Of course, a life’s partner could just say “I love you” and leave it at that; but we do like to add dramatic emphasis to our declarations of devotion, so, have at it!
Move this modifier (“only”) down the line (placing it in each blank), and explain its new meaning or nuance each time you move it.
only
I love you.
_____ I love you.
I _____ love you.
I love _____ you.
I love you _____.
Same with this sentence…
only
I touched him on the arm yesterday.
_____ I touched him on the arm yesterday.
I _____ touched him on the arm yesterday.
I touched _____ him on the arm yesterday.
I touched him _____ on the arm yesterday.
I touched him on _____ the arm yesterday.
I touched him on the _____ arm yesterday.
I touched him on the arm _____ yesterday.
I touched him on the arm yesterday _____.
The best misplaced and dangling modifiers of all time
Again, place modifiers where they best represent what you decide is each sentence’s intended meaning
| Oozing slowly across the floor, Marvin watched the salad dressing. Waiting for the Moonpie, the candy machine began to hum loudly. Coming out of the market, the bananas fell on the pavement. She handed out brownies to the children stored in tupperware. I smelled the oysters coming down the stairs for dinner. I brushed my teeth after eating with Crest Toothpaste. Grocery shopping at Big Star, the lettuce was fresh. Driving like a maniac, the deer was hit and killed. With his tail held high, my father led his prize poodle around the arena. I saw the dead dog driving down the interstate. Holding a bag of groceries, the roach flew out of the cabinet. Emitting thick black smoke from the midsection, I realized something was wrong. The girl was consoled by the nurse who had just taken an overdose of sleeping pills. I saw an accident walking down the street. Drinking beer at a bar, the car would not start. Playing pool in the living room, the radio was turned on by Jim. Frustrated by diagonal movement, the set was turned off. Mrs. Daniel sews evening gowns just for special customers with sequins stitched on them. Although exhausted and weary, the coach kept yelling, “Another lap!” She carefully studied the Picasso hanging in the art gallery with her friend. Having an automatic stick shift, Nancy bought the car. Freshly painted, Jim left the room to dry. He held the umbrella over Janet’s head that he got from Delta Airlines. He wore a straw hat on his head, which was obviously too small. After drinking too much, the toilet kept moving. |