Multiple choice

Directions: This question presents a sentence, all or part of which is underlined. Beneath the sentence you will find five ways of phrasing the underlined part. The first of these repeats the original; the other four are different. If you think the original is best, choose the first answer; otherwise choose one of the others. Looking toward the west, a funnel shaped cloud stirred up dust and a man came out of his house and cried, “we will go to extraordinary lengths to avoid our problems and the suffering they cause”.

  1. Looking toward the west, a funnel shaped cloud stirred up dust

  2. A funnel shaped cloud stirred up dust, looking toward the west

  3. Looking toward the west, I saw a funnel shaped cloud stir up dust

  4. While I was looking toward the west, a funnel shaped cloud stirred up dust
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Explanation for (1): Type of error: dangling modifier

Here the dangling modifier is, 'looking toward the west'. The sentence does not specify who is looking toward west. Since the modifier, looking toward the west, is sitting next to the funnel shaped cloud, the sentence suggests that the cloud is doing the looking.

Explanation for (2): It appears that the funnel shaped cloud is looking toward the west.
Justification for (3): In this option the modifier, 'looking toward the west' is modifying 'I saw a funnel shaped cloud stir up dust'. Now the sentence means that I was looking toward the west.
Explanation for (4): 'I' should be added to the phrase that is to be modified and not to the modifier itself. Explanation for (5): There is an unnecessary shift in voice from active to passive.

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