The general rule is: place the participle close to the word it modifies.
A dangling participle is a modifier close to a word the participle doesn't modify clearly.
EXAMPLE: I saw an elephant riding through the zoo.
Was the elephant riding through the zoo? The example sounds like it because the participle dangles.
CORRECT: Riding through the zoo I saw an elephant.
Now the participial phrase is close to the word it modifies - I, and the sentence makes sense.
EXAMPLE: Dragging into our camp sight after hiking through the mountains all day a shower was exactly what the campers wanted.
It sounds as if the shower were dragging into camp.
CORRECT: Dragging into our camp sight after hiking through the mountains all day, the campers all wanted to take showers.
Now, by adjusting a few words it is much more clear that the participial phrase modifies the campers and not a shower, as in the first example.
Be vigilant. Don't let your participles dangle.
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