Editing Exercises - Dangling Modifiers


1			Rewrite the following paragraph to remove errors in sentence logic. Pay special attention to misplaced and dangling modifiers, problems with parallelism, and illogical shifts in verb tenses and voices. Manchuria 1) A region rich in the history of warfare, the Mongols, Chinese, Russians, Koreans, and Japanese have invaded Manchuria. 2) After winning its war with Russia in 1905, Japan's influence in Manchuria grew. 3) Invading Manchuria in 1931, the Japanese take the capital city of Shenyang from the Chinese. 4) Renaming the newly captured territory Manchuko, a puppet government was then installed by the Japanese with the ex-emperor of China as its leader. 5) The major powers protested the invasion of Manchuko as an act of outright aggression; the League of Nations condemned even Japan officially.




2			Rewrite the following paragraph to remove errors in sentence logic. Pay special attention to misplaced and dangling modifiers, problems with parallelism, and illogical shifts in verb tenses and voices. Chaco Boreal 1) Covering about 259,000 square kilometres, a border war between Bolivia and Paraguay was fought for control of the land area known as the Chaco Boreal in the 1930s. 2) Having been landlocked since Chile had annexed its Pacific coastline in 1884, there was a need to find an outlet to the sea for Bolivia. 3) Turning eastward, Bolivia sought a path to the Atlantic Ocean through the Chaco, which has also been claimed by Paraguay. 4) After having fought five years of military skirmishes in 1933, Bolivia and Paraguay formally declare war. 5) Only after 100,000 men had been killed in the treaty of 1938 did Paraguay and Bolivia resolve their differences, with just over 233,000 square kilometres of the Chaco going to Paraguay.




3			Rewrite the following paragraph to remove errors in sentence logic. Pay special attention to misplaced and dangling modifiers, problems with parallelism, and illogical shifts in verb tenses and voices. Ethiopia 1) Located in the northeastern corner of Africa, Ethiopia is a large, densely populated, and is a multicultural nation. 2) Unlike many other African states, Ethiopia had never experienced sustained colonization; however, it has sometimes been dependent on foreign powers politically, economically, and for military assistance. 3) Ethiopia's current economic problems stemmed from its inability to manage and conserve croplands, controlling population growth, and maintaining political stability. 4) Clashes between various segments of the Ethiopian population arise because of differences in religion and language, and peoples of different cultures had difficulty tolerating each other.




4			Rewrite the following paragraph to remove errors in sentence logic. Pay special attention to misplaced and dangling modifiers, problems with parallelism, and illogical shifts in verb tenses and voices. Leif Eriksson 1) Leif Eriksson, whose father is Erik the Red, was born around 950 AD and dies in 1003. 2) Eriksson was born in Iceland and was raised in Greenland, both Viking colonies. 3) After he coverts to Christianity in Norway, the king asks him to return to Greenland and convert other settlers. 4) On his journey to Greenland, Eriksson was blown off course. 5) Scholars believe that he sails past Newfoundland and Nova Scotia and finally reached land somewhere in New England. 6) The Saga of Erik the Red, a medieval poem, discusses Eriksson's landing in the New World, the construction of small buildings, and how they gathered provisions for the journey home. 7) Eriksson's discovery of the New World is generally acknowledged, but historians have little hard evidence to prove it.




5			Rewrite the following paragraph to remove errors in sentence logic. Pay special attention to misplaced and dangling modifiers, problems with parallelism, and illogical shifts in verb tenses and voices. Jordan 1) As a modern state, World War I and a local revolt against the Ottoman Empire in 1916 began the political evolution that was to found the nation of Jordan. 2) The Ottomans are controlling most of the Middle East since the 16th century, of which Jordan has been a part. 3) Gaining its full independence only in 1946, the Hashemite family has governed the country ever since. 4) A land of high desert and steep, elevated hills, with a 24-kilometre coastline on the Red Sea, the Jordanians are extremely patriotic, and their history is a source of pride. 5) Jordan is the home of some of the oldest cities in the world. 6) For example, the city of Jericho, the oldest permanent human settlement ever found, is located there.

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