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Difficulty: HardMisplaced and Dangling Modifiers

The sentence below contains a dangling modifier because the introductory participial phrase does not logically modify the subject of the clause that follows:

'Determining that the fossilized tracks belonged to a juvenile theropod, the footprints were carefully cast by the paleontologists in plaster.'

To correct this error, complete the sentence by typing a grammatically correct clause in the blank that begins with the subject 'the paleontologists' and includes the verb 'cast', the adverb 'carefully', and the direct object 'the footprints'.

Answer:Determining that the fossilized tracks belonged to a juvenile theropod, 【the paleontologists carefully cast the footprints】 in plaster.

Answer

The corrected sentence should read: 'Determining that the fossilized tracks belonged to a juvenile theropod, the paleontologists carefully cast the footprints in plaster.'
The correct response resolves the dangling modifier by placing the logical subject—the paleontologists—immediately after the introductory phrase. Since it was the paleontologists who determined the identity of the tracks, they must serve as the subject of the independent clause. Phrasing the clause in the active voice ('the paleontologists carefully cast the footprints') ensures grammatical alignment and clear sentence structure.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the introductory modifier and its logical subject.
The phrase 'Determining that the fossilized tracks belonged to a juvenile theropod' describes an action that requires a conscious agent capable of making a determination.
Introductory modifiers must logically describe the subject of the main clause that immediately follows.
2
Identify the grammatical error in the original sentence.
The original sentence uses 'the footprints' as the subject of the main clause, which creates a dangling modifier because footprints cannot determine their own origin.
A dangling modifier occurs when the modifier's target is either missing or incorrectly identified in the sentence.
3
Rephrase the clause in the active voice with the correct logical subject.
Change the subject of the main clause to 'the paleontologists' and express the action in the active voice: 'the paleontologists carefully cast the footprints'.
This placement aligns the introductory modifier with the correct subject, ensuring logical coherence and grammatical correctness.

Key Concept

Introductory modifiers must logically modify the subject of the main clause that follows.
Estimated Time:1m 0s
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Topics

Misplaced and Dangling Modifiers

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