What is a squinting modifier?

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What is a squinting modifier?

A squinting modifier is a grammatical quirk that creates ambiguity, often confusing readers who are unsure if the modifier is attached to the word before or after it.

Focused confused young lady trying to read paper book

I magine you're approaching a traffic light intersection with both signals red, and you're unsure which direction will turn green first. You're forced to shift your gaze back and forth, trying to determine your next move. This feeling mirrors the experience of reading a sentence with a squinting modifier. It forces the reader to pause, looking back and forth, unsure which word is actually being modified.

For example, consider the sentence, "Studies show that reading often improves memory." The adverb "often" creates a dilemma. Does it modify "reading" (suggesting reading occurs frequently) or "improves memory" (indicating that improvement happens often)? Either interpretation is possible, leaving readers in doubt.

A squinting modifier is an adverb or adjective between two words or phrases. In the above example, the adverb "often" is the squinting modifier. Here's another: "The house that got a new roof recently was sold." It's unclear whether the house recently got a new roof or if the house itself recently was sold. This confusion gives the modifier its name — squinting — as it seems to look in both directions.

These modifiers can be fixed by rearranging or rephrasing the sentence. The previous example can be fixed this way: "The house that got a new roof was recently sold." Similarly, "Studies show that frequent reading improves memory" is another simple fix. By repositioning the modifier or rephrasing the sentence, you can eliminate ambiguity and clarify your meaning for readers, making your writing clear and concise.

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