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7th grade · English Language Arts · Unit 5 of 13

Modifiers & Parallelism

Clear, balanced sentences

What your child practices

Revising sentences so describing phrases sit next to what they describe (no misplaced or dangling modifiers) and list items match in form (parallel structure).

Alabama Course of Study content standard: 7.21; 7.22 · placing modifiers and keeping sentences parallel

How we explain it

Children can open this short lesson before they practice.

  1. Put a describing phrase right next to the word it describes.
  2. A dangling modifier has nothing in the sentence to describe: “Baking cookies, the kitchen smelled good.” (The kitchen wasn’t baking.)
  3. Parallel structure: items in a list use the same form, like drawing, painting and building.

Example: Make the list parallel: “Amir loves drawing, to paint and building models.” Two items end in -ing; “to paint” doesn’t match. Change it to “painting.” Answer: Amir loves drawing, painting and building models.

Modifiers & Parallelism in Alabama

In the Alabama Course of Study, this is unit 5 of 13 in 7th grade English Language Arts, after Clauses & Sentences and before Word Mix-Ups.

Gradelings describes a child's practice on this unit as Beginning, Approaching, Meeting or Exceeding (Four practice steps). That reflects practice, not a report-card mark: the teacher decides the mark.

Source: Alabama State Department of Education (ALSDE)

Sample questions

A taste of this unit. In the app, questions change every time and get easier or harder to match your child.

  1. Question 1

    Which revision makes the sentence parallel?

    Zoe would rather read a book than watching TV.

    • Zoe would rather read a book than watch TV.
    • Zoe would rather read a book than to watching TV.
    • Zoe would rather reading a book than watch TV.

  2. Question 2

    Which sentence has a dangling modifier?

    • The noise was deafening as we walked into the gym.
    • Walking into the gym, the noise was deafening.
    • As we walked into the gym, the noise was deafening.
    • Walking into the gym, we heard deafening noise.

  3. Question 3

    Which sentence has a misplaced modifier?

    • Ana found a gold ring while she was walking along the beach.
    • Walking along the beach, Ana found a gold ring.
    • Ana found a gold ring walking along the beach.
    • While walking along the beach, Ana found a gold ring.

  4. Question 4

    Which revision fixes the dangling modifier?

    After finishing the homework, the TV was turned on.

    • After finishing, the homework turned on the TV.
    • The TV was turned on after finishing the homework.
    • After finishing her homework, Zoe turned on the TV.
    • After finishing the homework, the TV was on.

  5. Question 5

    Which revision makes the sentence parallel?

    You can either take the bus or you can be walking.

    • You can either take the bus or walking.
    • You can either take the bus or walk.
    • You can either be taking the bus or walk.

  6. Question 6

    Which revision fixes the misplaced modifier?

    We saw a moose driving to the cabin.

    • A moose driving to the cabin was seen by us.
    • We saw a moose that was driving to the cabin.
    • Driving to the cabin, a moose was seen.
    • While driving to the cabin, we saw a moose.

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