Humorous Misplaced Modifiers
A modifier is a phrase that is supposed to be placed
next to the word or words they modify, in proper English grammar. These are examples of how misplaced
modifiers can alter the intended meaning of the sentence, with humorous effects:
The man was stopped for speeding in the blue sweater.
The jet crashed into a cliff carrying 155 passengers.
We borrowed a mower from a neighbor that was broken.
The cat was rescued after the building had been set on fire by a fireman.
He kept a black book of all the girls he had dated in his desk.
The car on the bridge which is green is mine.
I showed my dog to the veterinarian with the fleas.
Larry told me he was getting married that afternoon at night.
This typewriter is used by a secretary with a wide carriage.
I gave a book to my teacher that was old and tattered.
The robber was described as a tall man with a black moustache weighing 150 pounds.
I had to take down the shutters painting the house yesterday.
The speaker bellowed into the megaphone wearing a hard hat.
He was staring at the girl by the vending machine wearing dark glasses.
We read that Janet was married in her last letter.
The duke pointed out the portrait of his last duchess to the guests mounted on the wall.
Walking through the park, the grass tickled my feet.
Baking in the oven, John saw the pizza.
Covered with mustard and relish, I fully enjoyed the sausage.
My cousin is a 5’7, active woman with a great smile weighing 140 pounds.
This is the only chocolate chip cookie in a bag that tastes like Mom’s.
I saw the woman who was elected mayor in the shopping mall.
We saw a large warehouse driving down the road.
The new fork lift made a good impression on the inspector carrying a full load.
The man standing by the drinking fountain in the gray suit is our president.
Garbage has been turned into a protein-rich animal food with a high paper content.
Mother gave the cake to the homeless man that she had baked and iced yesterday.
Jeff offered an apple to the horse that he had been carrying around in his pocket for two weeks.
Mark handed the book to the woman that he had found lying covered with dust under the sofa.
Orwell shot the elephant under pressure.
The blaze was extinguished before any damage was done by the local fire department.
One pupil was asked to write an account of the book he had read on the blackboard.
Please set the package by the door that I wrapped.
The senator talked about the high cost of living with several women.
I propose the following: Instead of a permanent marriage certificate, a temporary license would be issued to a couple that would expire in two years.
Stripped to the skin and standing by the window, the painter made a portrait of the shivering model.
As a child, my mother took me to the San Diego Zoo to see my favorite animal, the Indian elephant.
Lincoln wrote the Gettysburg address while riding from Washington to Gettysburg on the back of an envelope.
Dangling from my bedroom ceiling, I saw three spiders.
I caught the burglar in my pyjamas!
Working on the car's engine, the cat was howling all afternoon.
Many dogs are killed by automobiles and trucks roaming unleashed.
Fritz bought a magazine with an article about Michael Jordan at the corner newsstand.
Newspapers carried the story of the quarterback's fumbling in every part of the country.
While eating lunch in the cafeteria, the computer malfunctioned.
Running at top speed, my wig fell off.
The mystery has been solved after 12 years of missing socks.
While driving on Greenwood Avenue yesterday afternoon, a tree began to fall toward Wendy H's car.
Although I changed my mind later, I almost bought a puppy from a man that was housebroken.
The man told me all about his childhood in the seat next to me.
Want to see the correct versions of these sentences?
