Examkin

Question

Difficulty: EasyMisplaced and Dangling Modifiers

After running three miles, the glass of cold water refreshed Marcus.

Which of the following versions of the underlined portion results in the most clear and grammatically correct sentence?

  1. A
    NO CHANGE
  2. Marcus was refreshed by the glass of cold waterAnswer
  3. C
    the glass of cold water, which refreshed Marcus
  4. D
    Marcus was refreshed by the glass of cold water, it was cold

Answer

Marcus was refreshed by the glass of cold water
The correct option places 'Marcus' immediately after the introductory modifying phrase 'After running three miles.' Since Marcus is the one who ran, this structure correctly aligns the modifier with the noun it modifies, making the sentence logical and grammatically complete.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the introductory modifying phrase and determine what it describes.
The phrase 'After running three miles' describes an action performed by a person.
An introductory modifier must logically describe the noun that immediately follows the comma.
2
Check the subject of the main clause in each option to ensure it matches the modifying phrase.
The subject immediately following the comma must be 'Marcus' because a glass of water cannot run three miles.
Matching the modifier to the correct logical subject fixes the dangling modifier error.
3
Verify that the selected option does not introduce other grammatical errors such as sentence fragments or comma splices.
The option beginning with 'Marcus was refreshed' forms a complete, grammatically sound sentence without any punctuation or structure issues.
Eliminating options that create fragments or comma splices ensures syntactic correctness.

Key Concept

Introductory Dangling Modifiers
Estimated Time:45s
Rate this question

Topics

Misplaced and Dangling Modifiers

More questions from this topic