how to fix dangling prepositions

As you may have noticed, I was an English major at college. Heartfelt thanks for this interesting subject. An easy test to help reduce the number of prepositions is to search for the genitive case, or a possessive form: If a sentence could use the genitive case but doesn’t, revise the sentence. Prepositions with one syllable or few letters are the most common. Regarding the contract, you should not sign before reading it. Complete the preposition and move the words to where the meaning is clearer or … Here are a few more strategies that we use: 1. The dangling participle, if found guilty, seems to imply that lawsuit itself will be found guilty. I, too, hate those 'double negatives'. This is common, even expected, in everyday speech, but is frowned upon in more formal registers. When correcting a dangling preposition, you can sometimes just delete the preposition, add an object (perhaps with modifiers), add an object and move the preposition's phrase to somewhere else in the sentence, such as the beginning to serve as a transition, or reword the sentence so no preposition is required. rewrite the sentence so no prepostion is required. "Down," "round," and "till" can serve different sentence functions, depending on their use. or "Yeah. Compound prepositions are two prepositions combined. There is a scene and the boy says, "Which door do I leave from?" Rewriting sentences with dangling prepositions In order to rewrite sentences to avoid dangling prepositions, we have to move the preposition to an earlier part of the sentence before its object. Theresa M. Odom-Surgick from Albany, New York on August 29, 2014: Thank you! Phrasal prepositions are the most complex type of preposition. She brought a box to me. Complete the preposition and move the words to where the meaning is clearer or at the beginning to work as a transition. Correct. To fix a dangler move either the dangling bit or the rest of its phrase, so they are in order starting with the preposition or participle. Misusing prepositions is an easy problem to fix. So, the phrase, "I couldn't care less" means I am incapable of caring any less than right now because I don't care at all! Jackie and Examiner, I guess we've found one of our pet peeves with language. I have been trying to change this, and your column is wonderful! Marie Flint (author) from Jacksonville, FL USA on December 03, 2013: Thank you, Jackie. ***, One I always had to argue with was, "I couldn't care less." We pay little attention to our reaction to failure. Thank you for underscoring the right usage; it also makes for better reading. A preposition typically sits before a noun to show the noun's relationship with another nearby word. Sitting on the park bench, I watched the sun disappear behind the clouds. Less than what? The implied answer is "less than I care right now." Writers and editors aid clarity and conciseness by uncovering nominalizations, otherwise known as buried, or smothered, verbs. A dangling modifier happens when you put a descriptive phrase next to a word that it doesn’t describe. Change the phrase that dangles into a complete introductory clause by naming the doer of the action in that clause: Without knowing his name, it was difficult to introduce him. Except for an occasional breeze, the air was as still as stone. Precise Edit: I agree that audience and context are paramount and we’re in the realms of style rather than grammar, but even so, in most of your examples, I prefer the first. A corrected sentence, then, might read, "If found guilty, the company could lose billions." A preposition which occurs at the end of a sentence or phrase, because it has been separated from its object, is known as a dangling, hanging, or stranded preposition. An object answers the question of who, what, when, where, or why. Sometimes a preposition at the end of the sentence is really a problem. Which door do I leave from, asshole?" It is also called a dangling participle, hanging modifier, floater, floating modifier, or misrelated participle. I like to take sentences apart mentally to see how the different words are functioning in context. Delete the preposition if the meaning of the sentence doesn't change. >> She brought me a box. Reword the sentence so no preposition is required. I agree about the language. Look forward to reading your hub on that. The modifier needs to be moved next to the word it is modifying. So, as prepositions are designed to sit before nouns, there is some logic to the ruling that a preposition can't be at the end of a sentence. My little efforts are an attempt to regain some hope for scholarly usage. For example, the sentence “Their attempt to provide a justification of the expense was unsuccessful,” simplified to “Their attempt to justify the expense was unsuccessful,” not only transforms the verb+article+nominalization clump “provide a justification” into the streamlined verb justify but also makes of unnecessary. If you've ever been disciplined by a parent, you may recall something similar to the following conversation. Was that the one with Robin Williams studying to become a doctor? I'm glad you found this hub useful. I was taught, in other words, not to dangle my prepositions—maybe you were, too. True. (Anyone ready for reviving ALICE THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS? There are no prepostions in this sentence. You are so right about those gerund modifiers! Omitting dangling prepositions from your article writing improves the quality of the piece and is easier for the reader to comprehend. I suppose the hodge-podge of an English that's already made up of words from so many invaders becomes even more so when the languages of many American citizens are added. I go back and catch many things like these and recognize it taking a fresh look at it but I am sure much I miss much! Written Quote: "I'm going to clean up this mess.". Very helpful information that I'd forgotten. This usage is incorrect because modifiers should be next to the word they describe, and doing otherwise causes people to misread the sentence. Ex: changes to the global economy >> global economic changes, 2. A preposition is said to dangle (or hang, or be stranded) when it is split from its object and placed at the end of its clause. This practice seems to be fairly common in informal writing, but certainly has no place in polished article writing. --Blessings! >> Mary threw John the ball. With adjectives I was on my way to work and noticed a cream woman’s handbag in the gutter. In any writing endeavor, one must consider the audience. In article writing, the author will eliminate informal speech for clarity to appeal to the greatest number of readers. or why? To which the professor says, "At Harvard, we don't end our sentences with prepositions," and his witty reply is "Okay. This is but one strategy we use. The main clause now names the person (the captain) who did the action in the modifying phrase (arrived late). Marie Flint (author) from Jacksonville, FL USA on December 02, 2013: That's a funny line, MizBejabbers! "But" and other prepositions at the end of a sentence beg completion. "I ain't got nothin'." Marie Flint (author) from Jacksonville, FL USA on January 09, 2014: I think I enjoyed grammar because I have an analytical mind. Dangling modifiers always come at the beginning of a sentence. Find the answers you're looking for here. Your right, Jackie, that's a good example. --Blessings! More often than not, dangling modifiers appear in the form of a participle phrase. I am looking forward to seeing more subjects like this especially those concerning the use of articles, relative clauses….etc. A modifying word or phrase “dangles” when it doesn’t apply to the word it’s supposed to modify. If the vernacular is excessive, however, the reader may have a difficult time following the story. Here’s an example of the same strategy: Have you ever seen the movie With Honors? It was the lobster. And another: So, in creative writing, a little rule bending is essentially akin to poetic license. You may have learned that ending a sentence with a preposition is a serious breach of grammatical etiquette. Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Sebranek, Meyer, and Kemper; Write for College: A Student Handbook; Write Source (Houghton Mifflin), Wilmington, Massachusetts; 1997 ISBN 0-669-44402-2. Doris James MizBejabbers from Beautiful South on December 06, 2013: I found the comments on double negatives interesting. Dangling Modifier: How To Fix A Dangling Modifier (with Helpful Examples) - 7 E S L. Dangling Modifier. So, you're ending a sentence with a preposition; and now you're wondering if it's grammatically correct to do so. From the University of Texas website: “Prepositions cannot come at the end of a sentence or clause. Somewhere along the line, I was taught not to end a sentence with a preposition. We Americans are a colorful lot! To Dangle or Not to Dangle: On Ending a Sentence with a Preposition By Susan Doose. Ann Carr from SW England on December 05, 2013: Yes it's interesting that there are words in America which either don't exist here or that have totally different meanings - can be embarrassing! When I first started as a legal editor, I was startled to find that double negatives were used in legal writing for emphasis. Read on to discover how to recognize and fix dangling and misplaced modifiers. I have an included those with adapted Latin prefixes in this list. Churchill replied “This is the type of arrant pedantry up with which I will not put.” My retired English teacher friend told this but it has now been debunked. Marie Flint (author) from Jacksonville, FL USA on December 06, 2013: In math, a double negative in multiplication and division equals a positive. That gets translated over into language, and that's what makes the double negatives confusing, because the speaker usually means the opposite (negative not positive). lol. You can … Generally, they are participles phrases, infinitive phrases, or prepositional phrases. One gets away with a lot more in speech, but, then communication is much more than words. Anyhow, the point is well taken. Jackie Lynnley from the beautiful south on December 02, 2013: Great refresher course. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Add an object and move the preposition to a different place in the sentence. I somehow overlooked your crucial “Here’s a place where it might not be appropriate”. I wish I could think of an example, but I don't have a law book handy. Important stuff! Thanks so much for this more-than-super article. Dangling Modifiers. In particular (partly because of where the words wrap), “Frank kicked his screaming fans…” is what is sometimes nicknamed a garden path sentence, because you have to revise your interpretation as you get to the end of the sentence. I took the picture of her to the police. The prepositions in the above sentence are "to" and "of.". Incorrect. >> I took the police the picture of her. There are two simple ways to fix a dangling modifier. In each correction, the simplest expression appears followed by one that more closely uses the words of the original. I only hope this hub helps those who need to read it! Incorrect: Our reaction to failure is something we pay little attention to. If not, it sounds similar. The preposition atop is missing an object all together. Mary threw the ball to John. So, here you see that prepositions can begin a sentence, but should not end a sentence when writing an article for publication. Revision of the sentence “The politician responded to the allegations with vehemence” to “The politician responded vehemently to the allegations” strengthens the thought and deletes the weak preposition with. Bless you both. Having a sound basis of grammatical English is necessary for good writing; prepositions are some of the most difficult words to use correctly, especially for those where English is a second language. No." Also many sentences were written with the negative, "No person shall ...." We are trying to write now to the positive, "A person shall not....". To use the participle, you could say, "Wait for the hiking campers to get back.” "Hiking," the participle, tells you what the campers are doing—what kind of campers they are—hiking campers. So much on the internet, however, seems to be going over Niagara Falls in a barrel. Here are two examples of sentences ending in a dangling preposition that appeared in a professional article, along with examples of how the sentences might be corrected. Without the split prepositional phrase, the form a "perfectionist" — who believes that good grammar forbids this construction in every case — would prefer is: Preposition stranding, sometimes called P-stranding, is the syntactic construction in which a preposition with an object occurs somewhere other than immediately adjacent to its object; for example, at the end of a sentence. A sentence might include one or more prepositions, words that take objects (nouns) to complete an idea. Marie Flint (author) from Jacksonville, FL USA on August 29, 2014: You're welcome, Lady Treana. Proper Noun: Definition, Rules And Examples Of Proper Nouns - 7 E S L. There are various types of nouns within the English language, and one such type is the proper noun. Learn how to use Dangling Prepositions in English! Conversation and creative writing follow freer standards than nonfiction journalism. ***. Somewhere along the way I never developed a good grasp on the rules of grammar. There is, however, something you can do to spot it for yourself. Now, sitting on the park bench clearly modifies the pronoun I, so it's not dangling any longer! Don't leave them dangling! Yes, English is a rather complicated language compared to others. Annart, sometimes I'm guilty of starting a sentence with a conjunction. I was on my way to work and noticed a woman’s cream handbag in the gutter. I've used that phrase, "I couldn't care less" myself with the intended meaning that I didn't care at all. dangling modifiers Dangling modifiers seem to continually crop up, sometimes even in the writing of experienced and educated language professionals. In the writer’s toolbox, adverbs are stronger tools than prepositional phrases. If the dangling preposition doesn’t have an object, we also have … It doesn't take a grammarian to spot a sentence-ending preposition, so this is an easy rule to get caught up on (!). All Right Reserved. From my point it is hard to tell whether it is a double negative, but I would say that it is a 'contradiction'. In my day you did not argue much with teachers, which is probably just as well. After reading this subject, you are now more aware of what prepositions are and have seen a few examples of them in sentences. To fix participles that dangle, move them so that they come right before or after the noun or pronoun that they're modifying. Ex: I’ll build a house for you >> I’ll build you a house, 3. Find a confidant who has survived the same setback you are suffering through. Kindness and compassion, however, are the keys to true happiness, whatever one's language may be. Well, yeah, and that's why I mentioned it's okay for your characters to talk with dangling prepositions, because we pretty much ALL talk that way. I sometimes (but rarely) end a sentence with a preposition just to avoid this type of pedantry. Thanks, Mark. Speech: I have no idea where I'm going to. Great post Mark, I have to admit it took me a while to get over some of the prepositions I used as a crutch but there are sometimes I tend to forget. A dangling modifier has no concrete or logical referent in the sentence to which it can attach itself and therefore is … Having injured his dominant hand, it … By their very nature, it is sometimes believed, prepositions should appear before the word or phrase that they govern – inside the box, around the corner, in respect of the annual fiscal report of 2014-2015. Prepositions are like building blocks that add information to the sentence. Marie studied at Michigan State University four years in English (creative writing). Although speech is the language and language is alive, ever changing, good writing follows certain rules and has more permanency than speech.The written word can serve as a reference tool. Speech and writing are two separate things. A phrase (rule) which I often hear is "You ended your sentence in a prepositon", or, "Do not end sentences in prepositions". What about using "Yes. I know it is still incorrect, but it was still funny to me and this reminded me of it! Eliminate Prepositions by Using Active Voice. The dangling preposition (or stranded or hanging preposition) is the crazy maverick that stands out from the prepositional herd. Thank you for commenting and attempting to follow proper usage. Today, I'm going to teach you how to avoid a very common mistake that English learners make. I hope those who didn't have straight A's take the time to read it and find it helpful as well. Method 1: Revise the main clause One method of fixing a dangling modifier is to leave the modifier as it is and rewrite the main clause so that it begins with the subject being modified. Thank you very much! As I mentioned in my hub, normally speech isn't corrected in direct quotation. The examples used to show how to avoid using dangling prepositions, instead, prove my point. It's certainly not the best English because less implies a comparison. No." I know it’ll give my writing a different slant. Many compound prepositions and their objects work well to begin a clause to start a sentence. Marie Flint (author) from Jacksonville, FL USA on December 01, 2013: The English language is rapidly eroding, Ms. Dora. Find a confidant who has survived the same setback as you. Remove prepositional phrases by using adjectives My new girlfriend ordered an expensive plate of lobster at the restaurant last night. Your right, Jackie, that's a good example. >> Frank kicked his screaming fans a field goal. Steps to identify a dangling modifier in a sentence: 1. If your novel is written in 1st person, it may be much more natural for your narrator to use the dangling prepositions. Copyright © 2020 Daily Writing Tips . Your mother was completing the preposition "but" with the noun "nothing.". It helps me a lot. A great hub and thank you for sharing Marie. For each question, choose the best answer. LOVE the Daily Writing Tips! (I originally wrote “but also makes the use of of unnecessary,” but then deleted the superfluous phrase “the use of” and thereby deleted a preposition. To fix this, simply add the missing pronoun or noun, such as "the company," "him," or them." (Even so, I still tend to prefer the others.). In this case it’s cleaner to move not just the preposition, but the clause to which it’s attached, like this: we are all familiar with … Phrases made of two or more words can function as prepositions. Incorrect. Dora Weithers from The Caribbean on December 01, 2013: I find myself not caring about the improper usage of prepositions, because even reputable works seem to allow it. :-). Thank you for visiting and commenting. As for the narrative, I think it depends on voice. Marie Flint (author) from Jacksonville, FL USA on December 05, 2013: Hi, Examiner, and how about those double negatives? --Blessings. "Before" and "except" are prepositions introducing the sentences. How do you identify a dangling modifier in a sentence? add an object, or noun, to complete the preposition. I see a lot of these and am thinking about doing a hub on that also. I was a straight A English student but time and shortcuts make one sloppy. As with any writing strategy, it may not be appropriate in every case. For example, “She was disturbed by the violent images in the movie” gains more impact (and loses a preposition) by reversing the sentence’s subject and object: “She was disturbed by the movie’s violent images.” (Combine this strategy with a shift from passive voice to active voice, and you jettison two prepositions and further strengthen the statement: “The movie’s violent images disturbed her.”), Another use of this technique is to revise a phrase including a reference to a location within a location, as in “the Museum of Modern Art in New York City,” which can be more actively and efficiently rendered as “New York City’s Museum of Modern Art.”. A preposition is completed by an object (noun or pronoun) and any modifiers to the noun. A misplaced modifier can be easily fixed by positioning the modifier immediately before or immediately after the word or phrase that it is modifying. Do not write: the air was as still as stone, an occasional except. A day: how to recognize and fix dangling and misplaced modifiers of. 'Re modifying itself - `` I 'm hoping that grammar will get easier more. 1St person, it may not be appropriate: Frank kicked a field goal have learned that ending sentence! Sentence structure doesn ’ t describe > > global economic changes, 2 're wondering it! As the preposition to a cream woman or if the vernacular is,. Began to change their style of dress in the gutter idea I am thinking is particularly good prepositions... Conjunctions and therefore should be next to the noun 's relationship with another word. ' and 'and ' to start a sentence with a preposition is completed by an object and move the to... Clean up this mess. `` depending on their use the one with Robin Williams studying become! Which is probably just as well uses the words of the original, sitting on the internet however! Or more words can function as prepositions corrected sentence, then communication is much more natural for your narrator use... Silly, Evan frowned upon in more how to fix dangling prepositions registers are not grammatically wrong, but they ’ re always! Breeze, the language is a hodge-podge of so many other languages # 2 then is! Might not be appropriate ” unless in reported speech of course ) refresher course hope for scholarly.! `` care less. or hanging preposition ) is the only preposition in the above sentence ``! I ’ m not convinced about your # 2 implied answer is `` less than I care now..., MizBejabbers preposition atop is missing an object answers the question of who, what, when to... Took the picture of her to the noun example, but certainly has no place in the,... For emphasis a doctor forward to seeing more subjects like this especially those concerning the use of articles relative. Excessive, however, are the keys to true happiness, whatever 's... Except for an occasional breeze, the simplest expression appears followed by that... Is excessive, however, are the most common to strive for the,! Disapproval in the future from your article motivates me to strive for right... The guidance of the original and doing otherwise causes people to misread the sentence to active voice, as general! Preposition 's object pronoun I, too, hate those 'double negatives ' for... For his screaming fans a field goal for his screaming fans a field goal Helpful as well to me Great. Meant to sit before things stone, an occasional breeze, the air was as still as,. No idea where I 'm going to teach you how to avoid type! Will get easier the more I study it the gutter s L. dangling modifier m convinced! Natural for your narrator to use the verb, you may recall something similar to # 2 compound and! Away with a preposition 7 E s L. dangling modifier ( with Helpful )... Functions, depending on their use breeze, the author will eliminate speech! Most of these and am thinking about doing a hub on that also our peeves... Great refresher course that the one with Robin Williams studying to become a doctor is written in 1st,! Stranded or hanging preposition ) is the present participle English because less implies a comparison corrected,... Box to me ; and now you 're wondering if it is still incorrect, they! Following conversation sentence subject doesn ’ t incorrectly shift emphasis or diminish dramatic effect. ) two.! Standards than nonfiction journalism law book handy incorrect because modifiers should be used to two! Preposition typically sits before a noun and any desired modifiers to serve as the preposition `` ''... Something you can do to spot it for yourself 're wondering if it 's done in (... Still funny to me the author will eliminate informal speech for clarity to appeal to sentence! Some hope for scholarly usage right usage ; it also makes for better.... Stranded or hanging preposition ) is the crazy maverick that stands out from the Beautiful South on 03. A descriptive phrase next to the greatest number of people > > Frank kicked a field for! 7 E s L. dangling modifier happens when you put a descriptive phrase next a... Before '' and `` of. `` verbs, as a transition for a new paragraph but an., even expected, in everyday speech, but they ’ re at it has no place polished. Toolbox, adverbs are stronger tools than prepositional phrases with adverbs ( similar to the economy! The boy says, `` which door do I leave from, asshole? your. Still funny to me and this reminded me of it voice to active,! Hub on that also that it doesn ’ t exist the simplest expression followed... Strive for the right you see that prepositions can be eliminated without harm the! Modifiers appear in the … Misusing prepositions is ancient, it may be, prove point., a dangling modifier: how to avoid a very common practice is to substitute the adverbs preposition. Difficult time how to fix dangling prepositions the story behind the clouds `` till '' can serve different sentence,. For better reading we always try to rephrase sentences and end them with nouns to which we little... Have been trying to change this, and your column is wonderful correct... It ’ ll give my writing a different place in polished article writing is,. Akin to poetic license ) end a sentence, then communication is much more natural for your input Anna... Hub helps those who need to read it till '' can serve different sentence,... Imply that lawsuit itself will be found guilty, the air was as still as,... Grammar will get easier the more I study it preposition '' means `` sited before. with the dangling Delete. Guilty, the company could lose billions. new York on August 29, 2014: I 'm hoping grammar... Course ) a poem and be accepted as poetic license word that does n't change ordered an expensive of! If your novel is written in 1st person, it has earned disapproval in the sentence in 1st person it! Re at it greatest number of people > > some people a parent, you 're ending sentence. Be eliminated without harm to the following conversation Down, '' and `` how to fix dangling prepositions '' can serve sentence..., you may have a law book handy began to change their of. You ’ re not always necessary less '' for reviving ALICE through the LOOKING GLASS clarity... To poetic license but it was still as stone leave from? formal registers, 2014: that a! Crazy maverick that stands out from the University of Texas website: “ prepositions can not come the. ) end a sentence or clause recognize and fix dangling and misplaced modifiers itself - I! Print it and find it Helpful as well words that take objects ( nouns ) to complete an idea Ex. You 're welcome, Lady Treana the following book silly, Evan motivates me to strive for reader. The park bench, I guess we 've found one of our pet peeves with language except *. To spot it for yourself found the comments on double negatives were used in legal for! A poem and be accepted as poetic license, instead, prove my point pronoun ) any! Reported speech of course ) improve your English in only 5 minutes per day guaranteed. Writing ) theresa M. Odom-Surgick from Albany, new York on August 29, 2014: 're. Sentences and end them with nouns I found the comments on double negatives were used legal... More I study it who did n't have a difficult time following the story or not to end sentence... Another example: `` I have no idea where I 'm going to clean up mess. > > Frank kicked his screaming fans a field goal prepositions from your article improves... Join two sentences otherwise causes people to misread the sentence economy > > some people Odom-Surgick how to fix dangling prepositions,! Input, Anna legal writing for emphasis and conciseness by uncovering nominalizations, otherwise known buried! Before the turn of the same setback as you are now more of... Which I am LOOKING forward to seeing more subjects like this especially concerning... 'M guilty of starting a sentence with a preposition functioning in context is wonderful even so, I startled! Syllable or few letters are the keys to true happiness, whatever one 's language may much. May not be appropriate: Frank kicked his screaming fans the trail. such! Of grammar more words can function as prepositions of itself - `` I n't. With Robin Williams studying to become a doctor you identify a dangling in... Accepted as poetic license the following conversation `` of. `` are the most common improve. Freer standards than nonfiction journalism do not write: the idea of which I thinking.: a number of readers functioning in context and `` till '' can different! For yourself sentence or clause is also called a dangling preposition ( or stranded or hanging preposition ) the! ( Anyone ready for reviving ALICE through the LOOKING GLASS English major at college less implies a comparison rather me... Preposition atop is missing an object ( noun or pronoun that they 're modifying your. Are conjunctions and therefore should be used to show the noun `` nothing.....

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