Misplaced and Dangling Modifiers

Modifiers are words or phrases that describe, identify, and specify another part of a sentence. As the term indicates, a Misplaced Modifier (mm) is one not correctly positioned in its sentence. These are often the cause of unintended humor-and lack of clear meaning!
I saw the sick skunk driving down the street.
He wore a red beret on his head, which was much too small.

The underlined modifying phrase/clauses are placed next to the wrong nouns. The sentences need to be revised to place them next to the nouns they do modify:
Driving down the street, I saw the sick skunk.
He wore a red beret, which was much too small, on his head.

Dangling Modifiers (dm), too, are often sources of humor and twisted meaning:
Although exhausted and demoralized, the coach kept insisting on another lap.
Hanging by one toe from the rope 300 feet above, the performance was the most exciting of the circus.

The underlined modifiers are problematic because they refer to a subject who is either absent from the sentence or whose identity is unclear. In the above, the track team is missing as is the high rope performer. Revision is required:
Although the track team was exhausted and demoralized, the coach insisted on another lap.
Hanging by one toe from the rope 300 feet above, the high rope expert gave the most exciting performance of the circus.

Here’s one in which the subject of the modifier is present but unclear:
With only a 3.0 GPA, Rutgers’s graduate school nonetheless accepted Sarah.
A. it is, Rutgers has a 3.0 GPA requirement. Revision:
Sarah, with only a 3.0 GPA, was accepted by Rutgers.

Squinting Modifiers occur when a modifier is placed between two words, either one of which could be its anchor. This confuses:
We were certain at noon our trip was canceled.
Does the writer mean: At noon, we were certain our tip was canceled, or that our trip was canceled at noon?

Placement of adverbs: Only, just, merely
Proper placement of these adverbs can determine and alter the meaning of a sentence.

For instance, consider the different meanings of:
I eat only one dessert per day.
I only eat one dessert per day.

Again:
Only I can eat the ritual meal.
I can only eat the ritual meal.
I can eat only the ritual meal.

Finally:
I can see merely the shadows.
I can merely see the shadows.