Dangling Modifiers
Jared Aragona
Dangling modifiers
Don’t leave out the word or words you intend to modify, or your modifier will dangle ridiculously.
At four years old, my mother began architecture work on the Guggenheim Museum.
(Incorrect) — This reads as though the writer’s mother began working on the project at four years old.
When I was four years old, my mother began architecture work on the Guggenheim Museum.
(Correct) — Adding a noun to the dependent clause at the beginning of the sentence makes it clearer.
The MLCKRB (Master List Code Key and Rule Book): An English Grammar & Style Handbook by Jared Aragona, CC BY 4.0
