Grammatically Correct 2/12/08
A weekly grammar tip created by Academic Center Peer Writing Tutors.
University of Houston-Victoria
3007 N. Ben Wilson
Victoria, TX 77901

Misplaced Limiting Modifiers
The Author

Sophia Stevens
Peer Writing Tutor

 
Definitions

modifier: "A general term for all the words, phrases, and clauses that are added to a sentence for descriptive purposes"  (379).

"Adverbs are modifiers that describe verbs or other modifiers; they characterize actions, telling when or how or in what manner" (44).

—Smith and Bernhardt

Limiting modifiers are words that, of course, modify whatever word they precede in a sentence, giving it both emphasis and specificity. Some of the most common of these modifiers are only, hardly, nearly, almost, merely, and simply.

Knowing where to place these modifiers can sometimes be difficult. It may sound correct to place the modifiers before verbs in most cases, but by moving modifiers around, we can see how drastically a sentence’s meaning can change.

We’ll look at the most commonly misplaced limiting modifier, only. Each sentence below is identical in length and uses nearly the exact same wording—but the limiting modifier (only) has been moved. Read each sentence carefully, considering how changing the placement of the modifier changes the meaning of the sentence.

Ex. Last Friday, Grant and Maggie only went to the party to see their old friend.

(The two went to the party but did nothing else last Friday.)

Ex. Last Friday, Grant and Maggie went to the only party to see their old friend.

(The party they attended was the only party that Friday.)

Ex. Last Friday, Grant and Maggie went to the party only to see their old friend.

(The only reason they went to the party was to see their friend.)

Ex. Last Friday, Grant and Maggie went to the party to see their only old friend.

(The two have only one old friend, whom they went to see.)

Don’t be afraid to move your limiting modifiers around until you achieve your intended meaning. Not only will you get your message across as intended, but your audience will also appreciate the clarity of your sentences. Smith and Bernhardt provide this tip for us: "modifiers should be placed as close to what they modify as possible" (87).

References

Smith, Edward L. & Stephen A. Bernhardt. Writing at Work: Professional Writing Skills for People on the Job. Chicago: NTC Publishing Group, 1997.


 

Test Your Knowledge

Test your knowledge of limiting modifier placement by identifying the illogical arrangement in each of the following sentences and moving the modifier to its correct position.

  1. Julian almost knocked over all the bookshelves. (Most of the bookshelves were knocked over.)

  2. Your neighbor is rich? I merely thought he acted wealthy!

  3. That term paper proved simply too complex for Marcia to complete.

  4. Martin began packing for the trip four weeks ago; Hal only began yesterday. (The writer wants to emphasize when Hal began to pack)


Answers
 

  1. Julian knocked over almost all the bookshelves.  (We already know Julian knocked over “most” of the shelves, so he could not have “almost” knocked them over; he did knock over “almost all” of them.)

  2. Your neighbor is rich? I thought he merely acted wealthy!  (“Merely”—or “no more than”—should be attributed not to the writer's thought but to the neighbor's actions.)

  3. That term paper simply proved too complex for Marcia to complete.  (The problem with the paper was that it “proved too complex,” not that it was “simply” complex—an oxymoron.)

  4. Martin began packing for the trip four weeks ago; Hal began only yesterday. (Hal began packing yesterday, but it was not the “only” thing he did yesterday.)
     

Suggested Resources
Related Academic Center Resources

The Academic Center has a handout on Dangling Modifiers and an electronic audio-visual presentation by Candice Chovanec Melzow.

Additionally, a previous issue of Grammatically Correct discussed modifiers: The Placement of Modifiers by Kelli Trungale (originally sent on 6/20/06).

Recommended Grammar Website of the Week

In addition to our website, we recommend the following website for more examples of how to correctly place limiting modifiers: http://www.writersblock.ca/tips/monthtip/tipjun99b.htm.

 
 

Grammatically Correct is a grammar tip of the week created by Academic Center Peer Writing Tutors at the University of Houston-Victoria in Victoria, Texas.

Comments about this newsletter should be directed to Summer Leibensperger, leibenspergers@uhv.edu.

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