16Hit1600
Standard English ConventionsHardModifier placement: dangling participle

Standard English Conventions practice question

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? Having studied the migration data for years, ____.

  1. A. the patterns finally became clear to the biologist
  2. B. the biologist finally recognized the patternsCorrect
  3. C. there were patterns the biologist finally recognized
  4. D. it was clear to the biologist what the patterns were

Answer: B. the biologist finally recognized the patterns

The opening participial phrase 'Having studied the migration data for years' must modify the person who did the studying, so 'the biologist' should immediately follow the comma. In A, C, and D the phrase dangles because 'patterns', 'there', and 'it' cannot logically have studied the data.

Why the other answers are wrong

A. the patterns finally became clear to the biologist
The opening phrase describes whoever did the studying, and 'the patterns' didn't study the migration data — the biologist did, so the biologist must come right after the comma.
C. there were patterns the biologist finally recognized
Starting with 'there' leaves the participial phrase dangling: 'there' can't be the one who studied the data for years.
D. it was clear to the biologist what the patterns were
'It' becomes the subject the phrase modifies, but 'it' didn't study the migration data — the biologist did, so 'the biologist' needs to follow the comma directly.

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