ClearTips: Edit yourself

Participles

The most notorious dangler is the participle that introduces a phrase at the beginning of a sentence.

Dangling
Attached
Walking to work after the blizzard, the sun's reflection on the snow almost blinded him.
CHANGE TO
While walking to work after the blizzard, he was almost blinded by the sun's reflection on the snow.
 
OR
While he was walking to work after the blizzard, the sun's reflection on the snow almost blinded him.
Using official data and other information, these costs were allocated to specific activities.
CHANGE TO
Using official data and other information, we allocated these costs to specific activities.
 
OR
Official data and other information were used to allocate these costs to specific activities.
Transposing the elements of the main clause, the dangling clause was tied to the subject by the author.
CHANGE TO
By transposing the elements of the main clause, the author tied the dangling clause to the subject.

In the foregoing examples on the left, the dangling constructions have the following unfortunate effects on meaning: the sun's reflection is walking to work, these costs are using official data, and the dangling clause is transposing the elements.

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