Question

Which sentence contains a dangling modifier? A.The angry matriarch could not break down the door carved from solid oak. B.Having done well on her research, she earned an A on her paper. C.The scouts sought shelter in the cave the snow swirling in great heaps outside. D.Preparing for the experiment, several slides were fuxed with dye.

Answer 1

Answer:

Your answer would be D.

Explanation:

The sentence that contains a dangling modifier is D. A dangling modifier is a word or phrase that modifies a word not clearly stated in the sentence. In the sentence above, "preparing for the experiment" is a present participle expressing an action but does not name the doer of the action. In English sentences, the doer of the action must be the subject of the main sentence. However, the doer of the action is not "several slides" (the subject of the main clause). Slides do not have volition, so they can't prepare an experiment.

As the doer of the action is not clearly stated, the participle phrase is said to be dangling. Consequently, you should name the appropriate or logical doer of the action as the subject of the main clause. In this case, it could be an NP such as "the scientist" or you can turn the whole sentence into a when clause --> When the scientist was preparing the experiment, several slides...