Question

Which sentences are unclear because of the placement of prepositional phrases? Select all that apply.

Five small birds perched on the fence beside the pasture.


The clerk showed the hat to the customer with earflaps.


I can’t make the cookies without chocolate chips.


I found an old television set in the closet from the 1950s.

Answer 1

B. The clerk showed the hat to the customer with earflaps.

D. I found an old television set in the closet from the 1950s.

Step-by-step explanation:

Prepositional phrases are a combination of words that consist of a preposition, an object, and modifying words for the objects. When making sentences, words should be used in the correct order for proper understanding.

The sentence, "The clerk showed the hat to the customer with earflaps", is also not clear. Earflaps are attached to caps or hats to keep the ear warm. In the sentence, it seems as if the customer had the earflaps instead of the hat. A proper sentence should be, "The clerk showed the hat with earflaps to the customer".

The sentence, "I found an old television set in the closet from the 1950s", is not a very clear sentence because the sequence of events is not properly highlighted. The total description of the television should have preceded the place where it was found. A better phrasing should be, "I found an old television set from the 1950s, in the closet".