Misplaced Modifier Examples

Misplaced modifiers can confuse your readers. These modifiers, when placed incorrectly in a sentence, change the meaning or make the sentence unclear.

Here, you will find examples of misplaced modifiers divided into different categories:

Adjective Misplaced Modifiers

  • Badly: She wore the dress badly wrinkled to the party.

  • Beautifully: The artist painted the portrait beautifully framed.

  • Carefully: The chef sliced the vegetables carefully chosen.

  • Closely: The detective followed the suspect closely watched.

  • Deeply: The speaker expressed her feelings deeply touched.

  • Eagerly: The student read the book eagerly anticipated.

  • Excitedly: The child opened the gift excitedly wrapped.

  • Fully: The team discussed the plan fully prepared.

  • Gently: The nurse bandaged the wound gently cleaned.

  • Greatly: The company appreciated the effort greatly admired.

  • Happily: The couple looked at the house happily purchased.

  • Heavily: The rain poured on the garden heavily watered.

  • Highly: The film was praised highly acclaimed.

  • Impatiently: The dog waited for its owner impatiently leashed.

  • Joyfully: The choir sang the song joyfully composed.

  • Loudly: The teacher scolded the student loudly reprimanded.

  • Quickly: The athlete ran the race quickly finished.

  • Rapidly: The company expanded its operations rapidly growing.

  • Quietly: The librarian arranged the books quietly returned.

  • Rarely: The author wrote novels rarely published.

  • Regularly: The doctor checked on the patient regularly scheduled.

  • Seldom: The musician played concerts seldom attended.

  • Silently: The cat crept through the house silently prowling.

  • Slowly: The traffic moved along the road slowly driven.

  • Softly: The wind blew through the trees softly rustling.

  • Sternly: The coach addressed the team sternly warned.

  • Swiftly: The bird flew across the sky swiftly soaring.

  • Thoroughly: The inspector examined the building thoroughly inspected.

  • Tightly: The boy held onto the kite tightly gripped.

  • Warmly: The hostess greeted the guests warmly welcomed.

Adverb Misplaced Modifiers

  • Afterwards: She remembered to lock the door afterwards leaving.

  • Already: The meeting had started already beginning.

  • Always: He has been late always arriving.

  • Before: The cat scratched the sofa before sitting.

  • Briefly: The manager explained the project briefly mentioned.

  • Currently: The system is down currently operating.

  • Eventually: The car will stop eventually breaking.

  • Finally: She got the job finally accepting.

  • Frequently: He visits the park frequently jogging.

  • Generally: The weather is nice generally speaking.

  • Hardly: They could hardly hear him whispering.

  • Immediately: He left the room immediately finishing.

  • Later: She will call you later talking.

  • Likely: He will attend the event likely participating.

  • Loudly: The alarm rang loudly warning.

  • Now: You should start now preparing.

  • Occasionally: They dine out occasionally eating.

  • Often: He forgets his keys often leaving.

  • Possibly: She could possibly arrive late coming.

  • Quickly: The news spread quickly sharing.

  • Rarely: She smiles rarely laughing.

  • Recently: They moved recently relocating.

  • Seldom: He watches TV seldom viewing.

  • Seriously: She took the advice seriously considering.

  • Slowly: The glacier moves slowly shifting.

  • Suddenly: He appeared suddenly arriving.

  • Usually: They are busy usually working.

  • Virtually: The task is done virtually completing.

  • Widely: The book is widely read distributing.

  • Yesterday: She cleaned the house yesterday tidying.

Noun Misplaced Modifiers

  • Balloon: He gave a red balloon to the child twisted.

  • Book: She read the book quickly published.

  • Building: They entered the old building demolished.

  • Car: He sold his car damaged.

  • Chair: She sat in the chair broken.

  • Dog: He adopted a dog abandoned.

  • Dress: She wore the dress stained.

  • Engine: They repaired the engine overheated.

  • Glass: He drank from the glass cracked.

  • Hat: She wore a hat decorated.

  • House: They bought the house renovated.

  • Job: He left the job stressful.

  • Lamp: She turned on the lamp broken.

  • Letter: He received a letter written.

  • Map: They followed the map drawn.

  • Note: She wrote a note forgotten.

  • Painting: He admired the painting damaged.

  • Picture: She took a picture blurred.

  • Plant: He watered the plant withered.

  • Ring: She wore a ring missing a stone.

  • Room: They entered the room messy.

  • Sculpture: He created a sculpture unfinished.

  • Shirt: He wore a shirt torn.

  • Sign: They noticed the sign faded.

  • Spoon: She used a spoon bent.

  • Table: He cleaned the table dusty.

  • Toy: He played with a toy broken.

  • Tree: They climbed the tree fallen.

  • Window: She opened the window stuck.

  • Yard: They fenced the yard overgrown.

Verb Misplaced Modifiers

  • Accepted: He accepted the job gladly offered.

  • Announced: They announced the results enthusiastically received.

  • Bought: She bought the car cheaply priced.

  • Built: They built the house quickly constructed.

  • Completed: He completed the project successfully delivered.

  • Decided: She decided to join the group willingly invited.

  • Discussed: They discussed the plan thoroughly debated.

  • Found: He found the key quickly located.

  • Given: She was given the award proudly received.

  • Handled: They handled the situation carefully managed.

  • Heard: He heard the news suddenly revealed.

  • Implemented: They implemented the strategy effectively executed.

  • Joined: She joined the team eagerly accepted.

  • Learned: He learned the skill quickly mastered.

  • Made: She made the cake beautifully decorated.

  • Opened: He opened the door cautiously approached.

  • Performed: They performed the task efficiently completed.

  • Prepared: She prepared the meal expertly cooked.

  • Presented: He presented the proposal confidently delivered.

  • Published: They published the article widely read.

  • Received: She received the package unexpectedly delivered.

  • Reported: He reported the incident accurately described.

  • Solved: They solved the problem quickly fixed.

  • Started: She started the project enthusiastically begun.

  • Taught: He taught the lesson clearly explained.

  • Told: They told the story vividly narrated.

  • Understood: She understood the concept easily grasped.

  • Visited: He visited the museum frequently attended.

  • Wrote: They wrote the letter passionately crafted.

  • Yielded: She yielded the results successfully achieved.

Pronoun Misplaced Modifiers

  • He: He almost won every race.

  • Hers: Hers nearly surpassed all others in quality.

  • I: I barely missed the deadline.

  • It: It nearly broke during the move.

  • Me: Me almost getting caught was terrifying.

  • Mine: Mine nearly collapsed under pressure.

  • She: She nearly finished her project early.

  • Theirs: Theirs almost failed the safety test.

  • They: They nearly lost the game.

  • Us: Us nearly avoiding the accident was a relief.

  • We: We almost reached our goal.

  • Yours: Yours almost won the competition.

Adverb Phrase Misplaced Modifiers

  • After lunch: After lunch, the meeting was scheduled at 3 PM.

  • Almost every day: He works out almost every day at the gym.

  • At the park: At the park, she saw the kids playing.

  • Before dinner: Before dinner, she likes to take a walk.

  • During the meeting: During the meeting, they discussed important matters.

  • Every morning: Every morning, he reads the newspaper.

  • In the afternoon: In the afternoon, she usually takes a nap.

  • In the beginning: In the beginning, the project was exciting.

  • In the evening: In the evening, they watch TV.

  • Last week: Last week, she visited her grandparents.

  • On Fridays: On Fridays, they go to the movies.

  • Over the weekend: Over the weekend, he finished the report.

  • Throughout the year: Throughout the year, they planned several events.

  • Yesterday afternoon: Yesterday afternoon, he cleaned the garage.

Noun Phrase Misplaced Modifiers

  • A book: He wrote a book interesting and engaging.

  • A car: She drove a car fast and sleek.

  • A gift: They gave a gift beautifully wrapped.

  • A house: He bought a house old and charming.

  • A letter: She received a letter well-written.

  • A painting: He admired a painting colorful and vivid.

  • A photograph: She took a photograph breathtaking and scenic.

  • A sculpture: He created a sculpture modern and abstract.

  • A song: She sang a song melodious and soothing.

  • A story: He told a story captivating and suspenseful.

  • A toy: She played with a toy new and shiny.

  • An idea: They presented an idea innovative and creative.

  • An invitation: He sent an invitation formal and elegant.

  • An outfit: She wore an outfit trendy and fashionable.

  • An opportunity: He seized an opportunity rare and valuable.