Which sentence contains a misplaced modifier?

Which sentence contains a misplaced modifier?

• A. The student nearly finished his homework on time.
• B. On time, the student nearly finished his homework.
• C. The student finished his homework on time.
• D. The student nearly finished on time his homework.

Answer: (B)

A modifier should attach directly to the word or action it’s meant to describe. When a time phrase like “on time” is placed at the beginning of a sentence, it can seem to describe the subject rather than the verb, which creates ambiguity about what exactly is on time. In the sentence “On time, the student nearly finished his homework,” the phrase is right up against the subject, so readers tend to think the student is on time, not that the finishing happened on time. That’s why this placement is considered misplaced. The other sentences place the time phrase so it clearly describes the act of finishing: “The student nearly finished his homework on time” means he almost finished at the deadline, and “The student finished his homework on time” makes it explicit when the finishing occurred. The last option is awkward in phrasing, which also disrupts clarity, but the clearest example of a misplaced modifier among them is the fronted time phrase that attaches to the wrong part of the sentence.

A modifier should attach directly to the word or action it’s meant to describe. When a time phrase like “on time” is placed at the beginning of a sentence, it can seem to describe the subject rather than the verb, which creates ambiguity about what exactly is on time.

In the sentence “On time, the student nearly finished his homework,” the phrase is right up against the subject, so readers tend to think the student is on time, not that the finishing happened on time. That’s why this placement is considered misplaced.

The other sentences place the time phrase so it clearly describes the act of finishing: “The student nearly finished his homework on time” means he almost finished at the deadline, and “The student finished his homework on time” makes it explicit when the finishing occurred. The last option is awkward in phrasing, which also disrupts clarity, but the clearest example of a misplaced modifier among them is the fronted time phrase that attaches to the wrong part of the sentence.