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).
Alaska content standards learning standard: L.7.1 · placing modifiers and keeping sentences parallel
How we explain it
Children can open this short lesson before they practice.
- Put a describing phrase right next to the word it describes.
- A dangling modifier has nothing in the sentence to describe: “Baking cookies, the kitchen smelled good.” (The kitchen wasn’t baking.)
- 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 Alaska
In the Alaska content standards, 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.
- 7th grade guide for Alaska parents
- Printable 7th grade English Language Arts sheet
- Alaska report cards explained
Source: Alaska Department of Education and Early Development
Sample questions
A taste of this unit. In the app, questions change every time and get easier or harder to match your child.
Question 1
Who or what does “Tired from practice” describe?
Tired from practice, the players headed home.
- the players
- practice
- headed
the players
Hint: Look right after the comma. Who is tired from practice?
Question 2
Which sentence has a dangling modifier?
- As we walked into the gym, the noise was deafening.
- Walking into the gym, we heard deafening noise.
- Walking into the gym, the noise was deafening.
- The noise was deafening as we walked into the gym.
Walking into the gym, the noise was deafening.
Hint: A dangling modifier has nobody in the sentence to describe. Who is “walking into the gym”? Not the noise!
Question 3
Which revision makes the sentence parallel?
The speech was both funny and it made us think.
- The speech was both funny and thoughtful.
- The speech was both funny and it was making us think.
- The speech was both funny and thinking.
The speech was both funny and thoughtful.
Hint: What follows “both” and “and” should match in form: funny… thoughtful.
Question 4
Which revision fixes the misplaced modifier?
Jay put the cake on the table that he baked.
- Jay put the cake on the table, that he baked.
- That he baked, Jay put the cake on the table.
- Jay put the cake that he baked on the table.
Jay put the cake that he baked on the table.
Hint: Jay baked the cake, not the table. Place “that he baked” right after “cake.”
Question 5
Which sentence uses parallel structure?
- Kenji likes cooking, baking bread and to try new recipes.
- Kenji likes cooking, to bake bread and trying new recipes.
- Kenji likes cooking, baking bread and trying new recipes.
- Kenji likes to cook, baking bread and trying new recipes.
Kenji likes cooking, baking bread and trying new recipes.
Hint: Items in a list should share the same form. Find the sentence where all three activities are -ing words.
Question 6
Which revision fixes the misplaced modifier?
Leo bought a bike from a neighbor with a squeaky bell.
- Leo bought a bike with a squeaky bell from a neighbor.
- With a squeaky bell, Leo bought a bike from a neighbor.
- Leo, with a squeaky bell, bought a bike from a neighbor.
Leo bought a bike with a squeaky bell from a neighbor.
Hint: Does the neighbor have the squeaky bell, or the bike? Move the modifier next to the word it describes.