Examkin

Question

Difficulty: EasyMisplaced and Dangling Modifiers

Analyze the sentence below to identify the misplaced modifier.

"The librarian returned the book to the student that had a torn cover."

To resolve this error, which noun should the modifying clause "that had a torn cover" immediately follow?

Answer:The modifying clause should immediately follow the noun 【book】.

Answer

The modifying clause "that had a torn cover" should immediately follow the noun "book".
The modifying clause "that had a torn cover" describes a characteristic of a book, not a person. Placing it immediately after the noun "book" clarifies that the book, and not the student, has a torn cover.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the target of the modifying clause "that had a torn cover".
The clause describes something with a cover, which logically refers to the "book" rather than the "student".
Modifiers must be placed as close as possible to the word they describe to avoid creating an illogical sentence.
2
Reposition the clause to follow the correct noun.
The corrected sentence is: "The librarian returned the book that had a torn cover to the student."
Placing "that had a torn cover" directly after "book" establishes the correct logical relationship.

Key Concept

A misplaced modifier is a word, phrase, or clause that is improperly separated from the word it modifies, making the sentence confusing or illogical. To correct a misplaced modifier, place it as close as possible to the noun it describes.
Rate this question

Topics

Misplaced and Dangling Modifiers

More questions from this topic