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Question

Difficulty: HardMisplaced and Dangling Modifiers

Designed by the legendary architect Julia Morgan, nearly three decades were spent constructing Casa Grande, the main building of the Hearst Castle estate.

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

  1. A
    NO CHANGE
  2. B
    the construction of Casa Grande, the main building of the Hearst Castle estate, which took nearly three decades
  3. Casa Grande, the main building of the Hearst Castle estate, was constructed over nearly three decadesAnswer
  4. D
    Casa Grande is the main building of the Hearst Castle estate, it took nearly three decades to construct

Answer

The correct answer is the option that states 'Casa Grande, the main building of the Hearst Castle estate, was constructed over nearly three decades' because it resolves the dangling modifier by putting the correct subject immediately after the introductory phrase and avoids other grammatical errors.
The option that begins with 'Casa Grande' and ends with 'was constructed over nearly three decades' is correct because the subject 'Casa Grande' is logically described by the introductory modifier 'Designed by the legendary architect Julia Morgan'. It also completes the sentence with a passive verb phrase that avoids fragments or comma splices.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the introductory modifying phrase and determine what it logically describes.
The introductory phrase 'Designed by the legendary architect Julia Morgan' describes a structure or building that was designed, not a time frame or action.
An introductory participial modifier must logically describe the subject of the clause that immediately follows it.
2
Evaluate the choices to locate the logical subject directly after the comma.
Only 'Casa Grande' can logically serve as the subject modified by Julia Morgan's design, ruling out options that place 'nearly three decades' or 'the construction' in the subject position.
To fix a dangling modifier, the true receiver of the modifying action must be positioned as the subject of the main clause.
3
Check the grammatically aligned choices for structural and punctuation errors.
The choice beginning with 'Casa Grande' that forms a comma splice is eliminated, leaving the passive construction that completes the sentence grammatically.
A sentence must not only fix modifier errors but also avoid other punctuation and structural issues such as comma splices or fragments.

Key Concept

Misplaced and Dangling Modifiers
Estimated Time:1m 15s
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Topics

Misplaced and Dangling Modifiers

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