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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).

Maine Learning Results learning standard: Language 1 · 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 Maine

In the Maine Learning Results, 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: Maine Department of Education

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 fixes the dangling modifier?

    To win the contest, a poster was designed.

    • To win the contest, Priya designed a poster.
    • To win the contest, designing a poster was a good idea.
    • To win the contest, a poster was being designed.

  2. Question 2

    Which sentence has a misplaced modifier?

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

  3. Question 3

    Which revision fixes the misplaced modifier?

    We saw a moose driving to the cabin.

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

  4. Question 4

    Which revision makes the list parallel?

    The new library is quiet, spacious and has lots of books.

    • The new library is quiet, spacious and well stocked.
    • The new library is being quiet, spacious and well stocked.
    • The new library is quiet, has space and well stocked.

  5. Question 5

    Which sentence uses parallel structure?

    • Noah likes reading, writing stories and to play chess.
    • Noah likes to read, writing stories and playing chess.
    • Noah likes reading, writing stories and playing chess.
    • Noah likes reading, to write stories and playing chess.

  6. Question 6

    Which revision makes the sentence parallel?

    The coach told us to stretch, to drink water and that we should rest.

    • The coach told us to stretch, to drink water and to rest.
    • The coach told us to stretch, drinking water and to rest.
    • The coach told us stretching, to drink water and that we should rest.

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