SAT Writing › Correcting Ambiguous Modifier Errors
Replace the underlined portion with the answer choice that results in a sentence that is clear, precise, and meets the requirements of standard written English. One of the answer choices reproduces the underlined portion as it is written in the sentence.
An account of the professor's research and teachings, which are described at length in the autobiography of his former student.
An account of the professor's research and teachings is described in great detail in the autobiography of his former student.
An account of the professor's research and teachings, which are described at length in the autobiography of his former student.
An account of the professor's research and teachings being lengthy described in the autobiography of his former student.
The professor's student, in his autobiography, lengthy describes an account of the Professor's teachings and research.
The professor's student, whose autobiography describes at length an account of the professor's research and teachings.
"An account of the professor's research and teachings, which are described at length in the autobiography of his former student." - As it is presented in the question stem, the sentence is incomplete. It contains only a subject and is missing a predicate; "which are described at length in the autobiography of his former student" is a participial phrase describing "an account of the professor's research and teachings." The "account" doesn't do anything in this sentence or have anything done to it.
"An account of the professor's research and teachings being lengthy described in the autobiography of his former student." - This sentence contains two errors. One error is its use of the adjective "lengthy." "Lengthy" is used like an adverb to modify "described," but adjectives can't modify verbs, so this sentence is incorrect. The sentence's other error is in its use of the word "being," which does not make sense. To be read as a present progressive verb, "being" would need to be preceded by "is." Even if "being" were read as beginning a participial phrase, the sentence would remain incomplete.
"The professor's student, in his autobiography, lengthy describes an account of the professor's teachings and research. " - This sentence reproduces the "lengthy" error discussed in the previous answer choice, and it also contains an ambiguous pronoun. "His" could refer to either the professor or the professor's student.
"The professor's student, whose autobiography describes at length an account of the professor's research and teachings." - This sentence is also an incomplete sentence; it consists of a subject and lacks a predicate. The participial phrase "whose autobiography describes at length an account of the Professor's research and teachings" describes "The professor's student," but the sentence lacks a verb to tell us what "the professor's student" does in the sentence.
"An account of the professor's research and teachings is described in great detail in the autobiography of his former student." - This sentence has no errors.
Replace the underlined portion with the answer choice that results in a sentence that is clear, precise, and meets the requirements of standard written English. One of the answer choices reproduces the underlined portion as it is written in the sentence.
Young drivers in my grandfather's town often make the mistake of driving through red lights, they also are known for ignoring speed limits.
through red lights; additionally, they are known
through red lights, additionally they are also known
through red lights; also known
through red lights, they also are known
through red lights, the other is
"Young drivers in my grandfather's town often make the mistake of driving through red lights, they also are known for ignoring speed limits. " - This sentence fails to properly separate two indepdendent clauses, creating a run-on sentence error.
Young drivers in my grandfather's town often make the mistake of driving through red lights; also known for ignoring speed limits." - This sentence includes improper semicolon usage.
"Young drivers in my grandfather's town often make the mistake of driving through red lights, additionally they are also known for ignoring speed limits." - This sentence also contains a run-on sentence error. "Additionally" and "also" are also redundant when used in the same clause.
"Young drivers in my grandfather's town often make the mistake of driving through red lights, the other is for ignoring speed limits." - This sentence has two errors. It is a run-on sentence, and it is ambiguous what the "other" represents.
"Young drivers in my grandfather's town often make the mistake of driving through red lights; additionally, they are known for ignoring speed limits." - This sentence has no errors.
Replace the underlined portion with the answer choice that results in a sentence that is clear, precise, and meets the requirements of standard written English. One of the answer choices reproduces the underlined portion as it is written in the sentence.
Having difficulty swallowing, Vitamin C are a supplement children don't usually take.
Children don't usually take the supplement Vitamin C because they have difficulty swallowing it.
Having difficulty swallowing, Vitamin C are a supplement children don't usually take.
Vitamin C are a supplement children don't usually take, because they have difficulty swallowing it.
Vitamin C, a supplement children don't usually take, having difficulty swallowing it.
Children don't usually take the supplement Vitamin C, having difficulty swallowing it.
"Having difficulty swallowing, Vitamin C are a supplement children don't usually take." - This sentence contains two errors. There is a subject-verb agreement problem between "Vitamin C" and "are"; since the subject is singular, the verb shouldn't be plural. As the sentence is framed now, "having difficulty swallowing," while true of "children," could easily apply to the "Vitamin C" itself.
"Vitamin C are a supplement children don't usually take, because they have difficulty swallowing it. " - This sentence contains two errors. There is a subject-verb agreement between "Vitamin C" and "are"; since the subject is singular, the verb shouldn't be plural. Additionally, there is an uneccessary comma after "take."
"Vitamin C, a supplement children don't usually take, having difficulty swallowing it. " - This sentence contains a verb tense error. "Having" both indicates the possessive and is in the wrong tense.
"Children don't usually take the supplement Vitamin C, having difficulty swallowing it." - This sentence contains a verb tense error. "Having" is in the wrong tense.
"Children don't usually take the supplement Vitamin C because they have difficulty swallowing it." - This sentence has no errors.
Replace the underlined portion with the answer choice that results in a sentence that is clear, precise, and meets the requirements of standard written English. One of the answer choices reproduces the underlined portion as it is written in the sentence.
Some scientific discoveries serve specific purposes for those researchers which desire to gain knowledge from them.
who desire to gain knowledge from them.
which desire to gain knowledge from them.
that desires to gain knowledge from them.
who desire they gain knowledge from them.
who desire about knowledge to be gained.
"Some scientific discoveries serve specific purposes for those researchers which desire to gain knowledge from them." - This sentence contains an error. "Which" is the improper pronoun for "researchers." Because researchers are, in fact, people, the correct pronoun is "who."
"Some scientific discoveries serve specific purposes for those researchers that desires to gain knowledge from them ." - This sentence contains two errors. "Which" is the pronoun for "researchers." Additionally, there is a Subject-Verb agreement error. "Researchers" is plural, but "desires" fits with singular subjects.
"Some scientific discoveries serve specific purposes for those researchers who desire they gain knowledge from them." - This sentence contains a diction error; "they gain knowledge from them" is improper diction, as it is unnecessary and imprecise.
"Some scientific discoveries serve specific purposes for those researchers who desire about knowledge to be gained." - This sentence contains one error. To "desire about" is an improper idiom.
"Some scientific discoveries serve specific purposes for those researchers who desire to gain knowledge from them." - This sentence has no errors.
Replace the underlined portion with the answer choice that results in a sentence that is clear, precise, and meets the requirements of standard written English. One of the answer choices reproduces the underlined portion as it is written in the sentence.
Traveling by plane, the roads and highways we saw looked like thin, winding cords.
we saw roads and highways that looked like thin, winding cords.
the roads and highways we saw looked like thin, winding cords.
the roads and highways looked like thin, winding cords, we saw.
the roads and highways we saw, looked like thin, winding cords.
we saw, like thin winding cords, the roads and highways.
The example sentence includes a dangling modifier. The introductory phrase "Traveling by plane," must be immediately followed by the subject that was, in fact, traveling by plane. Only two of the provided options correct this dangling modifier error. Of those two it is more concise, and clear, to say "we saw roads and highways that looked like thin, winding chords," rather than "we saw, like thin winding cords, the roads and highways."
Replace the underlined portion with the answer choice that results in a sentence that is clear, precise, and meets the requirements of standard written English. One of the answer choices reproduces the underlined portion as it is written in the sentence.
It ought to be your mother with who you cut the cake, not I.
It ought to be your mother with whom you cut the cake, not me.
It ought to be your mother with whom you cut the cake, not I.
It ought to be she, your mother with whom you cut the cake, not me.
It ought to be your mother, she with whom you cut the cake, not I.
It ought to be your mother with who you cut the cake, not me.
"It ought to be your mother with whom you cut the cake, not I." - This sentence contains one error. At the end of the sentence, "I" constitutes improper pronoun usage. It should read "me."
"It ought to be she, your mother with whom you cut the cake, not me." - This sentence contains a comma error. The interrupting phrase "your mother" was not correctly enclosed with commas.
"It ought to be your mother, she with whom you cut the cake, not I. " - This sentence is unnecessarily and confusingly worded. "she with whom you cut the cake" is a very awkward and confusing way of framing the sentence. Additionally, at the end of the sentence, "I" constitutes improper pronoun usage. It should read "me."
"It ought to be your mother with who you cute the cake, not me." - This sentence contains one error. "Who" is an incorrect object pronoun to use with "mother." In this situation, "whom" is correct.
"It ought to be your mother with whom you cut the cake, not me. " - This sentence has no errors.
Replace the underlined portion with the answer choice that results in a sentence that is clear, precise, and meets the requirements of standard written English. One of the answer choices reproduces the underlined portion as it is written in the sentence.
The thief evaded authorities for a long time because he conducted himself as though he was a bank teller.
as though he were a bank teller.
as though he was a bank teller.
like he was a bank teller.
like as if he was a bank teller.
as if he was bank teller.
"The thief evaded authorities for a long time because he conducted himself as though he was a bank teller." - This sentence contains one error. When describing hypothetical or untrue situations the subjunctive verb mood, in this case "were," is required.
"The thief evaded authorities for a long time because he conducted himself like he was a bank teller." - This sentence contains two errors. When describing hypothetical or untrue situations the subjunctive verb mood, in this case "were," is required. Additionally, it is better to use "as though" rather than "like" in this situation. "Like" is better used when placed right next to an active verb, is in: "he acted like a bank teller."
"The thief evaded authorities for a long time because he conducted himself like as if he was a bank teller." - This sentence contains two errors. When describing hypothetical or untrue situations the subjunctive verb mood, in this case "were," is required. Additionally, "like as if" is repetition therefore redundant and improper diction.
"The thief evaded authorities for a long time because he conducted himself as if he was bank teller." - This sentence contains two errors. When describing hypothetical or untrue situations the subjunctive verb mood, in this case "were," is required. Also, the sentence is missing an indefinite article before "bank teller."
"The thief evaded authorities for a long time because he conducted himself as though he were a bank teller." - This sentence has no errors.
Replace the underlined portion with the answer choice that results in a sentence that is clear, precise, and meets the requirements of standard written English. One of the answer choices reproduces the underlined portion as it is written in the sentence.
Relieved that the election was finally over, the governor's celebratory dinner was incredibly lavish.
Relieved that the election was finally over, the governor held an incredibly lavish celebratory dinner.
Relieved that the election was finally over, the governor's celebratory dinner was incredibly lavish.
Relieved and celebratory that the election was over, the governor's dinner was incredibly lavish.
Relieved that the election was over; the governor's celebratory dinner was incredibly lavish.
Relieved that the election was over, he the governor's celebratory dinner was lavish.
"Relieved that the election was finally over, the governor's celebratory dinner was incredibly lavish." - This option is incorrect due to a dangling modifier. The first clause, "relieved that the election was finally over," refers to "the governor," therefore "the governor" must be the subject of the second clause, rather than the celebratory dinner (which, since it is not, to our knowledge, sentient cannot feel relief, nor even the stress that would precede such relief).
"Relieved and celebratory that the election was over, the governor's dinner was incredibly lavish. " - This option includes creates the same dangling modifier as did the previous option, alters the meaning of the sentence, and incorrectly uses "celebratory" as an adjective describing a mood (it would be correct to say "feeling celebratory").
"Relieved that the election was over; the governor's celebratory dinner was incredibly lavish." - This option keeps the same dangling modifier error, while adding a semicolon error. The first clause of this sentence is a dependent clause and therefore cannot be separated from the main clause with a semicolon.
"Relieved that the election was over, he the governor's celebratory dinner was lavish." - While still repeating the dangling modifier error, this opiton also unnecessarily, and confusingly adds the pronoun "he" to the main clause, even thought "the governor" is a clear and obvious label for the subject.
The correct version of this sentence reads: "Relieved that the election was finally over, the governor held an incredibly lavish celebratory dinner." - Making the governor the subject of the main clause is the best way to fix this dangling modifier.
Replace the underlined portion with the answer choice that results in a sentence that is clear, precise, and meets the requirements of standard written English. One of the answer choices reproduces the underlined portion as it is written in the sentence.
Thrilled that the storm had finally broken, the campers' boots marched gleefully along the trail.
the campers marched gleefully along the trail.
the campers' marched gleefully along the trail.
the campers' boots marched gleefully along the trail.
the campers' boot's marched gleefully along the trail.
the campers' boots marched gleefully along the trail!
In the example sentence, it is not clear what the modifying phrase "Thrilled that the storm had finally broken" is referring to. Boots cannot be thrilled. In order to avoid a dangling modifier, a subject that can be appropriately modified by such a phrase must be included. The best way to change the underlined portion of the sentence above is: "the campers marched gleefully along the trail."
Replace the underlined portion with the answer choice that results in a sentence that is clear, precise, and meets the requirements of standard written English. One of the answer choices reproduces the underlined portion as it is written in the sentence.
After he returned from the long walk, the chair on the porch was settled into.
the man settled into the chair on the porch.
the chair on the porch was settled unto.
on the porch the chair was settled into.
on the porch, the chair was settled into.
the chair on the porch was settled into.
In the sentence above, as it is written, it is not clear what the modifying phrase "After he returned from the long walk" is referring to. A chair cannot walk. In order to avoid a dangling modifier, a subject which can be appropriately modified by such a phrase must be included. The best way to change the underlined portion of the sentence above is: "the man settled into the chair on the porch."