First of all, what’s a modifier?  Basically it’s a word or phrase that describes what you’re talking about (the grown-up/technical definition: it’s an adverb, adjective, phrase, or clause that acts as a modifier (but I don’t like it when you use the word you’re defining in the definition)).

A misplaced modifier is when you put the word in the wrong spot and thus describe the wrong thing:

Wrong: The students were told their test would only cover cosmetology by their teacher.

Right: The students were told by their teacher that their test would only cover cosmetology.

Wrong: (This one courtesy of Jan Venolia): He told her that he wanted to marry her frequently.

Right: He frequently told her that he wanted to marry her.

Natasha Deen author
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