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ACT English 3.5 Sentence Structure 221 Views


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Description:

ACT English: Sentence Structure Drill 3, Problem 5. Which choice indicates the best organization for the sentence?

Language:
English Language

Transcript

00:04

Here's your Shmoop du jour, brought to you by misplaced modifiers. We put signs up all

00:09

over town, but as of yet, no report of their whereabouts.

00:12

How should you change the below sentence, if at all?

00:15

Stepping to avoid the large hole, I carefully tripped and fell.

00:30

In the original sentence, the

00:31

adverb "carefully" modifies the verbs "tripped and fell."

00:35

Remember, adverbs are modifiers that only describe verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs.

00:41

When we see this particular modification we have to ask ourselves: when was the last time

00:46

we saw somebody trip and fall, carefully?

00:50

We're going to go out on a limb and say that choice (A) is incorrect because

00:53

"carefully" is modifying the wrong thing.

00:55

Choice (B) actually makes the same mistake, so we'll go ahead and cross it out as well.

00:59

(D) makes a similar mistake to (A), only this time the speaker tells us that he or she "tripped

01:04

carefully," but apparently "fell" in a normal way.

01:07

Tripping is almost always something that happens when people are being careless not careful.

01:13

(C) is the correct answer. Here, "carefully" modifies "stepping," and the sentence makes

01:18

it understood that that speaker was doing his or her best to avoid what was apparently

01:22

a treacherous hole.

01:24

All right everyone, now watch your step.

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