Question

Which of the following sentences has a misplaced modifier?

A. The dog bit only the mail carrier. [Intended meaning: The dog bit the mail carrier but didn't bite anyone else.]
B. He talked too quickly.
C. You should consider your options carefully.
D. All of the above
E. None of the above

Answer 1

The sentence with a misplaced modifier is The dog bit only the mail carrier.

thus correct option is A. The dog bit only the mail carrier.

Step-by-step explanation:

In sentence A, the modifier "only" is misplaced, leading to ambiguity in meaning. The intended meaning is that the dog bit the mail carrier but did not bite anyone else. However, the placement of "only" before "the mail carrier" creates confusion, suggesting that the dog only bit and did not engage in any other action. The modifier should be correctly positioned to convey the intended meaning clearly.

Modifiers provide additional information about a word or group of words in a sentence. In this case, the placement of "only" is crucial for the sentence's interpretation. A well-constructed sentence should position modifiers close to the word or phrase they are meant to modify. In contrast, the other sentences (B, C, D, and E) do not contain misplaced modifiers, as the modifiers in those sentences are appropriately positioned, contributing to clear and unambiguous meanings.

Understanding and identifying misplaced modifiers is essential for effective communication, as it helps prevent misunderstandings and ensures that sentences convey the intended message accurately. In sentence A, the placement of "only" before "the mail carrier" disrupts the intended meaning and makes it the sentence with a misplaced modifier in the given options.

thus correct option is A. The dog bit only the mail carrier.

Answer 2

The sentence with the misplaced modifier is 'The dog bit only the mail carrier,' which could be misunderstood to mean the dog bit only a part of the mail carrier, rather than no one else. The correct multiple-choice option is (a).

Step-by-step explanation:

The sentence with a misplaced modifier is "The dog bit only the mail carrier." When the intent is to say that the dog didn't bite anyone else, the placement of 'only' should be closer to what it's modifying to be clear. As written, it could be interpreted that the dog bit the mail carrier in an exclusive manner, such as biting only his arm but not the rest of him, rather than not biting anyone else.

In options B and C, the modifiers 'too quickly' and 'carefully' are placed correctly next to the verbs they modify, which are 'talked' and 'consider', respectively. Therefore, those sentences are not examples of misplaced modifiers.

The correct multiple-choice option is (a).