson.edu.

►Here are some funny church bulletin bloopers:  =)
• Seven new choir robes are currently needed due to the addition of several new members and to the deterioration of some older ones.
• Please place your donation in the envelope along with the deceased person you want remembered.
• For those of you who have children and don't know it, we have a nursery downstairs.

sMiLeS,

Writing

Five Tips for Writing - Part One, Planning and Paragraphing (10:51)
(apparently, he never posted Part Two)
Write in notebook: TipTop (when to start a new paragraph)
Ti - Time changes
P - Place changes
To - Topic changes
P - Person changes
Write in notebook:
1.  The first important step is ____.
2.  The teacher used the ____-_______ method.
3.  To link paragraphs, use ________ words.
4.  What letter of the alphabet helps you branch out and make your paragraphs more descriptive?
5.  Your paragraphs should be different ___________.

Even after all that work put into writing, as excellent as it may be, there are always revisions that can be done.  The best thing is to wait a day and work on revisions then.
Three-step revision process
In notebook, list and explain each step.
1. Big Picture
2. Paragraphs
3. Sentences

BJU 6th grade English, chapter 2

Writing a Personal Narrative
Preview.  These wd need to be done w/ supervision and paused occasionally because she talks fast.  You may decide to only show parts of the videos or whatever pertains to what you're trying to teach.
L12 A Personal Narrative
Personal Narrative 1 with 11yo Adora Svitak
L13  Using Descriptive Details
It's Your World: Descriptive Writing with Adora Svitak
L17 Proofreading
Teach Children to Read : How to Proofread Documents

BJU 6th grade English, chapter 1

Sentences

L2  Subjects and Predicates
♫ Mr. Morton, Grammar Rock

L3  Compound Subjects and Predicates
Coordinating Conjunctions

L5 Subordinating Conjunctions
1. Subordinate clause (lists subordinating conjunctions)
2. What is a clause?
3. Dependent Clauses

L6 Complex Sentences
What is a complex sentence?

L7 Simple, Compound, and Complex Sentence
1. What is a sentence?
2. What is a clause?
3. What is a compound sentence?

L8 Prepositions
1. Grammar Rock Prepositions
2. ♫ 2 Boys sing prepositions
3. Prepositions

L9 Prepositional Phrases
1.  Preposition (story)
2.  Prepositions (stick figures naming prep)
3.  Eng Gram Lesson, Prep and Prep Phrases

Adjectives with Marcella and Armando

(1) What are adjectives?
Adjectives describe nouns, and can answer the question, what kind?


(2) The Four Principle Functions of Adjectives
Adjectives also tell what color, how many, which one (a, an, the, and other descriptive adj.)


(3) Using Adjectives to Compare
-er, -est. Does not mention the words comparative and superlative.


(4) Reviewing Adjectives

Lord Syntax & Adjectives

Lord Syntax has lost his book of modifiers!

(1)  Lord Syntax and Adjectives

Adjectives are modifiers that modify nouns and pronouns.

They answer the questions which,what kind, how many, what color, what size.

Articles a, an, and the; demonstrative adjectives these, this, that, and those.

Do not confuse the adjective form of these, this, that, and those with the pronoun form.

(2) Lord Syntax and Adjectives 2

Degrees of comparison. 

--Positive, no comparison;

--Comparative, -er; less and more;

--Superlative, -est; least and most.
Irregular Adjectives.