Which sentence contains a dangling modifier?

• A. Walking to the store, the rain poured.
• B. As I walked to the store, the rain poured on me.
• C. The rain poured as I walked to the store.
• D. While I walked to the store, the rain poured on me.

Answer: (A)

Dangling modifiers happen when the introductory phrase doesn’t clearly attach to the noun doing the action in the main clause. In the sentence that begins with “Walking to the store,” the phrase describes someone who is walking, but the main clause says the rain poured. That makes it sound like the rain was walking, which is illogical. The other sentences pair the walking action with the person doing it (I) or place the actions clearly in time and subject, so they read correctly. Hence, the first sentence contains a dangling modifier.