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.