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Difficulty: Very hardAdjectives, Adverbs, and Modifiers

A financial analyst drafted four alternative sentences for an executive summary on corporate restructuring. Which of the four sentences is grammatically correct, avoiding dangling modifiers, improper adverbial forms, and incorrect comparative adjective structures?

  1. Having scrutinized the audit reports meticulously, the chief analyst considered the new accounting framework far superior to the previous model.Answer
  2. B
    Having scrutinized the audit reports meticulously, the new accounting framework was considered far superior to the previous model by the chief analyst.
  3. C
    Having scrutinized the audit reports meticulously, the chief analyst considered the new accounting framework more superior than the previous model.
  4. D
    Having scrutinized the audit reports meticulous, the chief analyst considered the new accounting framework very superior to the previous model.

Answer

The sentence beginning with 'Having scrutinized the audit reports meticulously, the chief analyst considered...' is the only grammatically correct option.
The sentence starting with 'Having scrutinized the audit reports meticulously, the chief analyst...' successfully integrates three distinct modifier rules: it places the logical agent ('the chief analyst') directly after the introductory participial phrase to prevent a dangling modifier, uses the adverb 'meticulously' to modify the action verb 'scrutinized', and correctly modifies the Latin comparative adjective 'superior' with the degree adverb 'far' followed by the preposition 'to'.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Evaluate the introductory participial phrase for proper modifier alignment.
The participial phrase 'Having scrutinized...' describes an action. The main clause subject immediately following it must be the agent performing the action ('the chief analyst').
Placing 'the new accounting framework' as the main subject creates a dangling modifier since a framework cannot scrutinize audit reports.
2
Determine the correct word class for modifying the verb 'scrutinized'.
The action verb 'scrutinized' requires the adverb 'meticulously', not the adjective form 'meticulous'.
Adverbs modify verbs, whereas adjectives modify nouns or pronouns.
3
Analyze the modifier and preposition required for Latin comparative adjectives like 'superior'.
Latin comparatives (superior, inferior, prior, senior) take the preposition 'to' (not 'than') and cannot be combined with 'more' (double comparative) or 'very'. They are intensified using degree adverbs such as 'far' or 'much'.
'Far superior to' is the only grammatically sound construction among the choices.

Key Concept

Adjectives, Adverbs, and Modifiers
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Topics

Adjectives, Adverbs, and Modifiers

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