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Difficulty: MediumMisplaced and Dangling Modifiers

After descending thousands of feet into the ocean's abyssal zone, the scientists' remote camera captured a previously unknown species of bioluminescent jellyfish.

Which of the following choices, if substituted for the underlined portion, makes the sentence grammatically correct?

  1. A
    NO CHANGE
  2. the scientists used a remote camera to captureAnswer
  3. C
    a remote camera, which captured
  4. D
    the scientists used a remote camera, they captured

Answer

the scientists used a remote camera to capture
The correct answer resolves the dangling modifier by placing the logical subject—the scientists—directly after the introductory phrase. This makes it clear that the scientists, not the camera, were the ones descending into the ocean depths.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the introductory modifying phrase and determine what or who it logically describes.
The phrase 'After descending thousands of feet into the ocean's abyssal zone' describes a conscious action of exploration, which must be performed by the scientists rather than their camera.
To prevent a dangling modifier, the subject immediately following the comma must be the entity performing the action in the introductory phrase.
2
Evaluate the options to find the one that places 'the scientists' immediately after the comma without introducing new grammatical errors.
The option stating 'the scientists used a remote camera to capture' correctly positions 'the scientists' as the subject and maintains a complete, grammatically sound sentence.
This phrasing resolves the modifier issue and avoids fragments, comma splices, or other structural errors.

Key Concept

Misplaced and Dangling Modifiers
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Topics

Misplaced and Dangling Modifiers

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