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Name ______________________________
Date _________ Class _________________
CHAPTER 5 GUFFEY-SEEFER, BUSINESS ENGLISH, 12E
WORKSHEET, CH. 5 DANGLING AND MISPLACED MODIFIERS
For clarity in English, modifiers must be close to the words they describe or limit. A modifier dangles
when the word or phrase it describes is missing from its sentence. A modifier is misplaced when the
word or phrase it describes is not close enough to be clear. Many modification problems are created by
introductory phrases. After an introductory phrase, always supply a logical subject. That subject is usually
the “doer” of the action and answers the questions “Who?” or “What?”
Dangling modifier: Pushing the wrong key, the document suddenly disappeared.
Revision: Pushing the wrong key, I saw the document suddenly disappear.
Misplaced modifier: After being in the refrigerator a week, Stacy said the salad tasted strange.
Revision: After being in the refrigerator a week, the salad tasted strange to Stacy.
Introductory verbal phrases are particularly dangerous when followed by passive-voice constructions.
Using an active voice verb often helps to resolve modification problems. Another remedy involves adding
a subject to the main element to make a sentence clear.
Dangling modifier: To win the lottery, a ticket must be purchased. (Passive-voice verb)
Revision: To win the lottery, you must purchase a ticket. (Active-voice verb)
Dangling modifier: Hampered by fierce winds, water could not be dropped on the fire.
Revision: Hampered by fierce winds, helicopters could not drop water on the fire.
Dangling modifier: While pumping gas, a driverless car rolled into mine.
Revision: While I was pumping gas, a driverless car rolled into mine.
(Subject added to introductory clause)
Don’t confuse commands with dangling modifiers. In commands the subject is understood to be you.
Correct: To graduate early, enroll in summer school. [The understood subject is
you; you must enroll in summer school.]
On this sheet or a separate one, revise the following sentences to remedy dangling and misplaced
modifiers. Retain all introductory expressions. If a sentence is already correct, mark C before it.
1. After regaining consciousness, passersby helped the accident victim out of the car.
2. Strolling down South Beach, the Park Hotel is just one of Art Deco buildings you’ll see.
3. To qualify for the certificate, students must maintain perfect attendance.
4. Immediately following birth, identification tags are applied to all newborns’ wrists.
5. Looking back through history, no presidency has seen greater trial and tribulation.
6. Walking up the driveway, the Rolls Royce and Mercedes parked in the garage were immediately seen
by the detectives.
7. After surviving three days in freezing conditions, doctors miraculously saved the child.
8. Plunging 1,000 feet into the gorge, we were amazed at the grandeur of Yosemite Falls.
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9. To be most fruitful, you should set out tomato plants after the soil warms in the spring.
10. Reacting to stress, food is more likely to be eaten by women than by men.
Not all modification problems appear in introductory phrases. To correct misplaced modifiers in other
parts of sentences, move the unclear expression closer to the word(s) modified.
Misplaced modifier: A wart appeared on my left hand that I want removed.
Revision: A wart that I want removed appeared on my left hand.
Remedy the following misplaced modifiers. If a sentence is already correct, write C before it.
11. We can make arrangements with the tax collector that you can live with.
12. The patient was referred to a psychiatrist with a severe emotional problem.
13. Firefighters rescued a dog from a car that had a broken leg.
14. The sun greeted me as I came out of the house with a golden glow.
15. He carried the puppy in his car that was only three weeks old.
The following sentences contain many modification problems. Revise as needed. If a sentence is
already correct, write C before it. Hint: Three sentences are correct.
16. After leaving the concert and walking to the parking lot, Lisa’s car would not start.
17. Seasoned in a spicy crumb mixture, you can complement your Chicken Fingers with honey mustard
or barbecue dipping sauce.
18. Please take time to look over the brochure that is enclosed with your family.
19. Found guilty on eight counts, the judge sentenced the defendant to six months in prison.
20. She died in the house in which she was born at the age of 88.
21. As the light turned red, the drivers of both cars entered the intersection.
22. To enter the super lottery sweepstakes, it is necessary to purchase a ticket by midnight.
23. Skidding along the shoulder, Kevin’s Toyota hit a utility pole going 60 miles an hour.
24. Looking at the bottom line, the budget proposal made no sense to management.
25. To find a good job today, perseverance and ingenuity are required of all serious candidates.
26. Acting as her own travel agent, a trip to Fiji was planned by Samantha.
27. Angered by excessive expenditures, managers reviewed every item on the budget.
28. Adopting a new name, the furniture movers called themselves “Hernia Movers: The Potentate of
Totin’ Freight.”
29. After lingering close to death for days, newspaper reporters were allowed to interview him.
30. To prevent head injuries, helmets must be worn by all cyclists.
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KEY FOR DANGLING AND MISPLACED MODIFIERS
1. After regaining consciousness, the victim was helped out of the car by passersby.
2. Strolling down South Beach, you’ll see the Park Hotel, which is just one of many Art Deco buildings.
3. C
4. Immediately following birth, nurses attach identification tags to newborns’ wrists.
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Name ______________________________
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GUFFEY-SEEFER, BUSINESS ENGLISH, 12E
WORKSHEET, CH. 5 MASTERING AFFECT AND EFFECT
affect – verb: “to influence” (smoking affects health; government policies affect citizens)
– verb: “to pretend or to imitate” (the actress affected a Southern accent)
effect – noun: “a result or consequence” (the effect of lowered prices was increased sales)
– verb: “to produce a result; to cause to happen” (we must effect reductions in production to
remain profitable) [Note: Effect used as a verb requires an object.]
Complete the following sentences with a form of effect or affect.
1. One ____________ of corporate downsizing was a reduction in the employment of middle managers.
2. Technological developments, like robots and automated teller machines, have ____________
employment of undereducated and unskilled workers.
3. Nike hopes to ____________ a boost in sales by adopting a new logo identified with high
performance.
4. Construction of new homes is always ____________ by weather conditions.
5. GM expected to ____________ a 30 percent reduction in fuel use by using lightweight fabrication
materials on its line of economy cars.
6. After vacationing in the United Kingdom, Randy ____________ a British accent.
7. One ____________ of Hurricane Andrew was increased insurance premiums for homeowners in
coastal areas.
8. Many homeowners will be ____________ by the boost in rates.
9. By giving workers more responsibility, the company hopes to ____________ a decline in errors and
downtime.
10. A humorist observed that the ____________of working hard 8 hours a day is that you may be
promoted high enough to work 12 hours a day.
11. The professor tried to ____________ students positively by filling them with ideas, not stuffing them
with facts.
12. Finding a job that you love has one significant ____________: you will never have to work a day in
your life.
13. Consumer furniture purchases continue to be ____________ by new home construction.
14. The extra hours Chris spent studying certainly ____________her final grade positively.
15. How do you think a smoke-filled room will ____________ the singer’s performance?
16. How can we ____________ reductions in production figures when material and labor costs are
increasing?
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17. Research reveals that fragrances in the workplace (such as pine or floral scents) can positively
____________ worker performance.
18. The new CEO plans to ____________ several important changes in procedures.
19. Recently installed traffic lights at both intersections adversely ____________the flow of rush-hour
traffic.
20. The ____________ of using a coaching, rather than a confrontational, management style is improved
rapport with employees.
21. To determine the ____________ of advertising on a new snack food, Borden Inc. decided to launch
Doodle O’s cheese snacks with a minimum of expensive print advertising.
22. Instead, Borden found that it could most easily ____________ customer choices by placing Doodle
O’s in special eye-catching displays in supermarket aisles.
23. Detergent manufacturers learned that they could ____________ big increases in sales (up to 207
percent) by stacking targeted brands in special aisle displays.
24. Improved data from supermarket scanners helps marketers study the ____________ of merchandise
location within the store.
25. Shoppers are far more likely to be ____________ by a product if they have to steer their carts around
a special display of it.
26. Manufacturers can ____________ considerable improvement in their store display locations by
paying as much as $500 a week for end-of-aisle space.
27. Small producers, however, are adversely ____________ by soaring fees and competition for prime
supermarket space.
28. Supermarket managers happily pack their store aisles with as many displays as possible because the
obvious ____________ is increased sales.
29. In addition to studying how supermarkets display, price, and promote their merchandise, one
behavioral science professor studied the ____________ of such practices on customers.
30. Results of the study revealed that “micromerchandising” techniques could ____________ a boost in
sales of as much as 10 percent (and even more in profits).
31. In an era when packaged-goods makers are finding sales gains difficult and their advertising budgets
under close scrutiny, the ____________ of in-store displays becomes increasingly significant.
32. Now it is time for you to learn how this exercise has ____________ your ability to discriminate
between effect and affect.
__________
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Name ______________________________
Date _________ Class _________________
GUFFEY-SEEFER, BUSINESS ENGLISH, 12E
WORKSHEET, CH. 5 MASTERING LIE AND LAY
With Grammar Review
In learning to use these verbs correctly, remember that lie is intransitive and requires no object. Lay is
transitive and must transfer action to an object.
Present Tense Present Participle Past Past Participle
Intransitive: lie (to rest or recline) lay lain lying
Transitive: lay (to place) laid (not layed) laid laying
Write the correct form of the intransitive verb lie (“to rest”) in the following sentences:
1. I usually (lie, lay) down for a nap before going to work at 5 p.m. ________________
(Note that down does not function as the object of the verb.)
2. Yesterday I didn’t (lie, lay) down because it was too noisy. ________________
3. After her puppy knocked over the table and flower vase, Stacy shouted
“(Lie, Lay) down!” (Commands are given in the present tense.) ________________
4. Her dog had (laid, lain) there only a moment when he jumped up again. ________________
5. The morning newspaper (lying, laying) in the driveway was soaked. ________________
Write the correct form of the transitive verb lay (“to place”) for the following sentences:
6. Please (lay, lie) the books on the center table. ________________
7. Even the best-(layed, laid) plans sometimes backfire. ________________
8. If the parking attendant had (layed, laid, lain) the car keys on the seat,
we would have been able to find them. ________________
9. The brick mason is (laying, lying) bricks in the courtyard today. ________________
10. He says he has (laid, layed, lain) bricks for the past ten years. ________________
Complete the following sentences choosing from all forms of lie and lay. Think about whether the
verb means “to rest” or “to place.” Refer to the above chart if necessary.
11. Rick __________ his résumé on the desk for the recruiter. ________________
12. It had __________there for only a moment when it was picked up. ________________
13. Did you __________ down to rest before the interview? ________________
14. Our organization __________ great emphasis on communication skills. ________________
15. As I see it, the main problem __________ in the Legal Department. ________________
16. Although they told the dog to __________ down, it was too excited
to respond. ________________
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17. Yasmin was certain she had __________ the keys on the table. ________________
18. Many leaves were __________ on the lawn after the wind storm. ________________
19. The boss __________ all the contracts on the desk over a week ago. ________________
20. The contracts have __________ there untouched all this time. ________________
21. The president would __________ down for a nap in the afternoon. ________________
22. You may __________ the envelopes here and the letterhead paper there.________________
23. Will the sales manager be __________ out new territories soon? ________________
24. Tell all the toddlers to __________ down on their mats. ________________
25. Jeff was certain he had __________ the disk on his desk yesterday. ________________
Grammar Review. In the following sentences underline any errors in verbs or other words. Write
corrections in the space provided. Some sentences have more than one error. Write C if a sentence is
correct.
Example: The manual for the network and it’s software is laying over there. ________________
26. After she layed the dishes down, Lisa sunk into a soft chair. ________________
27. She wished she could lie there for a while, but the sun was setting. ________________
28. These cut flowers have been laying in the sun to long. ________________
29. Everyday I lay down at noon, and I rise within one hour. ________________
30. The root of there money problems lays in excessive credit purchases. ________________
31. Many cruise ships were all ready laying in the tiny Skagway harbor
when ours’ arrived. ________________
32. Mark tried to convince his dog to lay down in the car because it’s
barking frightened passersby. ________________
33. Many workers laying tile complained about there low wages. ________________
34. Vacationers were laying on the sand as the sun sank. ________________
35. You should have saw her when she come over to go trick or treating. ________________
36. Our umbrellas, boots, and rain gear was laying in a big heap. ________________
37. If he had lain the keys here as he promised, we would have saw them. ________________
38. The temperature had raised so high that we stopped laying bricks. ________________
39. The letter and it’s envelope were laying separately near the printer. ________________
40. I’m all ready to check my answers and then lay down for a rest. ________________
__________
its, are
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CHAPTER 4 GUFFEY-SEEFER, BUSINESS ENGLISH, 12E
WORKSHEET, CHS. 4 AND 9
DISTINGUISHING AMONG WHO, THAT, AND WHICH
Careful writers and speakers distinguish among the relative pronouns who, that, and which.
WHO is used to refer to persons. It may introduce essential or nonessential clauses.
Example: Anyone who can build a website is in demand. (The relative clause who can build a website is
essential. Without this clause, the sentence says that anyone is in demand. However, only one who can
build a website is in demand.)
Example: Kevin Lee, who is an excellent Web designer, created our site. (The relative clause who is an
excellent Web designer is nonessential. It describes but does not limit the main clause. The main clause
can stand alone without the added information. Hint: When individuals are named, information added in
who clauses is usually nonessential. Notice that commas set off nonessential clauses.)
THAT refers to animals or things and should be used to introduce essential clauses.
Example: The website that Kevin created attracted many visitors. (The relative clause that Kevin created
is essential. What website attracted many visitors? Only the website that Kevin created attracted the
visitors. Don’t use the relative pronoun which to introduce essential clauses.)
WHICH refers to animals or things and introduces a nonessential clause.
Example: The Sony website, which was totally redesigned by Kevin Lee, is much improved. (The relative
pronoun clause is intended to be nonessential. Because it merely adds extra information, it is set off by
commas.
The tricky part is deciding whether a clause is nonessential. Nonessential clauses contain information that
the reader does not need to know; the main clause is understandable without this extra information. In
some cases, only the writer knows whether the clause is intended to be essential or nonessential. If a
clause is intended to be nonessential, it should be set off from the rest of the sentence by commas.
Essential Clauses – Circle the correct pronoun.
1 Anyone (who, that, which) has a computer can create a website.
2. A company (who, that, which) is located inside the city is more likely to succeed.
3. The car (who, that, which) was without proper license plates was ticketed.
Nonessential Clauses – Circle the correct pronoun.
4. Levi-Strauss, (who, that, which) had a huge hit with its 501 jeans, is now losing market share.
5. We hired Bill Stevens, (who, that, which) came highly recommended, to join the team.
6. The IRS, (who, that, which) audits only 2 percent of all income tax returns, is choked with paperwork.
Answers: 1. who 2. that 3. that 4. which 5. who 6. which
Study the following sentences. Use proofreading marks to correct any errors in relative pronouns or
punctuation. Mark C if the sentence is correct.
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1. Our new customer account teams, that were developed to meet our changing business needs, will
analyze your business operations from every angle.
2. Any bank who adds an ATM can reduce the number of tellers needed.
3. Courtney James who just got a new computer must install many software programs.
4. Anyone that has recently purchased a computer knows how quickly it becomes obsolete.
5. The website which was awarded a prize was uncluttered and easy to navigate.
6. The new rules which will become effective July 1 are intended to increase worker safety.
7. Jeffrey has a dog who likes to eat cold pizza.
8. Many assembly work areas provide a special handle which can be pulled to stop the line if an
imminent danger arises.
9. Some of the parts which were moving down the assembly line required special tools for lifting them
onto the cars being assembled.
10. Our team which has the authority to set up its own work schedules tries to rotate the hardest jobs.
11. We appointed a safety committee which provides guidelines to individual work units.
12. Hawaiian Vintage chocolate which is grown in the fertile regions of Kona and Keaau is the only
chocolate produced from American-grown cocoa beans.
13. Those chocolate lovers who are willing to pay the high price of $56 a pound appreciate the fruity
aroma and intense taste of Hawaiian chocolate.
14. Any car which is traveling over the speed limit will be ticketed.
15. Western rattlesnakes who are the most common rattlers in the West hibernate together in large
numbers during the winter months.
16. Any person that buys a lottery ticket has a chance of winning.
17. Amy Satterwhite who bought a lottery ticket yesterday has high hopes of winning.
18. A central item in most business proposals is the budget which is a list of project costs.
19. We plan to use our new website as a research tool which will enhance our print coverage.
20. Managers are looking for people that have good vocabularies, grammar, and manners.
__________
