Examkin

Question

Difficulty: EasyModifier Placement

Carefully scraping away layers of yellowed varnish, the vibrant original colors of the portrait were revealed by the art conservator. The painting, which had been hidden for over a century, once again looked as the artist intended. Visitors to the museum can now appreciate its true beauty.

Which of the following choices best replaces the underlined portion of the sentence to ensure that the sentence is grammatically correct and logically structured?

  1. A
    NO CHANGE
  2. the art conservator revealed the vibrant original colors of the portraitAnswer
  3. C
    the art conservator revealed the vibrant original colors of the portrait, they immediately caught the light
  4. D
    the art conservator, along with her assistants, reveal the vibrant original colors of the portrait

Answer

The correct answer is the option that places the logical subject, 'the art conservator,' immediately after the introductory modifier, resulting in: 'the art conservator revealed the vibrant original colors of the portrait.'
The correct answer is the option that begins with 'the art conservator.' Because the introductory phrase 'Carefully scraping away layers of yellowed varnish' describes an action, the noun immediately following it must be the person or entity performing that action. A conservator can scrape varnish, whereas colors cannot. Therefore, placing 'the art conservator' directly after the comma resolves the dangling modifier.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the introductory modifying phrase.
The phrase is 'Carefully scraping away layers of yellowed varnish.'
This phrase contains a participle ('scraping') and describes an action, meaning it must modify the noun that performs that action.
2
Determine who or what is performing the action of 'scraping.'
The art conservator is scraping the varnish, not the vibrant original colors.
An inanimate object like 'colors' cannot scrape varnish, so placing 'colors' immediately after the modifier creates a dangling modifier.
3
Select the option that places the correct subject immediately after the comma without introducing new errors.
The phrase 'the art conservator revealed the vibrant original colors of the portrait' is correct.
It correctly identifies 'the art conservator' as the subject and maintains grammatical correctness throughout the sentence.

Key Concept

Modifier Placement
Rate this question

Topics

Modifier Placement

More questions from this topic