E8: FTCE | General Knowledge | English | Dangling or Misplaced Modifiers

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Welcome to episode 8 of FTCE seminar, the Florida Teacher Certification Exam Podcast, where we talk about testing tips, study strategies, and how to prep to pass the FTCE so you can launch from the campus to the classroom. I'm your host, Mercedes Musto. In today's episode, I'll be talking about the FTCE General Knowledge English Language Skills Subtest. Here's an overview of the testing blueprint. There are three competencies on the English Language Skills Subtest. Comp 1 is Knowledge of Language Structure.

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Comp 2 is Vocabulary Application. And Comp 3 is Knowledge of Standard English Conventions. is knowledge of standard English conventions. You'll have 40 minutes to complete approximately 30-ish questions. So let's get started. In this episode we'll review modifiers and what they are and how to correctly use them when they're misplaced or dangling. Concept number one, modifiers. According to Modifiers modify. I mean, I know, right? Genius, right? Let's look at this directly. What if I say, I like your t-shirt,

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and then I say, I like your green t-shirt. The adjective green is modifying t-shirt by being descriptive. And when you put it that way, we can notice modifiers because they're descriptive words or phrases that clarify, add distinction, and make sentences more engaging. What you will be tested on is your knowledge in identifying misplaced or dangling modifiers. Both misplaced and dangling modifiers are words or phrases that just need to be rearranged to help the sentence make more sense. Here is an example of a dangling modifier. See if you can hear what's wrong with this sentence. Example 1. After

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cooking dinner, the dogs went outside to play. Okay. After cooking dinner, the dogs went outside to play. So, okay, okay, so the dogs cooked dinner, then let themselves out? Not likely. Here's a possible correction. After cooking dinner, comma, she let the dogs outside to play. See, often we can identify a modifying phrase in the beginning of a sentence because it's followed by a comma. Then we can ask ourselves who or what is this phrase talking about? Here's an example of a misplaced modifier. Visualize the words as I describe the next sentence. Example 2. I saw the dog outside scrolling through my text

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messages. Sticking with the canine examples here, I saw the dog scrolling through my text messages? So the dog was on your phone? Not likely. Here's a possible correction. Scrolling through my text message, who? I, I, me, me, me, me, I saw the dog. Okay, what Grammarly.com is saying is that modifiers are words or phrases usually placed right by the noun. Side note, noun, person, place, or thing, right by the noun that they are modifying. That's why when they're dangling or misplaced, they're like really funny, like this one.

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A waiter served ice cream to a lady with sprinkles on top. See what I did there? Wait for it. Did the ladies have sprinkles on top of like her head or something? Not likely. How about this corrected sentence? A waiter served ice cream with sprinkles on top to a lady. There, that's much better. Not knocking the fashionistas that like to like wear sprinkles and stuff because

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you know sprinkles are for winners. Let's review. Modifiers modify. They're kind of like having some really great-looking earrings to well you know fancy up your ears but then if you wore them on your shoes or in your hair, they would be totally misplaced, right? So when you read each word of the sentence on the GK English Language Skills Subtest, think literally. Think about the exact placement of those words and the descriptive meaning they bring to the sentence. Last example. One morning I drank coffee with my dog in my pajamas. Was the dog in the pajamas?

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Not likely. How about this correction? One morning I drank coffee in my pajamas with my dog. Much better. Ha! Hope you got a good laugh. Join me again on FTCE Seminar, a Florida teacher certification exam podcast, so you can prep to pass the FTCE. I'd like to thank Kate and

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Samantha on tech. I love you guys. This podcast was recorded in the Pickens multimedia studio and access at the University of West Florida in Pensacola, Florida. This is your host Mercedes Musto. For more information or study resources visit our website at ftceseminar.com so you can prep to pass the FTCE.

Transcribed with Cockatoo