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Difficulty: Very hardMisplaced and Dangling Modifiers

Unlike his contemporaries, who focused solely on planetary positions, Kepler's laws of planetary motion were derived from Tycho Brahe’s observational data, which revolutionized astronomy.

Which of the following options best corrects the underlined portion of the sentence?

  1. A
    NO CHANGE
  2. Kepler derived his laws of planetary motion from Tycho Brahe's observational data, a breakthrough thatAnswer
  3. C
    Kepler derived his laws of planetary motion from Tycho Brahe's observational data, they
  4. D
    Kepler, who derived his laws of planetary motion from Tycho Brahe's observational data, which

Answer

Kepler derived his laws of planetary motion from Tycho Brahe's observational data, a breakthrough that
The correct option resolves the dangling modifier by placing the proper noun 'Kepler' directly after the comma, which ensures that the introductory phrase 'Unlike his contemporaries' logically describes him. It also maintains a complete, grammatically sound sentence structure by avoiding fragments and comma splices.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the introductory modifying phrase and the noun it modifies.
The phrase 'Unlike his contemporaries, who focused solely on planetary positions' must logically modify a person (Kepler) rather than an inanimate object or concept (Kepler's laws).
Correct modifier placement requires the introductory phrase to immediately precede the noun it describes to avoid illogical comparisons.
2
Evaluate the grammar of the rest of the sentence for each option that corrects the modifier.
The option beginning with 'Kepler derived...' resolves the modifier error and forms a grammatically sound independent clause, while the appositive phrase at the end avoids punctuation errors.
Ensuring the sentence is free of comma splices and fragments is necessary when changing the clause structure to fix the modifier.

Key Concept

Introductory Modifier Placement
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Topics

Misplaced and Dangling Modifiers

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