a word or phrase apparently modifying an unintended word because of its placement in a sentence: e.g., `when young' in `when young, circuses appeal to all of us'A dangling participle is a participial phrase that precedes a main clause but doesn't clearly connect with a subject.
A participial phrase that precedes a main clause but doesn't clearly connect with a subject
The present participle of "dangle" is "dangling"; its past participle is "dangled."
To correct a dangling participle, you should clarify the noun that the participle is modifying in the sentence. This can be done by rephrasing the sentence, moving the participle closer to the noun it should modify, or adding a subject for the participle. This helps to ensure that the sentence is grammatically correct and conveys the intended meaning clearly.
dangling participle!
Dangling can be an adjective, noun and a verb. Adjective: suspended from above. Noun: the act of suspending something from above. Verb: the present participle of the verb 'dangle'.
Dangling participles occur when the subject of the participle is unclear or missing, leading to confusion or ambiguity in a sentence. This can make it difficult for readers to understand the intended meaning of the sentence. It is important to revise sentences with dangling participles to ensure clarity and coherence in writing.
Dangling Participle
Which of the following is the best definition for the term dangling participle?
In the sentence, "Wearing a pleasant smile, she won the beauty contest", the participle is not dangling, because it modifies the first word ("she") after the participial phrase. This use is correct.
A participial phrase that does not modify the nearest word, suitable to be modified by a participle*, to the phrase in the sentence in which the phrase occurs is called "dangling". In the most glaring instances, the word that the participle is intended to modify is not even in the sentence, as in "Sitting in my chair, the light was very weak." It is the speaker or writer who was sitting in the chair, not the light! ______________________________________________________ *Nouns and pronouns in their nominative or objective case [but not in their possessive case], verb, adjectives, and adverbs are suitable.
In the sentence "Washing his car, the lights were on," the participle phrase is "Washing his car." This phrase modifies the subject of the sentence, but it creates a dangling participle because there is no clear noun that it describes. To clarify the meaning, it could be rephrased to specify who was washing the car.
The climber was left dangling for his life on the edge of the cliff.She did not like the way the bracelet was dangling when she drove.Somehow, there is a sock dangling from the tree.
A participle dangles when the participle phrase is not sufficiently close to the word that the participle (or participial phrase) modifies. If the participle is the first element in a sentence, the modified word should be the next word. The most egregious example of a dangling participle occurs when the word modified does not even occur in the same sentence as the participle, as in "Sitting in my chair, numerous events occurred".