Worksheet

Robotics Competition: The Modifier Desk

Edit a school robotics report to recognize misplaced and dangling modifiers and place phrases and clauses clearly.

Grade 7ELAInteractive · Printable

Aligned toL.7.1.c

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Single worksheet
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1 Common Core standard
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14 questions
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Details

Format: Interactive · Printable
Grade: Grade 7
Subject: ELA
Question types: Multiple choice, Circle the answer, Short answer

About this worksheet

What students practice

Students recognize misplaced and dangling modifiers in a school news context.
Students place phrases and clauses beside the words they describe.
Students revise sentences to make the intended meaning clear.

How to use

Read the report, then have students edit the draft sentences independently. Discuss how moving a modifier can change meaning without changing its words.

Curriculum

Common Core standard covered

L.7.1.c

Place phrases and clauses well in a sentence, and recognize and fix misplaced and dangling modifiers.

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Name Date

Robotics Competition: The Modifier Desk

Place phrases and clauses where readers can follow them.

Read and Notice

Read the finished report. Then examine how phrases and clauses connect to the people, objects, and actions they describe.

One Round, Several Adjustments

1Carrying a silver toolbox, Zadie entered the competition hall ahead of the rest of the school robotics team. A volunteer directed the students to a numbered worktable. Their robot, built to move wooden blocks into marked zones, needed a final inspection before the opening round. Beside the toolbox, Zadie set a notebook containing the team's practice records. The notebook's bent corners showed how often the students had consulted it during weeks of preparation.

2Before the first round began, the students checked every wheel. Harun tightened a loose bracket while Tessa reviewed the route with Zadie. During the round, a block slipped from the robot's gripper near the final zone. The robot stopped short of its target, leaving the team with fewer points than expected. Watching from behind the boundary line, the students could see the fallen block but could not move it. The rules required the machine to finish without their help.

3Between rounds, the team studied a recording of the attempt. Tessa noticed a turn that sent the gripper too close to a barrier. Instead of replacing the gripper, the students adjusted the route. Harun tested the revised program on the practice mat beside their table. With the new route loaded, the robot carried a block past the barrier without dropping it. The students repeated the test before returning to the competition floor.

4In the final round, the robot delivered every block it picked up. The team did not win the competition, but its final score was higher than its opening score. After the results were posted, Zadie recorded both scores in the notebook. She also listed the route changes so next year's team could understand the adjustment. Packing the toolbox, Harun asked whether they should save the recording too. Tessa added the file name beneath Zadie's notes, and the students left with a record of what they had changed and why.

Which statement correctly explains the placement of “Carrying a silver toolbox” in paragraph 1?

A. It describes the competition hall because it tells where Zadie went.
B. It describes Zadie because she is the subject immediately after the phrase.
C. It describes the volunteer because the volunteer gives the students directions.
D. It describes the team because the team appears later in the sentence.

Underline the sentence from paragraph 1 that supports your answer to question 1 by placing the person carrying the toolbox immediately after the introductory phrase.

Carrying a silver toolbox, Zadie entered the competition hall ahead of the rest of the school robotics team.A volunteer directed the students to a numbered worktable.Their robot, built to move wooden blocks into marked zones, needed a final inspection before the opening round.Beside the toolbox, Zadie set a notebook containing the team's practice records.The notebook's bent corners showed how often the students had consulted it during weeks of preparation.

An earlier draft said, “Built to move wooden blocks, the students inspected their robot.” Why does the introductory phrase dangle?

A. The phrase describes the inspection, but it appears before the main clause.
B. The phrase describes the blocks, but the sentence uses a past-tense verb.
C. The phrase describes the robot, but the subject following it is the students.
D. The phrase describes the students, but their names are missing from the sentence.

The editor wants a sentence explaining that the notebook contains the practice records. Which revision places the describing phrase most clearly?

A. Zadie set a notebook containing the team's practice records beside the toolbox.
B. Zadie set a notebook beside the toolbox containing the team's practice records.
C. Containing the team's practice records, Zadie set a notebook beside the toolbox.
D. Zadie, containing the team's practice records, set a notebook beside the toolbox.

An earlier draft said, “Watching from behind the boundary line, the fallen block was beyond the students' reach.” Which revision fixes the dangling modifier while keeping the students as the watchers?

A. The fallen block, watching from behind the boundary line, was beyond the students' reach.
B. Watching from behind the boundary line, the fallen block could not be reached by the students.
C. Watching from behind the boundary line, the students could not reach the fallen block.
D. Beyond the students' reach, the boundary line kept watching the fallen block.

Consider this draft sentence: “The team studied a recording of the attempt between rounds.” The editor wants the timing phrase to clearly describe when the team studied, not when the attempt occurred. Which revision best does this?

A. The team studied a recording between rounds of the attempt.
B. The team studied a between-rounds recording of the attempt.
C. Between rounds, the team studied a recording of the attempt.
D. The team studied a recording of the between-rounds attempt.

Which sentence clearly places the practice mat beside the team's table, rather than placing Harun there?

A. Harun tested the revised program on the practice mat that was beside their table.
B. Harun, who was beside their table, tested the revised program on the practice mat.
C. Beside their table, Harun tested the revised program on the practice mat.
D. Harun tested the revised program while standing beside their table on the practice mat.

Edit the Drafts

These additional draft sentences belong to the same reporting project. Use the stated meaning to choose or write the clearest revision.

The reporter means that the route was the one thing Tessa changed. Which sentence expresses that meaning most precisely?

A. Tessa changed only the robot's route before the final round.
B. Tessa only considered changing the robot's route before the final round.
C. Only Tessa changed the robot's route before the final round.
D. Tessa changed the robot's route only before the final round.

A draft says, “Harun almost tested every wheel.” The reporter means that Harun tested most of the wheels but missed one. Which revision expresses that meaning?

A. Almost testing every wheel, Harun stopped.
B. Harun tested every wheel almost immediately.
C. Harun almost began testing every wheel.
D. Harun tested almost every wheel.

10.

An earlier draft said, “After reviewing the recording, the route was changed by the students.” Which revision fixes the dangling phrase while keeping a passive main clause?

A. The route, after reviewing the recording, was changed by the students.
B. After reviewing the recording, the route was changed by the careful students.
C. Reviewed by the students, the route was changed after watching the recording.
D. After the students reviewed the recording, the route was changed by them.

11.

A draft says, “Tessa told Zadie after the final round she would save the recording.” The editor wants to make clear that the conversation happened after the round. Which revision places the time clause most clearly?

A. Tessa told Zadie she would, after the final round ended, save the recording.
B. After the final round ended, Tessa told Zadie she would save the recording.
C. Tessa told Zadie she would save the recording after the final round ended.
D. Tessa told Zadie she would save, after the final round ended, the recording.

12.

Which draft sentence has a correctly placed introductory modifier and needs no repair?

A. Loaded with the revised program, the team's confidence increased.
B. Loaded with the revised program, another practice run impressed Harun.
C. Loaded with the revised program, Harun watched another practice run.
D. Loaded with the revised program, the robot completed another practice run.

13.

The reporter means that the students standing near the exit received the printed results. Which revision attaches the describing phrase to those students?

A. Standing near the exit, a volunteer handed the printed results to the students.
B. A volunteer handed the printed results to the students standing near the exit.
C. Standing near the exit, the printed results were handed to the students by a volunteer.
D. A volunteer standing near the exit handed the printed results to the students.

14.

Revise this sentence to fix both modifier problems: “Walking toward the worktable, the notebook was handed to Zadie with bent corners.” The intended meaning is that Harun was walking and the notebook had bent corners. Then explain how your revision connects each modifier to the right word.