Page 291 - SpringBoard_ELA_Grade7_Flipbook

ACTIvITy 4.3
continued
Analyzing a Comedic monologue
my Notes
Language and Writer’s Craft: Dangling and Misplaced Modifiers
A modifier is a word, phrase, or clause that describes, clarifies, or gives more detail about a concept in a sentence.
Example: With its festive air, costumes, and candy, Halloween is an exciting time. (opening phrase modifies Halloween )
A dangling modifier occurs when the modifier has nothing to modify.
Incorrect: Eagerly awaiting Halloween, my costume hung in my closet. (Who was awaiting Halloween, the costume or the owner?)
Correct: Eagerly awaiting Halloween, I hung my costume in my closet. (The phrase now agrees with the subject of the sentence.)
A misplaced modifier is a modifier that is placed too far away from the word or phrase it modifies, resulting in confusion.
Incorrect: After several years of begging, my parents from the store bought me a costume. (What came from the store, the parents or the costume?)
Correct: After several years of begging, my parents bought me a costume from the store. (It is now clear that from the store modifies costume.)
Strategies for revising dangling and misplaced modifiers:
• Make sure the word or phrase the modifier refers to is named in the sentence.
• Make sure the modifier is close to the word or phrase it modifies, with no intervening words that can be confused as the target.
8. Share your evaluation of the monologue you viewed with your
expert group, listen to others’ evaluations, and agree upon one rating and explanation to share with the class.
Check Your Understanding
9. How does a comedic performance rely on all three elements (ideas, structure, and language) to create humor?
10. Revisit your monologue word map and add another layer of information and examples relating to successful comedic monologues.
Narrative Writing Prompt: Draft an original narrative monologue about a real or imagined comic holiday experience. Be sure to:
• Use narrative techniques to tell a story.
• Logically sequence your events.
• Use diction, punctuation, and description to create a humorous tone.
Afterward, you may want to note specific movements, facial expressions, or voice inflections to guide an oral interpretation.
264 SpringBoard® English Language Arts Grade 7
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