16.1 Introduction

Modifiers and parallelism are key elements of clear and effective writing.

• Modifiers: Words, phrases, or clauses that provide additional information about another word in a sentence.
• Parallelism: The use of the same grammatical structure in related parts of a sentence.

Both are essential for writing well-structured sentences. Let’s explore them in detail!

16.2 Modifiers

What is a Modifier?

A modifier is a word, phrase, or clause that adds details or descriptions to another part of the sentence.

✅ Example:

• The energetic puppy ran across the yard. (“Energetic” modifies “puppy”)
• She spoke softly. (“Softly” modifies “spoke”)

Types of Modifiers

1️⃣ Adjective Modifiers (Modify nouns or pronouns)

✅ Example:

• The blue sky looks beautiful. (“Blue” modifies “sky”)
• She is a talented singer.

2️⃣ Adverb Modifiers (Modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs)

✅ Example:

• He ran quickly. (“Quickly” modifies “ran”)
• She is very intelligent. (“Very” modifies “intelligent”)

3️⃣ Phrase Modifiers (Groups of words acting as adjectives or adverbs)

✅ Example:

• The dog with brown spots is friendly. (Prepositional phrase modifying “dog”)
• Walking through the park, she enjoyed the fresh air. (Participle phrase modifying “she”)

4️⃣ Clause Modifiers (Dependent clauses acting as adjectives or adverbs)

✅ Example:

• The book that I borrowed was interesting. (Adjective clause modifying “book”)
• She cried because she was sad. (Adverb clause modifying “cried”)

16.3 Misplaced and Dangling Modifiers

1️⃣ Misplaced Modifiers

A misplaced modifier is placed too far from the word it is supposed to modify, leading to confusion.

❌ Incorrect: She almost drove her kids to school every day. (Did she “almost drive,” or did she drive “almost every day”?)
✅ Correct: She drove her kids to school almost every day.

2️⃣ Dangling Modifiers

A dangling modifier lacks a clear subject to modify.

❌ Incorrect: Walking down the street, the trees looked beautiful. (Who is walking?)
✅ Correct: Walking down the street, I saw the beautiful trees.

16.4 Parallelism

What is Parallelism?

Parallelism means using the same grammatical structure for items in a list or comparison.

✅ Example:

• I like running, swimming, and cycling. (All are gerunds: -ing verbs)

Why Use Parallelism?

• Makes sentences smoother and easier to read.
• Avoids confusion and awkward phrasing.

16.5 Common Errors in Parallelism

1️⃣ Lists and Series

❌ Incorrect: She enjoys reading, to swim, and biking.
✅ Correct: She enjoys reading, swimming, and biking.

2️⃣ Comparisons

❌ Incorrect: He is better at writing than to speak.
✅ Correct: He is better at writing than speaking.

3️⃣ Correlative Conjunctions (either…or, neither…nor, both…and, not only…but also)

❌ Incorrect: She is not only talented but also works hard.
✅ Correct: She is not only talented but also hardworking.

Exercises

A. Identify the misplaced or dangling modifier in each sentence and rewrite the sentence correctly.

1. Running across the field, the goalpost was right in front of him.
2. I found a wallet walking down the street.
3. She served sandwiches to the children on paper plates.

B. Correct the parallelism in the following sentences.

1. He likes to dance, singing, and to act.
2. The teacher said we should write clearly, speak properly, and that we should listen carefully.
3. She is both smart and has kindness.

Answers

A. Corrected Sentences

1. Running across the field, he saw the goalpost right in front of him.
2. Walking down the street, I found a wallet.
3. She served sandwiches on paper plates to the children.

B. Corrected Sentences

1. He likes to dance, sing, and act.
2. The teacher said we should write clearly, speak properly, and listen carefully.
3. She is both smart and kind.