關於修飾語，也許不少人只想到由現在分詞和過去分詞所形成的分詞構句。事實上，修飾語的問題沒有那麼單純，以下將逐一探討。（在這裡，將用*和x分別表示正確和錯誤的句子。）
A. 修飾語沒有主詞可以修飾。
1. 分詞構句：這是最常見的情況，這種修飾語叫做dangling modifier。寫作時，當我們用現在分詞或過去分詞開始一個句子時要特別小心，因為在這種情況下很容易出現dangling modifier。要避免這種錯誤，寫完整個句子之後應該暫時忽略分詞片語，先看看逗點之後那個完整句子的主詞是什麼。接著再回頭檢視片語，確認片語中被省略的主詞和完整句的主詞是否一致。如果不一樣，這個片語就成了dangling modifier。解決方式有兩種：(1) 把分詞片語還原成句子，賦予它真正的主詞。(2) 修改完整句的主詞，讓它和分詞片語中被省略的主詞一致。簡單說，「主詞相同」是分詞構句的先決條件和必要條件。
x: Without knowing his name, it was difficult to introduce him.
分詞構句（寫成完整句時是副詞子句）中有個人因為不知道某人的名字 所以無法介紹他，但主要子句的主詞卻是虛主詞it，分詞片語於是成了 dangling modifier。如果採用第一種方式解決，句子會變成：
*: Because I did not know his name, it was difficult to introduce him.
第二種方式的改法是：
*: Without knowing his name, I found it difficult to introduce him.
*: Without knowing his name, I had difficulty introducing him.
就簡化結構的觀點說，我們應當盡可能採用第二種方式，維持分詞構句。
另外，在完整句的主詞和分詞片語中被省略的主詞一致後，也可以把分詞片語放在主詞之後、動詞之前，前後用逗點夾住片語，其它型態的修飾語（例如不定詞片語）同樣可以這麼做。因此，上例可以寫成：
*: I, without knowing his name, found it difficult to introduce him.
*: I, without knowing his name, had difficulty introducing him.
其它例子：
x: After reading the original study, the article remains unconvincing. （前面是人，後面是article，前後主詞不一致）
*: After reading the original study, I find the article unconvincing.
*: I, after reading the original study, find the article unconvincing.
x: Relieved of your responsibilities at your job, your home should be a place to relax. （you和home主詞不同）
*: Relieved of your responsibilities at your job, you should be able to relax at home.
*: You, relieved of your responsibilities at your job, should be able to relax at home.
x: Walking down the street, the trees were beautiful.
*: Walking down the street, the man saw the beautiful trees.
x: Looking through the telescope, the moon seemed enormous.
*: As I looked at the moon through the telescope, it seemed enormous.
*: Looking through the telescope, I felt that the moon seemed enormous.
*: Looked through the telescope, the moon seemed enormous. （前後都用moon當主詞）
x: Having been thrown in the air, the dog caught the stick.
*: When the stick was thrown in the air, the dog caught it.
因為這個句子中的stick出現兩次，所以我們也可以用關係子句引導第二次出現的stick，然後進一步省掉不重要的關係代名詞that/ which和be動詞was：
*: The dog caught the stick (that/ which was) thrown in the air.
值得一提的是，既然分詞構句是副詞子句的省略，那麼它的位置也和一般的副詞子句一樣，不只可以放在句子前段，也可以放在後段。例如：
x: The experiment was a failure, not having studied the lab manual carefully.
*: The experiment failed, for they had not studied the lab manual carefully.
*: They failed the experiment, not having studied the lab manual carefully.
*: Not having studied the lab manual carefully, they failed the experiment.
x: When working with power tools, eyes should be protected.
*: When working with power tools, protect your eyes.
*: Protect your eyes when you use power tools.
*: When working with power tools, we should protect our eyes.
2. 以不定詞片語或As（身為…；做為…）開始句子的情形：
x: To improve his results, the experiment was done again.
*: To improve his results, the student did the experiment again.
*: The student, to improve his results, did the experiment again.
*: The student improved his results by doing the experiment again.
x: As a disabled woman, her achievement was great.
*: As a disabled woman, she achieved greatly.
*: She, as a disabled woman, achieved greatly.
B. 修飾語修飾的對象不夠明確。
1. 即使分詞構句沒有前後主詞不一致的問題也不能大意。例如當句子是主詞+動詞+受詞時，我們得確實弄清楚分詞片語究竟要修飾誰。修飾主詞就放在句首，後面加逗點，修飾受詞就直接放在受詞後面。
例1. x: The man killed a good friend, awfully enraged.
在修飾語的各種問題當中，這是最容易解決的。某人被惹毛了，所以把好友給殺了。毫無疑問地，修飾語awfully enraged應該修飾的是主詞The man而不是受詞a good friend。因此，只要把awfully enraged移到句首，後加逗點，修改就告完成：
*: Awfully enraged, the man killed a good friend.
例2. x: She left the room fuming.
fuming可以形容人「憤怒」，也可以指東西或建築物「冒煙」，但前一個意思用得較多。這裡把fuming放在room後面會讓句意顯得模稜兩可。就位置說，fuming在room後面，應該是「這女孩離開冒煙的房間」。但就fume的使用頻率和哪種情況較為可能這兩方面說，則應該是「她離開房間時氣呼呼的」。況且，如果是冒煙的房間，恐怕就不會氣定神閒地「離開」，大概得要用衝的吧！因此，為了避免含混不清，如果是女生氣呼呼離開房間，應該寫成：
*: Fuming, she left the room.
如果是離開冒煙的房間就更好辦，可以寫成：
*: She left the fuming room.
例3. x: Hopping briskly through the vegetable garden, I saw a toad.
hop是指小動物的跳躍，所以把hopping放在主詞I前面，就會變成這個人輕快活潑地跳著跳著，跳過菜園。期間，他看到一隻癩蛤蟆。嚴格說來這也不是完全不可能，但恐怕有些奇怪。所以，比較合理的情況是某人看到一隻癩蛤蟆，這隻癩蛤蟆正輕快活潑地跳著跳著，跳過菜園。癩蛤蟆出現兩次，所以是關係子句的結構：
*: I saw a toad (that/ which was) hopping briskly through the vegetable garden.
2. 主詞+動詞+受詞的句子中如果有介系詞片語，它的位置也不能隨便。假如修飾主詞就得置於句首，後面通常會加逗點，如果修飾受詞則放在受詞後面（通常是句末）。
x: At the back of the refrigerator, I noticed a yellow apple.
就句構而論，這個句子的意思應當是有人跑到冰箱後面，然後注意到－看到－一顆黃蘋果。這當然也不是不可能，但它更合理的解釋是有人注意到冰箱後面有一顆黃蘋果。因此介系詞片語必須放到apple後面，成為：
*: I noticed a yellow apple at the back of the refrigerator.
或許有人會覺得這樣太吹毛求疵，誰都能夠用常識解釋上面的句子，為什麼介系詞片語非放到apple後面不可呢？然而，殊不知「常識」正是問題的所在。我們應該感謝由於與常識不合，所以才不至於讓我們誤解上句。但是，假如面對一個句構有類似錯誤的情形，而且常識又派不上用場，那該怎麼辦？所以，正確文法結構的掌握與應用才是閱讀和書寫的不二法門。
另一方面，介系詞片語的功能類似副詞，在句中的位置較有彈性。因此，有時縱使不是修飾主詞，但為了讓語意更加清晰，也會將其置於句首，尤其是當句子裡包含關係子句時。例如「你可以在袋子裡找到一些我買的柳丁」如果寫成下列兩種形式之一固然文法不能算錯，但結構顯然不好：
x: You can find some oranges in the bag that I bought.
我們知道關係子句得盡可能放在所修飾之名詞（先行詞）後面。所以，這裡的關係子句that I bought應該放在oranges後面，放在bag後面明顯不好。
x: You can find some oranges that I bought in the bag.
這樣寫好一些，至少關係子句的位置對了。但新的問題來了。柳丁和所放的地方被分開了，何況這個可以算是地方副詞的介系詞片語in the bag跟動詞find（在哪裡找到）的關係也比跟另一個動詞bought密切。假如英文中找不到面面俱到的解決方法，上面的句子就可以成例。不過，有的。只要把介系詞片語放到句子最前面，問題就解決：
*: In the bag, you can find some oranges that I bought.
3. 以As'''為句首的介系詞片語只能修飾主詞：
x: As strategies to address domestic violence, the government did not emphasize them sufficiently.
*: As strategies to address domestic violence, they were not sufficiently emphasized by the government.
C. 形容詞（不能是副詞）也可以放在句首，後加逗點，形成主詞補語，修飾主詞（不能修飾受詞）。例如：
*: Proud, calm, and fearless, he took his final destiny--death.
這個句子想傳達的是某一個人（可能是一位英雄）在面對死亡時的態度－滿身傲骨；沈著冷靜；無所畏懼：
*: He was proud, calm, and fearless when he took his final destiny--death.
很明顯地，這一連串三個形容詞是要集中火力烘托英雄面臨死亡時的身心狀態，如果全都改為副詞，那就變成只有修飾動詞took，味道和意境顯然差很多。
類似例子：
*: Surprised but joyful, Jane accepted Bingley's proposal. (= Jane felt surprised but joyful when she accepted Bingley's proposal.)
x: Unable to pass the exam, John's father scolded him.
*: Unable to pass the exam, John was scolded by his father. (= Because he was unable to pass the exam, John was scolded by his father.)
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