ACADEMIC SKILLS PROGRAM
STUDENT SERVICES AND DEVELOPMENT
MODIFIERS - Misplaced, Dangling. Squinting
Examples:
Misplaced: Bill yelled at the howling dog in his underwear.
Dangling: While smoking a pipe, my dog sat with me by the crackling fire.
Squinting: The woman standing in the doorway to attract attention dropped her purse.
EXERCISES
1.Leaking badly, the sailors abandoned the ship.
2.We saw many cathedrals driving through Europe.
3.Having numerous dangerous curves, Jane drove very carefully over the
mountain road.
4.Happy to have been invited, the party seemed like a lot of fun.
5.The Sherman Country Lin was nowhere in sight, having apparently taken the
wrong road some miles back.
6.Not understanding the text or lecture well, my exam received a poor grade.
7.Though well potted, I cannot get my roses to bloom.
8.After walking for hours, the cabin was found by the hikers.
9.When a little girl, my uncle took me to the circus.
10.To be well cooked, you must boil beets for at least a half hour.
11.After taking a bath, the tub was scoured clean.
12.To read properly, a good light should be put nearby
13.An extroverted person, talking was his pleasure.
14.In too much of a hurry; the walls were painted in a streaky mess.
15.After eating dinner, the table was cleared.
16.Being very crowded, we decided to take a taxi instead of a bus.
17.As a young boy, his family gave him everything he wanted.
18.Being on a diet, my pie had no whipped cream.
19.While looking for bargains at Sears, an exercise bike caught my eye.
20.Having burned the hamburger to cinders, my dinner was scrambled eggs.
21.Filled with sand, Debbie took off her shoes before going into the house.
22.Pedaling as fast as possible, Todd's bike pulled away from the snapping dog.
23.Punctured by a pin, Dexter mended his water bed with a plastic bandage.
24.While waiting for the doctor, there are numerous magazines that you can read.
25.Believing she had done the right thing, no one could convince her that she was
wrong.
26.When ready, take the meat out of the oven immediately.
27.To work efficiently, frequent oiling of the machine is required.
28.A timid person, every little thing frightened him.
29.After reading newspapers in the library, they should be put back in their
proper place.
30.Meeting her only once, she enchanted him completely.
31.Coming into the room, an ancient, moldy fish tank and a hat-rack covered
with cobwebs are seen by the curious visitor.
32.Mt.Shasta loomed formidably in the moonless night, illuminated only by
thousands of stars in the sky.
33.Entering the party, the sound of hard rock music almost blew out our
eardrums.
34.Anxiously snatching up the telephone, I was relieved to hear my brother's
voice.
35.Being from a large family with six sisters and one brother, quarrels, battles
and screams of "I hate you!" were not unusual in the least.
36.My father's finger firmly hit the disconnect button, upon hearing it was a
member of the opposite sex I was dialing.
37.To become a barber, a difficult written examination must be passed.
38.Not wishing to hurt his feelings, she told him his striped green slacks and
purple polka dot tie complemented each other.
39.Coming back to school after several years in the outside world, the
educational experience can be difficult.
40.A door was forced open to escape from the burning theater.
41.Startled by the force of the accusation, yet remembering that every reporter in
the crowded press room had a microphone and camera aimed at her, the
senator drew a deep breath, paused, and began her answer, speaking with an
assurance born of years in public life.
42.After waiting for you for an hour, the evening was ruined.
43.After criticizing both my work and my attitude, I was fired.
44.Upon entering, the store was completely empty.
45.When looking over their resumes, Carol and George have completely different
backgrounds but both could do the job.
46.The passengers on the bus stared at the ceiling or read newspapers with tired
faces.
47.The magician almost held his breath for five minutes while escaping from the
submerged trunk.
48.Neighborhood children watched the new family move in from across the
street.
49.Newspapers ran the story of the politician's lies in every part of the country.
50.I threw some jeans with a candy bar in the pocket into the dryer which became
melted and sticky.
51.After changing the tire, the jack should be released.
52.Driving through Yellowstone, a buffalo blocked the road.
53.After completing the study of staffing requirements, an assistant to the
personnel manager will be hired.
54.After supplying them with seeds all winter, the wild birds wouldn't forage for
insects in the summer.
55.Leaving the building, it had gotten dark.
56.The floors should be vacuumed before polishing the furniture.
57.Mother put the sandwiches in a paper bag that we hadn't eaten.
- When walking into any high-end store, my jaw instantly hits the floor, and my
eyes cannot decide where to stop and focus.
- When skiing, the snow has to be just right.
- The pill came from the bottle that the baby swallowed.
- We sold our car to a used-car dealer that had a cracked cylinder head.
- Dad glued together the vase that Chuck had broken with remarkable skill.
- Grace couldn't say good-bye to her aunt who was leaving the country because
she had the measles.
- They moved the chairs closer to the fire on which they were sitting.
- I was looking at the people waiting for the bus that looked frozen.
- Boring and silly, I turned the TV show off.
- Running to catch the ball at full speed, my cap went flying into the wind.