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Difficulty: Very hardAdjective and Adverb Usage

Historically, biographers assumed that the composer's final masterpiece was the product of years of meticulous planning. However, newly discovered letters suggest that composed hasty, the symphony's sound is incredibly complete to modern musicologists, who continue to marvel at the work's structural complexity.

Which of the following options is the most grammatically correct replacement for the underlined portion of the sentence?

  1. A
    NO CHANGE
  2. composed hastily, the symphony sounds incredibly completeAnswer
  3. C
    composed hastily, it's sound is incredibly complete
  4. D
    composed hasty, the symphony sounds incredibly complete

Answer

composed hastily, the symphony sounds incredibly complete
The correct option correctly uses the adverb 'hastily' to modify the past participle 'composed'. It also resolves the dangling modifier by changing the subject of the main clause to 'the symphony', ensuring the introductory phrase logically modifies the subject. Finally, it uses the linking verb 'sounds' followed by the predicate adjective 'complete', which is correctly modified by the adverb 'incredibly'.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the modifier modifying the participle 'composed'.
Since 'composed' functions as a verb form in the introductory participial phrase, it must be modified by an adverb rather than an adjective. Therefore, 'hasty' must be changed to 'hastily'.
Adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs, whereas adjectives modify nouns.
2
Check the subject of the main clause to resolve any dangling modifiers.
The introductory phrase 'composed hastily' must logically modify 'the symphony', not 'the symphony's sound' or 'its sound'. Thus, the subject of the main clause must be 'the symphony'.
An introductory participial phrase must modify the subject of the main clause immediately following it.
3
Verify the modifier usage in the predicate of the main clause.
The verb 'sounds' functions as a linking verb, which requires a predicate adjective ('complete') rather than an adverb. The adverb 'incredibly' is correct because it modifies the adjective 'complete'.
Linking verbs link the subject to a subject complement (adjective), and adverbs are used to modify those adjectives.

Key Concept

Distinguishing between adjectives and adverbs in complex structures, ensuring correct modifier placement to avoid dangling modifiers, and identifying correct possessive pronoun homophones.
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Topics

Adjective and Adverb Usage

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