misplaced modifier
- noun
- /ˈmɪsˌpleɪst ˈmɒdɪfaɪər/
- Specialized
:
modificador desubicado
- A misplaced modifier can lead to sentences like 'Flying planes can be dangerous,' where it sounds like planes perform the action.
Examples
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In the phrase, 'She almost drove her kids to school every day,' the misplaced modifier changes the intended meaning.
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The classic example of a misplaced modifier is, 'She found a gold man's watch.'
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Careful writers avoid using a misplaced modifier to prevent confusion.
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The sentence contains a misplaced modifier that makes its meaning unclear.
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This is a misplaced modifier.
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Look at that misplaced modifier!
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To clarify the meaning, we must identify the misplaced modifier in the sentence.
Synonyms
A word or phrase in a sentence placed so it seems to describe the wrong thing and confuses the reader
A word or phrase not clearly attached to the part of a sentence it describes
How Attached
- Specialized
5
4.4
- Specialized
- Specialized
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly and compositionally derived from 'misplaced' (in the wrong location) + 'modifier' (a word or phrase that changes or qualifies meaning): a modifier that is placed in the wrong spot. This adjectival + noun composition is transparent and cross-linguistically common in grammar descriptions, so a B1 learner who knows the constituent words should be able to infer the intended meaning.
Etymology
Misplaced modifier comes from the image of a small label put in the wrong place: a modifier is a word that describes something, and if it is misplaced it looks like it describes the wrong word. So a sentence with a misplaced modifier becomes 'confusing' or gives the 'wrong' meaning.