While reading through the previous post this morning, I discovered that I had created and actually published a sentence containing a dangling participle.
Lo, how the mighty have fallen.
The offending sentence was this:
"After sailing through the Panama Canal a couple of times on his way to places like Oregon and southern California and Florida and the icy waters off the coast of Greenland, his last duty assignment in the Navy happened to be Quonset Point, Rhode Island."
That is simply impossible. My dad's last duty assignment in the Navy, Quonset Point, Rhode Island, never sailed through the Panama Canal even once, let alone visit Oregon, southern California, Florida, or the icy waters off the coast of Greenland.
Do you see the difference? My dad did those things, not his last duty assignment in the Navy, Quonset Point, Rhode Island, but since the subject of the sentence was the latter, that's what the participial phrase at the beginning is modifying.
Here are some ways I could have written the sentence better:
- After sailing through ...icy waters off the coast of Greenland, the man made his way to his last duty assignment in the Navy Quonset Point, Rhode Island.
- After the man sailed through the Panamal Canal a couple of times...coast of Greenland, his last duty assignment in the Navy ....
- After sailing through the Panama Canal to ...the coast of Greenland, he was assigned to....
At least he was the one doing the sailing in those versions, which is only fitting and proper.
On a website called softschools.com, I found these amusing examples of dangling participles:
1) Speeding through the tunnel, the station came into view. (the station was not speeding through the tunnel, a person was, on a train presumably.)
2) Broken into pieces, I swept up the glass. (the person was not broken into pieces, the glass was.)
3) Forgetting all about class, the weather was perfect at the beach! (the weather did not forget all about class, the person who went to the beach did.)
4) Making my bed, the stuffed animals were on the floor. (the animals are not making the bed)
5) Petting his head, my dog enjoyed my company. (the dog is not petting his own head)
6) Wishing for a pony, the farm was a magical place for me. (the farm is not wishing for a pony)
7) Walking through the woods, the trees were magnificent. (the trees are not walking)
8) Freezing our hands off, the snow was fun to play in. (the snow is not freezing its hands off)
9) Reading quickly, the book was too exciting to put down. (the book is not reading quickly)
Nine examples are more than enough. It borders on overkill.
By now, dear reader, you know what is wrong with the title of this post (and if you don't, you haven’t been paying attention: it is not you who are dangling, it is your participles).
Which example of a dangling participle tickled your fancy the most?
