How to Identify and Fix Dangling Modifiers

Khan Academy

This educational video provides a clear and humorous explanation of dangling modifiers, a common grammatical error where a descriptive phrase is placed incorrectly within a sentence, leading to confusion or absurdity. Through a collaborative whiteboard-style presentation, two narrators, Paige and Rosie, define what a modifier is and demonstrate how "dangling" one creates a sentence where the subject being modified is unclear or incorrect. They use visual examples to show how sentence structure impacts meaning, emphasizing that a modifier must be placed immediately next to the noun it describes. The video explores two specific examples to illustrate the concept. First, a sentence about a storm implies a bunny is emitting lightning because of poor phrase placement. Second, a sentence about a hamster implies a human named Albert is running on a hamster wheel. In both cases, the narrators walk through the logic of why the sentence is incorrect and provide a rewritten, grammatically correct version. The visual aid of moving text and using arrows helps solidify the connection between the modifier and the noun. For educators, this video serves as an excellent introduction or review of sentence structure and editing skills. It moves beyond abstract rules by showing the "funny" consequences of grammar mistakes, making the learning process engaging. Teachers can use this to introduce a unit on editing, to support creative writing lessons, or as a specific remediation tool for students struggling with sentence clarity and complex sentence construction.