Modifiers

Question 1

Modifier

Answer 1

Word or phrase that modifies or changes another word or expression

Question 2

When answering sentence correction problems, you should ask yourself the following questions

Answer 2

1) Does the sentence make sense if read literally?
2) Is the meaning conveyed by the sentence logical?
3) Does the sentence say ehat the author intended it to say?
4) Is the meaning of the sentence clear or we must guess as to what the author intended?

Question 3

Adjective Modifiers

Answer 3

The blue plane was sitting on the runway

-> “blue” modifies the noun “plane”, providing more details about the plane

Question 4

Adverb Modifiers

Answer 4

The little boy jumped up and down excitedly

• > “excitedly” modifies the verb “jumped” describing how the biy jumped
• > ly

Question 5

Prepositional Phrases

Answer 5

The town of Machester is beautiful

-> “Of Manchester” modifies the noun “town”, telling us which town

Question 6

Relative Clause

Answer 6

-> Has subject and verb and can’t stand on its own
The boat that was used in the race is for sale
-> “That was used in the race” modifies the noun “boat”, telling us which boat is for sale
The Shiba Inu, which is the oldest breed of dog, is so cool.

Question 7

Present Particpants

Answer 7

The crying baby needs a nap

-> “crying” modifies the noun “baby”

Question 8

Past Participles

Answer 8

The tired runner took a nap

-> ‘tired”modifies the noun “runner”, telling us which runner

Question 9

Appositives

Answer 9

The fish, a piranha, swam near my feet.

• > “A piranha” modifes the noun “fish” telling us what type of fish
• > An appositive is a noun or pronoun — often with modifiers — set beside another noun or pronoun to explain or identify it.

Question 10

Absolute Phrase

Answer 10

-> An absolute phrase (nominative absolute) is generally made up of a noun or pronoun with a participial phrase. It modifies the whole sentence, not a single noun, which makes it different from a participial phrase.

Its sensitive antennae moving back and forth, the any could smell the sweet chocolate chips
-> “Its sensitive antennae moving back and forth”-> tells us more about the phrase that it modifies.

Question 11

Adjective

Answer 11

modfies nouns or pronouns
-> The new book is now in stores
“new” modfies the book

Question 12

Adverbs

Answer 12

modifies verbs, adjectives and other adverbs

-> main purpose is to modify a verb

Question 13

Examples of adjective

Answer 13

• Hard
• Bright
• Pretty
• Thoughtless
• Spurious
• Enthusiastic
• Sonorous
• New
• Good

Question 14

Common Adjectives

Answer 14

• Occasionally
• Often
• Seldom
• Always
• Never
• Clealry
  Famously
• Judiciously
  Slowly
  Well

Question 15

Misuse example of adjective and adverb #1

Answer 15

Wrong: The professor was a supposedly expert in illuminiated manusciprts, yet he couldn’t tell the difference between a genuine page fro mthe Book of Kells and a replciated page
Correct: The professor was a supposed expert in illuminiated manusciprts, yet he couldn’t tell the difference between a genuine page fro mthe Book of Kells and a replciated page
-> “supposedly” is misused becuase ait cannor descibe a noun

Question 16

Misplaced of modifers

Answer 16

Results in an errors in meaning, and misplaced modifers are frequently used in incorect answer choice

Question 17

Misplaced Adjectives: can happen when the adjective is separated from the noun it modifies, the meaning of the sentence can be distorted

Answer 17

Examples
1) Wrong: On the tables at the event were nutritious trays of fruits and vegetables
Correct: On the tables at the event were trays of nutritious fruits and vegetables
2) Wrong: The farmer showed up at my house with a freshly picked crate full of zucchini
Correct: The farmer showed up at my house with a crate full of freshly picked zucchini

Question 18

Misplaced Adverb

Answer 18

• Erica can only drink water -> logically flawed because it says that the only thing Erica can do is drink water
• Only Erica can drink water
• Erica can drink water only
• • all (kinda except the last one) are logically flawed -> you can see how ONLY changes the meaning of the sentence

Question 19

Misplaced Adverb: Fixing

Answer 19

The only way to fix misplaced adverb is putting it immediately before the word or phrase that it is meant to modify

i. e: modifying to say that the team only practises on Monday
- > The team only PRACTICE on Mondays

Question 20

When we answer a sentence correction question, we must CAREFULLY

Answer 20

consider every word in the sentence. If we don’t read carefully and critically, we’ll miss small but importatnt details, such as the effects of the placement of adjetive and adverb

Question 21

Squinting Modifiers

Answer 21

When a modifier is placed between two words or expression, either of which it could modify, the conveyed meaning can be ambigious

i. e: People who train CONSISTENTLY achieve score increases ( consistently achieve can modfiy either the train or achive -> so ambigious).
* * Can be fixed by
a) People who train consistently train achieve score increases
b) People who train achieve score increases consistently

Question 22

Stacked Modifiers May not convey clear meanings

Answer 22

Modifiers modifying a target appear one after the other
i.e: Later today, the panel will hear from an emotional intelligence expert (wrong -> because emotional can modify intelligence or expert)
Later today, the panel will hear from an expert in emotional intelligence

Question 23

Example of Stacked modifers

Answer 23

• > > The summer cooking event hosted annually by the town of Madison is quiet popular (wrong -> becuase summer can modify cooking or even the event)
• > > The cooking event that is hosted annually in summer by the town of Madison is quite popular. (correct)

Question 24

We have to be aware that the meaning conveyed by stacked modifers maybe unclear

Answer 24

so when we see stacked modifiers in a sentence version, we have to notice whether they convey a clear meaning or an unclear meanining

Question 25

Noun modifers must be placed

Answer 25

as closely as possibel to what it modifies
Correct: The MAN who was wearign the red scarf is upstairs
Incorrect: The MAN is upstairs who was wearing the red scarf

Question 26

Prepositional Phrases #1

Answer 26

in boxes

Question 27

Prepositional Phrases #2

Answer 27

under rocks

Question 28

Prepositional Phrases #3

Answer 28

by the lake

Question 29

Prepositional Phrases #4

Answer 29

for illiterate individuals

Question 30

When the prepostional phrases serve as adjectives

Answer 30

they modify nouns, as in the following examples

• > On the self was chocolate in boxes
• > Most of the houses by the lake were built decades ago (by the lakes modifies the noun houses)

Question 31

Modifying prepostional phrase must always be

Answer 31

as close as possible to the word that it modfies
Incorrect: He walked his dog in a Speedo
Correct: In a Speedo, he walked his dog

Question 32

Be on the lookout for prepostional phrases

Answer 32

that are improperly placed and thus modify the wrong things. Such sentences will depart from the meanings that their authors were seeking to express

Question 33

Pay special attention to the prepositional phrase of the time

Answer 33

to ensure that that their placement doesn’t result in ambiguity, confusion, or an illogical meaning

Incorrect: The board of directors said in 2020 the price of the company’s product would need to double (what does 2020 represent ? Did the board make the statement in 2020 or was the statement in 200> or was something going to going to occur by 2020?)

Question 34

Relative Clauses

Answer 34

Clauses that relate or connect parts of a sentence to each other and being with realtive pronouns
i.e: The house is surrounded by trees, which provide shade in summer

Question 35

That versus Which

Answer 35

refers to nouns that represent things other than people.

** never use that or which to refer to people

Question 36

Restrictive Clause

Answer 36

restricts the meaning of the noun that restrictive relative clause modifies

Question 37

If the relative clause is Restrictive then use

Answer 37

that

i. e: Juice that is frozen lasts for months
- > shows that it’s not any juice that last for months. It’s only frozen juice that last for months

Question 38

If the relative clause is non-restrictive then use

Answer 38

which

• Mount Everest, which is the tallest mountain on Earth, has lured adventure seekers since the early 1900s.
• > we know that there is only one Mount Everest so the clause is restrictive and the meaning would still hold if we remove the non-restrictive clause

Question 39

Non-restricitve relative clause must always be set off from the rest of sentence by

Answer 39

commas

i.e: The new phone model, which utilizes two cameras to take photos, is available in an array of colors

Question 40

When “which” is imediately preceded by a preposition

Answer 40

as in “in which”, “by which”, “through which”, “through which”, no comma precedes “which”

i.e: The car in which we were riding was black

Question 41

There are some situation where comma will precede that and

Answer 41

that case is also right

i. e The items, a chair and a mirror, that were delivered yesterday are both in front room.
- > there is a comma there because these items are modifying “the items” telling us what items are being disussed

Question 42

The proper placement of relative clauses

Answer 42

i.e: The salesman sold to the woman the car that had 15,000 miles -> incorrect

Question 43

In GMAT sentence correction

Answer 43

It’s your job to ifnd the correct answer and not rewrite the wrong one

Question 44

With a few exception, realtive clauses, including those that begin with “that” or “which”

Answer 44

must come immediately after the nouns that they modify
i.e:
Correct: Avocados that are ripe do not last long

Incorrect: The Boeing 777, which is a very large commerical airliner, is an engineering marvel.

Question 45

Modifiers Relative clauses can modify their antecedents “remotely”

Answer 45

there are structure that are considered acceptable or correct in which a realtive clause is seperated from the noun that it modifies. In such a structure, the realtive clasue is called a “remote relative clause”

Question 46

Cases when Modifiers Relative clauses can modify thier antecendnets “remotely” #1

Answer 46

• A relative clause may be separated from the noun that it modifies by another modifier, such as prepositional phrases or an appositive
  i. e: The town on the island, which is a sleepy seaside village, attracts many tourists each summer. -> the town is being modified by the on the island

Appositive: The latest conservation efforts will focus on restoring the habitat of Wild Lupine, a spire-shaped, flowering legume partial to dry, sandy regions, which serves as a host plant to the endangered Karner Blue butterfly
-> “which serves as a host plant “ is separated from the noun that it modifies, the Wild Lupine, by the appositive

Question 47

Cases when a realtive clause may be sepearted from the noun that it modifies #2

Answer 47

-> by the main verb of the sentence

• > for this structure to work, the main verb of the sentence has to be in one of the certain categories, such as one that indicates that a change or development
  i. e: Even as we speak, solar panels are being developed that will generate power much more efficiently than any panels in use today.

i. e: An expert is coming who will help the design team to determine the best way to use cutting edge technology in some of our new products (correct)
- An expert who will help the design team to determine the best way to use cutting edge technology in some of our new products is coming -> we wait for the main verb to occur for so long - not a best wya of doing it

Question 48

Certain types of main verbs that indicate arrival, positioning and coming into being can exist between a relative clause and the noun that it modifies in cases in which

Answer 48

there is unlikely to be any confusion and the author would like to avoid putting the main verb after a long intervening relative clause

Question 49

Who and Whom

Answer 49

is used to refer to people and not things and relative pronoun that cannot refer to people

Question 50

Example of whom and who

Answer 50

i.e:
Correct: The woman who lives next door to me is a pianist
Incorrect: The man that plays the violin alos has a very good voice
Example where idea is used: The idea that most excited him turned out to have the worst consequences

Question 51

Can “who” and “whom” be used interchanegebly

Answer 51

no

Question 52

When is “who” used

Answer 52

• subject pronoun

- performs the action in a clause

Question 53

When is “whom” used

Answer 53

• object pronouns

- the action is being acted upon

Question 54

Strategy to determine whether to use “who” or “whom”

Answer 54

replace the pronoun with another subject or object

i. e: He found the attndent WHO has my car keys
- > he has my car keys (correct)
- > him has my car keys (incorrect)

Question 55

Subject Pronouns

Answer 55

I 
You 
He 
She 
It
We 
They
Who

Question 56

Object Pronouns

Answer 56

Me 
You 
Him 
Her 
It
Us 
Them
Whom

Question 57

Entities made up of people such as teams, groups or classes are considered

Answer 57

things when the context treats such an entity as a single unit and in such cases are referred to via the use of relative pronouns “THAT” or “WHICH”
i.e: A team that danced with …

Question 58

Whose

Answer 58

can refer to things or people
i.e: The car whose fender I dented belongs to the police chief
: My mother, whose bracelet I borrowed, has always been willing to share.

Question 59

Appositives

Answer 59

An element of a sentence that modifies or further describes another element of a sentence by renaming it

i. e” My sister LUCIA is working to preserve the rainforest -> my sister is being further described by the name Lucia
i. e: Nisha’s house, a bungalow, has solar panels on the roof

Question 60

Replace the noun beong modified with its modifers to identify

Answer 60

appostive

i. e My niece Kristin is having a birthday party next Saturday
- > Kristin is having a birthday party next Saturday

Question 61

An appositive will usually, but not always, appear

Answer 61

directly beside what it modifies

i. e: My brother, running through the park, Eduardo saw a rare California condor. (wrong)
- > Running through the park, my brother Eduardo saw a rare California condor

Question 62

Appositives can be

Answer 62

restrictive or nonrestrictive

Question 63

If an appositive is nonrestrictive

Answer 63

= add information to the sentences and the meaning will not change if we remove it
= set off from rest of the sentence by commas
i.e: My cat, Fluffy, is fat -> indicates that you have one cat and that cat is fat

Question 64

If an appositive is restrictive

Answer 64

we do not use commas to see off restrictive clause

i. e: My cat Fluffy is fat
- > you have more than one cat and one of your cat fluffy is fat

Question 65

Abstract Appositives

Answer 65

renames and modifies an abstract idea that has been presented in a sentence
i.e: Earth’s population of humans is expected to increase substantially over the coming decades, —a development that could have significant negative effects on the quality of life on the plant

Question 66

Abstract appositives may appear in the sentence versions that are more effective than versions via the use of other structures

Answer 66

i.e
Incorrect: In 1957, Chien-Shiung Wu was passed over by those in charge of awarding of the Nobel Prize in Physics, which many people found outrageous -> which refers to the entire clause? or Nobel Prize in Physics?

Correct: In 1957, Chien-Shiung Wu was passed over by those in charge of awarding of the Nobel Prize in Physics, a decision that many people found outrageous

Question 67

Restrictive appositives

Answer 67

By removing it, the meaning of the sentence will change/will not make sense
= not set off by comma
i.e: My neighbor Ted never cuts his grass
-> If you remove Ted from the sentence then the meaning might change.

Question 68

Abstract Appositives

Answer 68

Rather than renaming and modifying specific words or phrases, rename and modify specific words or phrases, rename and modify entire ideas presented in clauses

i. e: After the judge announced her decisions, the governor spent much of the rest of the day ranting on social media, a spectacle that shocked not only his supporters but also his detractors
- > This not only modifies the words or phrases, rename and modify entire ideas presented in clauses

Question 69

Example: Abstract appositives that modifies the whole sentence

Answer 69

The results of experiments performed by Sir Frederick William Herschel indicated that there was a form of light not visible to human eyes, a development that led to the discovery of infrared.

-> This word -, a refers to the development -> and it’s correctly modifying the preceding sentence

Question 70

Present Participles and Past Participles

Answer 70

A participle is a verb form that functions as a modifier.

Question 71

present participles

Answer 71

always end in –ing

Question 72

past participles

Answer 72

usually end in –ed or -en.

Question 73

Participles Functioning as Adjectives

Answer 73

participle can be used in a sentence is as an adjective – simply modifying a noun.

• > “jumping crickets,” “singing men,” “setting sun,” “running dog”
• > “ruined castle,” “laminated copy,” “spoken word,” “swollen foot”

Question 74

A noun associated with a participle can either be

Answer 74

(1) agent doing the action of the participle or the (2) receiver of the effect of the participle.

Question 75

A Participle on its Own

Answer 75

Can Never Be the Main Verb in a Clause

- To avoid mistaking a fragment for a complete sentence, always locate the subject and the finite verb

Question 76

we can put most present participial phrases, which are phrases based on present participles, or “–ing” verbs, into three general categories:

Answer 76

(1) Present participial phrases used to restrictively modify specific nouns.
(2) Present participial phrases that appear at the beginning of or in the middle of clauses and modify multiple aspects of the clauses, are nonrestrictive and can be treated as nonrestrictive noun modifiers for the purpose of placement.
(3) Present participial phrases that appear at the end of clauses and modify entire clauses, in which cases the subjects of the clauses being modified are usually, but not always, the agents of the participles.

Question 77

Present Participial Phrases that Restrictively Modify Specific Nouns

Answer 77

-> We can tell that a present participial phrase modifies the noun that immediately precedes it by noticing that there is no comma between the phrase and the immediately preceding noun.

Examples:

The cat licking its paws is considering taking a nap.

Notice that the present participial phrase “licking its paws” serves to restrictively modify the noun “cat,” making clear to us that the sentence is not speaking of all cats; it’s speaking of a specific cat – the one licking its paws.

When a present participial phrase is used to restrictively modify a specific noun, the present participial phrase is placed adjacent to – usually after – the noun that it modifies, without a comma between the phrase and the noun:

The fish swimming in the stream made the water ripple.

The present participial phrase “swimming in the stream” modifies the noun “fish.” We can tell that the phrase is meant to modify the noun that immediately precedes it by noticing that there is no comma between “swimming in the stream” and the noun that it modifies, “fish.”

Question 78

The Meaning Conveyed by a Present Participial Phrase Must Fit with the Rest of the Sentence in which the Phrase Appears

Answer 78

Participial phrases always indicate simultaneity; the event described by a participle phrase must occur at the same time as the event described by the clause that the phrase modifies.

i.e
Incorrect: Using fresh ingredients, the chef looked for a recipe for the meal.

Incorrect: Using fresh ingredients, the chef served the meal on white china.

Incorrect: Working hard for hours, the crew took a break.

Neither of these sentences is logical because both of them use present participial phrases to describe events that would not possibly have occurred simultaneously with the events described by the main clauses.

Correct: Using fresh ingredients, the chef prepared the meal.

Question 79

Past Participial Phrases Used to Restrictively Modify Nouns

Answer 79

Past participial phrases can be used to restrictively modify nouns. In these situations, the past participial phrase is placed directly before or after the nouns that it modifies and is not separated from the noun by commas.

i.e: Pumpkins harvested in the fall can last until the following summer if stored in certain conditions.

In the above example, the past participial phrase “harvested in the fall” restrictively modifies the noun “pumpkins.”

The company hired a firm known for devising outrageous publicity stunts in a bid to quickly become a household name.

The damaged beyond recognition automobile once belonged to a famous actor.

In this example, the sentence utilizes the restrictive past participial phrase “damaged beyond recognition” to indicate exactly which automobile is mentioned.

Question 80

Past Participial Phrases Used to Nonrestrictively Modify Nouns

Answer 80

such a case, the phrase may appear directly before or directly after the noun that it modifies and is separated from the noun and other sentence elements by commas.

i.e: At the top of the hill stood a small house, painted white.

Painted white, a small house stood at the top of the hill.

Question 81

Issues Involving Past Participial Phrases #1 introductory past (1/2)

Answer 81

Sentence Correction question creators can create issues in sentences by misplacing past participial phrases. One common misplacement occurs when a sentence begins with an introductory past participial phrase.
i.e: Incorrect: Awarded the Nobel Prize for his work in chemistry, research done by Linus Pauling was wide-ranging and hard-hitting.
Incorrect: Acclaimed for his outlandish performance pieces and multimedia displays, the upcoming exhibition by this artist is sure to attract many visitors.

The upcoming exhibition is not “acclaimed for his outlandish performance pieces …” It is the artist who is acclaimed. A correct version is:

Acclaimed for his outlandish performance pieces and multimedia displays, this artist is sure to attract many visitors to his upcoming exhibition.

Question 82

Issues Involving Past Participial Phrases #1 introductory past (2/2)

Answer 82

Be on the lookout for an introductory phrase that begins with a past participle; we may have a misplaced modifier question on our hands. The noun that follows an introductory phrase that begins with a past participle must be the noun that that phrase is meant to modify.

Question 83

Issues Involving Past Participial Phrases #2

Answer 83

issues involving past participial phrases is by misplacing the phrases so that the phrases modify the wrong nouns.

Incorrect: A new wind farm is under construction in the valley, expected to provide enough power for a small city.

Question 84

Richard Strauss’ vast symphonic tone poem Alpine Symphony evokes feelings of awe and wonder in listeners, written in the early 1900s.

Answer 84

Because the past participial phrase “written in the early 1900s” directly follows “listeners,” the sentence conveys the illogical meaning that listeners were written in the early 1900s. In order for the sentence to make sense, the phrase has to be placed close to what it is meant to modify, “Alpine Symphony,” as in:

Richard Strauss’ vast symphonic tone poem Alpine Symphony, written in the early 1900s, evokes feelings of awe and wonder in listeners.

Question 85

Kombucha tea likely originated up to 2,000 years ago in China or Russia, now sold throughout the Western world.

Answer 85

The past participial phrase “now sold throughout the Western world” seems to modify “China or Russia,” conveying a nonsensical meaning.

Question 86

Use of a Restrictive or Nonrestrictive Past Participial Phrase where using a Past Participial Phrase of the Other Type, Nonrestrictive or Restrictive, Would Make More Sense

Answer 86

A second way in which Sentence Correction question writers can create issues involving past participial phrases is to use a restrictive or nonrestrictive past participial phrase where using a past participial phrase of the other type, nonrestrictive or restrictive, would make more sense.
Incorrect: Most animals, found in the deepest regions of the ocean, have slow metabolisms that allow them to survive on small quantities of food.
Correct: Most animals found in the deepest regions of the ocean have slow metabolisms that allow them to survive on small quantities of food.

Question 87

Examples

Answer 87

Right:Because the atmospheric pressure on Mars is relatively low, liquid water, considered by many scientists a component essential to the development of life forms, both complex ones and simple ones, is not found on or near the surface of Mars in substantial quantities.

Incorrect: Because the atmospheric pressure on Mars is relatively low, liquid
water, which many scientists consider an essential component to the development of life forms that are both complex and simple, is -> because you can’t be both simple and complex

Question 88

Absolute Phrases

Answer 88

• consists of only a noun and its modifiers, and

• modifies an entire clause.
i.e: His work completed, John headed home for the night.

Question 89

Example of Absolute Phrases

Answer 89

1) The deadline nearing, Everett worked through the weekend to complete his application, a pot of coffee by his side.
2) The mandatory recount underway, voters waited eagerly to learn the result of the close Senate race, which had been rife with acrimony from its start.
3) The old mall sat empty and abandoned, its stores casualties of internet shopping.
4) The runners ran by where the coach stood watching, their feet pounding the track.