Grammar mini-moment: misplaced modifiers

This isn’t a full-fledged grammar lesson. But it is a warning that when you put a descriptive element into a sentence, you should be sure it’s clear what the descriptive element refers to.

From last night’s television news: “A University of New Mexico student was saved from being raped by a police officer who just happened to show up at the right place and time.”

From this evening’s television news: “A woman at a Wal-Mart was saved by a fellow customer who shot the attacker with a knife.”

I’m sure the people who wrote those news stories didn’t intend for readers to believe the police officer was a rapist, or that the Wal-Mart customer was somehow able to use a knife as a firearm. But the placement of the descriptive phrases leaves the reader guessing exactly what the writer means. You don’t want your reader to guess what you mean; you want to make the meaning perfectly clear. Thus, you must be sure that when you use a descriptive element, you must also make sure that it’s clear what that element is describing.