Some SAT grammar mistakes are hard to notice.
Others accidentally create sentences that are downright strange.
Dangling modifiers belong to the second group.
A modifier is simply a word or phrase that describes something. The problem occurs when that descriptive phrase isn’t clearly connected to the person or thing it’s supposed to describe.
Fortunately, there’s a simple way to catch many of these mistakes:
When a sentence begins with a descriptive phrase, look at the noun that comes immediately after it.
That noun should be the person or thing being described.
What Is a Modifier?
A modifier adds information about something else in the sentence.
For example:
Exhausted after the long hike, Marcus collapsed onto the couch.
The opening phrase:
Exhausted after the long hike
describes Marcus.
Who was exhausted?
Marcus.
Everything makes sense.
What Is a Dangling Modifier?
A dangling modifier happens when the descriptive phrase doesn’t clearly connect to the person or thing it’s supposed to describe.
Consider this sentence:
After studying all night, the test seemed surprisingly easy.
At first, that might sound okay.
But look closely.
Who studied all night?
Certainly not the test!
The sentence begins with:
After studying all night…
So the person who did the studying should appear immediately afterward.
A better version would be:
After studying all night, Jasmine found the test surprisingly easy.
Now the sentence makes sense.
Jasmine studied all night.
The Noun After the Comma Matters
This gives us one of the easiest strategies for these SAT questions.
When a sentence begins with a descriptive phrase followed by a comma, look at what comes immediately afterward.
Correct:
Walking through the crowded airport, Daniel searched for his gate.
Who was walking through the airport?
Daniel.
Perfect.
Incorrect:
Walking through the crowded airport, Daniel’s flight appeared on the departure board.
Who was walking through the airport?
Daniel’s flight?
Unless airplanes have suddenly learned to stroll through terminals, we have a problem.
A better version would be:
Walking through the crowded airport, Daniel noticed his flight on the departure board.
The noun immediately after an introductory descriptive phrase should usually be the person or thing that phrase describes.
The SAT May Hide the Mistake
The SAT won’t always give you an obviously silly sentence.
Sometimes the wrong noun will seem reasonable enough that you need to slow down and check the meaning.
Example:
Hoping to learn more about marine life, the aquarium attracted Sofia’s attention.
At first glance, this might sound fine.
But ask:
Who was hoping to learn more about marine life?
Sofia.
Not the aquarium.
So Sofia needs to come immediately after the descriptive phrase.
Better:
Hoping to learn more about marine life, Sofia visited the aquarium.
Now the modifier clearly describes the correct person.
Misplaced Modifiers Cause a Similar Problem
A misplaced modifier isn’t quite the same as a dangling modifier, but the basic problem is similar.
The descriptive information is placed in the wrong location, causing it to describe the wrong thing.
Example:
Leo handed the sandwich to his brother covered in mustard.
Wait.
What was covered in mustard?
The sandwich?
Or Leo’s brother?
Hopefully the sandwich.
The sentence becomes clearer when the modifier is moved:
Leo handed his brother the sandwich covered in mustard.
Now there’s no confusion.
Ask: “Who Is Actually Doing This?”
Here’s a useful shortcut for SAT modifier questions.
Suppose you see:
After completing the experiment, ______.
Before you even look at the rest of the sentence, ask:
Who completed the experiment?
Whatever person or thing did that action should usually appear immediately after the comma.
For example:
After completing the experiment, the researchers recorded their results.
That works.
But:
After completing the experiment, the results surprised the researchers.
doesn’t work.
The results didn’t complete the experiment.
The researchers did.
Don’t Choose an Answer Just Because It Sounds Better
Modifier questions are a great example of why relying only on your ear can be dangerous on the SAT.
A sentence may sound perfectly normal when you read it quickly.
Instead, slow down and identify exactly what the opening phrase describes.
Ask:
- Who is performing the action?
- Who has the quality being described?
- What noun comes immediately after the phrase?
- Is that actually the noun the phrase is supposed to describe?
If those pieces don’t match, you’ve probably found the problem.
Final Thoughts
Dangling modifier questions become much easier when you know where to look.
When a sentence begins with a descriptive phrase, pay close attention to the noun that follows it.
Then ask one simple question:
Is this really the person or thing being described?
If the answer is yes, you’re probably in good shape.
If the answer is no, the sentence may contain a dangling modifier.
The SAT can surround this rule with long sentences and complicated vocabulary, but the underlying idea stays simple:
Put the description next to the thing it actually describes.
Once you make that a habit, dangling modifiers become much easier to catch before they can steal an SAT point.