Question

1.

Which sentence contains a misplaced modifier?
a. With a jump and a meow, the doorbell rang, and the kitten leaped off the couch.
b. What a peaceful few minutes they had with the kitten!
c. They looked at each other and smiled with joy.
d. To their delight, the kitten nuzzled right between them.

Answer 1

(a) With a jump and a meow, the doorbell rang, and the kitten leaped off the couch.
Here, "with a jump and a meow" is a misplaced modifier. It modifies "the doorbell". However, this implies that the doorbell rang, then jumped and meowed. The sentence should be like this instead: "The doorbell rang and the kitten leaped off the couch with a jump and a meow." or "With a jump and a meow, the kitten leaped off the couch when the doorbell rang."