What is a common result of using misplaced modifiers?

Misplaced modifiers occur when descriptive phrases are incorrectly positioned in relation to the words they modify, which can lead to confusion about what the sentence is actually conveying. For instance, if someone writes, "She almost drove her kids to school every day," the reader may misunderstand the intention behind "almost," making it unclear whether she did not drive at all or drove less frequently than suggested.

This ambiguity can significantly detract from the clarity of communication. When a modifier does not clearly indicate which noun it is intended to describe, the overall meaning of the sentence becomes muddled, leading to potential misinterpretations.

In contrast to providing clearer sentence structure, enhancing writing style, or improving descriptive quality, misplaced modifiers typically cause the opposite effect—leading to confusion rather than clarity in writing. This is why the result of employing misplaced modifiers is often confusion or ambiguity in the sentence, making this understanding crucial for effective communication.