Things that Give Writers Fits

Missplaced Modifiers

This problem results in some humorous and/or confusing sentences.

Here’s an example: He is banking on winning the game, which he shouldn’t do.

Hmmmmm. What should he not do? Win the game?

Chances are that’s not what the writer means. But it’s what the sentence says.

“Which he shouldn’t do” is a modifier that has, more than likely, been missplaced. It probably should be modifying “banking” instead of “winning.”

If you see that the following sentence has a different, more clear, (and less humorous) meaning, then you understand this issue:

He is banking, which he shouldn’t do, on winning the game.

Or, of course, you could just say, “He should not bank on winning the game.”