Lab Activity 44: Misplaced Modifiers

Lab Activities
Lab Activity 44: Misplaced Modifiers

Objective To practice recognizing and correcting misplaced modifiers.

Step 1: In each item below, write a sentence that includes the modifier provided. Do not put the modifier in the same place in every sentence. You may refer to Chapter 44.

Example:
Write a sentence using the modifier which I no longer consider useful.
I still have a functioning rotary telephone, which I no longer consider useful.

Example:
Even Kevin could not serve all the food they served that night.


		1. Write a sentence using the modifier for which we are now sorry. To create paragraphs in your essay response, type <p> at the beginning of the paragraph, and </p> at the end.

		2. Write a sentence using the modifier with her intelligence. To create paragraphs in your essay response, type <p> at the beginning of the paragraph, and </p> at the end.

		3. Write a sentence using the modifier these days. To create paragraphs in your essay response, type <p> at the beginning of the paragraph, and </p> at the end.

		4. Write a sentence using the modifier nearly. To create paragraphs in your essay response, type <p> at the beginning of the paragraph, and </p> at the end.

		5. Write a sentence using the modifier that does not belong to us. To create paragraphs in your essay response, type <p> at the beginning of the paragraph, and </p> at the end.

		*Step 2:* Now, select the topic of one of the sentences you wrote in Step 1. Write a paragraph of at least five sentences about that topic. In your paragraph, use at least four words or phrases that are modifiers. If necessary, you may refer to Chapter 44. After you finish, check to make sure you placed your modifiers correctly. If you did not, revise your sentences for correct modifier placement. To create paragraphs in your essay response, type <p> at the beginning of the paragraph, and </p> at the end.

		*Step 3:* For each sentence below, select the choice that has the modifier placed correctly. If the original sentence is correct, select "No change." 1. Very few American zoos, which is the giant panda, have the most crowd-pleasing animal. [Hint]

		2. One of the reasons for this is that pandas, among others, are expensive to maintain. [Hint]

		3. A typical adult panda, which amounts to eighty-four pounds a day, requires a costly all-vegetarian diet. [Hint]

		4. Zoos, high-priced care for a nonprofit institution, that have two pandas must dedicate a curator, three full-time keepers, and one backup keeper to tend the animals. [Hint]

		5. A panda's care costs more, which is an elephant, than five times that of the next most expensive animal. [Hint]

		6. A crew of six people must travel long distances every day to nearly harvest bamboo for two pandas. [Hint]

		7. But this high-priced care, which is basically a rental fee, is minimal compared to the pandas' biggest cost. [Hint]

		8. A zoo must pay China up to $1 million a year for leasing even two pandas, and the zoo must pay another $1 million to finance research and conservation projects in the United States and China. [Hint]

		9. The cost can also rise another $600,000 a year, which is the additional annual fee if cubs are born. [Hint]

		10. A zoo can plan on losing large amounts of money, the zoo's number one attraction, keeping a panda. [Hint]

		*Step 4:* Now that you have practiced recognizing and correcting misplaced modifiers, think about an experience you have had (or would like to have) involving a zoo or animals. Write a paragraph of at least five sentences about that experience. In your paragraph, include modifying phrases that begin with such words as which or that, an -ing word, an -ed word, and a preposition such as with or from. After you finish, check to make sure you placed your modifiers correctly. If necessary, revise your sentences for correct modifier placements. To create paragraphs in your essay response, type <p> at the beginning of the paragraph, and </p> at the end.

Answer choices in this exercise are randomized and will appear in a different order each time the page is loaded.