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Question

Difficulty: Very hardModifier Placement

A conservation center recently announced a major milestone in its endangered species program. In what sequence must the following segments be arranged to construct a grammatically correct second sentence that avoids misplaced and dangling modifiers?

  1. 1Although nearly extinct in the wild,
  2. 2the Siberian tiger
  3. 3, which has since been released back into its natural habitat,
  4. 4was successfully bred by the zoologists
  5. 5in a specialized conservation facility.

Answer

Although nearly extinct in the wild, the Siberian tiger, which has since been released back into its natural habitat, was successfully bred by the zoologists in a specialized conservation facility.
The correct sequence places the introductory modifier 'Although nearly extinct in the wild' next to its logical target, 'the Siberian tiger'. It then correctly positions the relative clause ', which has since been released back into its natural habitat,' immediately after 'the Siberian tiger' to avoid a misplaced modifier. The sentence is completed by the main predicate 'was successfully bred by the zoologists in a specialized conservation facility.'

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the introductory modifying phrase and its logical target.
The phrase 'Although nearly extinct in the wild' must modify the subject 'the Siberian tiger'.
Placing any other noun (like 'the zoologists' or 'conservation facility') immediately after this phrase would create a dangling modifier, as people or buildings cannot be extinct species.
2
Determine the correct placement of the relative clause.
The relative clause ', which has since been released back into its natural habitat,' must be placed directly after 'the Siberian tiger'.
If placed elsewhere, such as after 'conservation facility' or 'zoologists', it would create a misplaced modifier, implying the facility or the researchers were released into the wild.
3
Arrange the remaining elements of the main independent clause.
Combine the subject 'the Siberian tiger' with the verb phrase 'was successfully bred by the zoologists' and the location 'in a specialized conservation facility.'
This logical sequence ensures the main action of the sentence is clear and grammatically correct.

Key Concept

Modifier Placement
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Topics

Modifier Placement

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