Keep those Modifiers from Dangling, George!
If you want to write well, one of the stylistic elements that you need to pay heed are those nasty dangling modifiers, whether in participial, gerund, or phrasal form. Although sometimes insidious to spot, these grammatical faux-pas will tinge your writing and confuse your readers' train of thought. Much like a poorly segued musical transition, dangling modifiers impinge somewhat strangely on the ear and often lend unintended yet grotesque humor to your writing in general.
In the following sentence, see whether you can detect the dangling modifier:

It was early morning. George rose from his bed taking his furry slippers with him and began his march downstairs where breakfast awaited him.

In this complex sentence—as grammarians would call it—complex because the sentence contains the independent clause, "George rose from his bed taking his...downstairs" and the subordinate clause, "where breakfast awaited him," we have a "not-so-obvious" dangling participial phrase. The reason that the "dangler" is not so obvious is because the intent of the writer is obvious from the context; we know who is taking the slippers. Yet the way the sentence is structured, the bed, by its juxtaposition to the participial "taking," is the one doing the taking. One could argue that this is splitting hairs and being overly pedantic, yet this example, by the very insidiousness of the "dangler," demonstrates very well that if we are not careful with these grammatical structure razers in cases such as these, we would become very sloppy in more serious cases, in which the meaning becomes grotesquely distorted.

Though the meaning be clear in the previous example, this does not make the infraction pardonable. A good writer needs to be aware of these "danglers" and has to conform his writing so as to minimize their occurrence. We are all guilty of these infractions and should not stop writing because our writing is not always perfect. Since the dangling modifier is such a common error—even among good writers—we need to be ever aware of its stealthy manner of sneaking into our prose. We should rewrite the above by making any of the following changes:
Rising from his bed, George took his furry slippers with him and began his march downstairs where breakfast awaited him.
Or,
Taking his furry slippers with him, George rose from his bed and began his march downstairs where breakfast awaited him.
If you want to write well, beware the "dangler." And go get a good book on grammar and learn about the language you wish to express yourself in. This will be well worth your while.
More on this in another article. Stay tuned...


Easy Speed Reading Techniques
Most of us typically read about 200 to 400 words per minute (wpm) when we are reading for comprehension - that is, when we want to learn and retain knowledge from what we are reading - and this speeds up to about 400 - 700 wpm when we are skimming or scanning. These techniques are things that we all naturally use in the course of reading; skimming and scanning consist of moving your eyes down a page, but not reading every word. You get the general idea of what a passage is saying.
Speed reading means reading at a rate that is significantly faster than that of normal skimming and scanning. With speed reading techniques, most people are able to read 1000 wpm or more. some of the fastest speed readers can read up to ten times that rate, with good comprehension. Obviously, speed reading is useful in many ways. So many of us - students and professionals - are inundated with a great volume of reading material every day. If we can get through this material at a significantly higher speed (and without sacrificing comprehension), the benefits are great. We are able to acheive more and learn more with less effort than we ever thought possible.
The best speed readers are capable of reading at speeds you might find amazing. For example, some can finish a novel or reference book at the bookstore or newsstand, and remember what's in it afterward - imagine the money you'd save, as well as time! Reaching these speeds is not out of the question for you, if you find speed reading techniques that work for you. But if you increase your reading speed even by half (which is easily achievable) the benefits will be great, particularly if you have to do a lot of reading for school or work.
Speed reading techniques vary greatly; in fact, they are based on different principles. Many of the techniques are really accelerated versions of skimming. You are taught to read only part of each word or phrase, which is all you really need much of the time - your mind will automaticaly fill in the rest. Sometimes this is achieved by using peripheral vision. Other speed reading techniques, which boast much faster speeds and greater comprehension, work on a different principle. For example, one method (sometimes known as photo reading) engages the sub-conscious or para-conscious mind to mentally 'photograph' whole passages, enabling you to 'read' them without actually reading individual words or phrases at all. Though this claim sounds incredible, many testimonies indicate that it's true.
Have you wasted enough time reading slowly?
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Making the most of Speed Reading Classes
If you have decided that you want to dramatically increase the speed and efficiency of your reading in order to work or study more effectively, there are several options open to you nowadays. Taking speed reading classes remains a popular option. Though it may be possible to gain the same knowledge through software or a correspondence course, speed reading classes may well be superior to these other options. The opportunity to measure your progress against that of others in the class, and to have personal instruction as needed, can be invaluable. Many students progress faster after they make the choice to attend speed reading classes.
What can you expect from a speed reading class? Some of us find the idea intimidating - probably because they are afraid that they will be unable to learn to read at speeds of 100 words per minute or more. It is true that, just as natural reading speed varies between individuals, so does one's capacity to learn speed reading. However, don't be discouraged if you consider yourself a slow reader by nature. Speed reading classes teach you knew techniques for reading that are different from those you normally use. For example, the Evelyn Wood method (designed by one of the pioneers of speed reading) involves the use of a 'pacer' to speed up the movement of your eyes across the page. Evelyn Wood herself stumbled upon this method, when frustrated by her own inability to read faster. The accidental movement of her own hand across a page showed her how the eye is 'led' by a moving object. The result? People can learn to read faster, with little or no loss of comprehension.
Other speed reading classes teach different methods. The object of many of them is to stop people from 'dwelling on' a certain word, because that slows down the reading process. One method, therefore, calls for using your peripheral vision to read. If you read out the the corner of your eyes, so to speak, the eye seems to be naturally drawn forward.
As you get faster - and some speed reading classes claim an incredible 1000 wpm - opinions vary regarding whether comprehension is lost. According to some sceptics, who have studies speed readers under controlled circumstances, it appears that speed does come at the expense of comprehension. In fact, some experts claim that reading faster than 600 wpm means that comprehension is radically reduces. There is also strong evidence to the contrary, however, and most speed reading experts claim that little or no comprehension is lost, even at incredibly high speeds.
Have you wasted enough time reading slowly?
Explode your reading speed and comprehension with The New Science of Speed Reading - Download the free trial!