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In which sentence are the italicized words a dangling modifier? (A dangling modifier is a phrase that has no word in the sentence to modify.)

A. Arriving ten minutes late, the store was closed for the night.
B. Not knowing the danger, the soldiers marched into the trap.
C. Resting on the sea bottom, the old trunk held many coins.
D. Flying beneath the cloud, the pilot could see the airport.

User Downgoat
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2 Answers

5 votes

Answer:

A

Step-by-step explanation:

A dangling modifier occurs when a phrase is unconnected to the rest of the sentence. We see this in A because you go from talking about being late to talking about the store being closed.

User Simon Farrow
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Hello, the correct answer is A. All the other sentences do have a real complete modifier which modifies something: B - "not knowing the danger" modifies "the soldiers". C - "resting on the sea bottom" modifies "the old trunk". D - "flying beneath the cloud" modifies "the pilot". The first sentence is the only one where the modifier "arriving ten minutes late" doesn't really modify anything. It should modify a person who arrived ten minutes late, but that person is not mentioned in the sentence.
User TheBetterJORT
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