UH-Victoria

Dangling Modifiers

Exercise 5

 

Identify the dangling modifiers in the paragraphs below by highlighting them. You may need to refer the rules discussed in the Dangling Modifiers handout.

 

Walking through the rocky terrain, the path seemed like it would never end. The heat was almost unbearable, but somehow John and I made it up the narrow slope of the hill. Having finally accomplished this feat, our picnic lunch looked very appetizing. The chicken sandwiches and cold water were just what we needed to help us regain our energy. After eating lunch, we went sightseeing. Climbing to a height of 500 feet, my eyes could not believe the incredible view.

 

All of a sudden, a feeling of panic surged over me as I looked down below. Dangling from a cliff by its tiny claws, a mountain lion cub struggled to untangle itself from a mass of rope. The tears welled up in my eyes, and I knew that John and I had to get down there fast or else the cub would die. While struggling to get our backpacks off, the cub let out a fierce yelp. I rushed on ahead, determined to rescue the abandoned animal. However, I was in for a surprise. As I reached the ledge where the cub was squirming, a mother mountain lion approached from the brush. Staring into her eyes, my heart froze.

 

Fortunately, John was right behind me. He managed to divert the mother mountain lion’s attention with a link of sausage while I tended to the cub. The poor animal was partially trapped in a hunter’s snare, and it could not seem to untangle itself. Meanwhile, the rope was caught in a crevice that ran up the side of the cliff. It was stretching and splitting, which meant that the cub might fall. To free the cub, the rope would have to be cut. I reached for my pocket knife and began to saw away at the hemp. This would be a tedious process, and I would have to hold the cub steadily in one hand all the while. Glancing back at John and the mother mountain lion, worry nearly overcame me.

 

Holding the mother mountain lion back, the stick was wearing thin. Her claws kept angrily striking at it, hoping to get past us and to her young kitten. I hurriedly sawed at the rope and gripped the cub. The cut was almost complete, but I wondered how much longer John could hold the animal back. It was then that the rope snapped, but my tight grip on the cub sufficed. Tearing rope away from the animal’s torso and legs, I looked quickly back at John. He smiled a tense smile and kept the mountain lion at bay for a moment more. Releasing her cub, the mother lion seemed less angry towards me. Once her cub was safely by her side, the lion appeared to be calm and walked away. John and I felt relief surge over us – we had done Mother Nature a favor, and she had repaid us greatly.

 

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