Exercises on Modifiers with Explanation

1. Which of the following sentence is correct?

Hearing the good news, I was happy.	Hearing the good news, happiness was mine.
Hearing the good news, happy I was.	Hearing the good news, mine was happy.
Correct Answer: Hearing the good news, I was happy.
Explanation: Here Hearing the good news, is a participle phrase which modifies the person who does the hearing. So, the subject of the principal clause will be ‘I’.

2. Choose the correct sentence:

Entering the room, the light was off.	Entering the room, I found the light off.
Entering the room, the light was found off by me.	Entering the room, the room was found dark.
Correct Answer: Entering the room, I found the light off.
Explanation: A lifeless thing can’t feel or see anything. So, the subject ‘light’ or ‘room’ is inappropriate here. Only the living persona “I’ can understand the condition of the room.

3. Having been served lunch__________. The sentence is incomplete. Choose one which best completes the sentence.

the problem was discussed by the members of the committee.	it was discussed by the members of the committee the problem.
the members of the committee discussed the problem.	a discussion of the problem was made by the members of the committee.
Correct Answer: the members of the committee discussed the problem.
Explanation: Here the problem is a matter that can’t be discussed without living persons. So the subject of the sentence will be living persons who can discuss the problem.

4. Worn out by a long walk, she fainted. Here ‘worn out’ is a ______.

Present participle	dangling participle
adjective complement	adverb
Correct Answer: dangling participle
Explanation: Worn out is dangling here. The sentence suggests that ‘worn out’ rather than ‘she’ is affected by ‘a long walk’.

5. No confusion of the grammatical subject occurs in.

Young and inexperienced, the task seemed easy to me.	Young and inexperienced, it seemed to be an easy task for me.
Young and inexperienced, I thought the task easy.	Young and inexperienced, it was an easy task for me.
Correct Answer: Young and inexperienced, I thought the task easy.
Explanation: Thinking is a mental process that can only be done by a person. As the person can think, ‘I’ will come as the subject of the sentence.

6. Choose the correct sentence.

While running in the park, his hand was dislocated.	While running in the park, it was his hand that dislocated.
While running in the park, his hand which was dislocated.	While running in the park, he dislocated his hand.
Correct Answer: While running in the park, he dislocated his hand.
Explanation: A hand can’t dislocate alone as it is not independent. Rather it is the person ‘he’ who dislocates his hand by accident. So the subject of the correct sentence will be the pronoun of the person ‘he’.

7. After jumping off the Yacht, _______.

a snake bit the man.	the man was bitten by a snake.
the man bite the snake.	the snake bite the man.
Correct Answer: the man was bitten by a snake.
Explanation: It is the man who does the jump of the Yacht. And as the ‘bite’ is done by another agent, the sentence will be in passive voice.

8. Which of the following sentence is correct?

The man was short who stole my purse.	The man was short which stole my purse.
The man who stole my purse was short.	The man stole my purse was short.
Correct Answer: The man who stole my purse was short.
Explanation: who stole my purse is an adjective clause and it modifies the man. So the agent and the modifier will be placed together to avoid causing misplaced modifier.

9. Unlike most birds______________.

there is lack of feather on vultures’ heads and necks.	feathers are not found on the heads and necks of vultures.
there are no feathers on vultures’ heads and necks.	vultures do not have feathers on their heads and necks.
Correct Answer: vultures do not have feathers on their heads and necks.
Explanation: Here ‘unlike’ refers to the bird. So the subject of the principal clause must be from any kind of bird.

10. While going to the office, ___

a fox chased me.	I was chased by a fox.
the fox chased me.	me chased the fox.
Correct Answer: I was chased by a fox.
Explanation: As the person ‘I’ was going to the office, the subject of the principal clause will be the same person.

11. Find out the correct sentence.

I earned nearly fifty Taka today.	I nearly earned fifty Taka today.
I earned fifty Taka today.	Nearly I earned fifty Taka today.
Correct Answer: I earned nearly fifty Taka today.
Explanation: Nearly is a modifier. The modifier must follow the modified word in order to avoid misplacing.

12. Choose the sentence with misplaced modifiers.

The salesperson sold the shirt with the blue print to the man.	On his way to school, Abraham found a woman’s yellow bag.
On his way to school, Abraham found a yellow woman’s bag.	John ate a cup of cold coffee for breakfast.
Correct Answer: On his way to school, Abraham found a yellow woman’s bag.
Explanation: The modifier will follow the modified noun. Here Abraham found a bag which is yellow. So yellow will follow the noun bag, not the noun woman.

13. _____________, the traveler took a nap.

Be tired and exhausted	Having tired and exhausted
After having tired and exhausted	Tired and exhausted
Correct Answer: Tired and exhausted
Explanation: This is an example of past participle. It might be proper to correctly co- operate with the following clause.

14. Which sentence is correct?

Not looking where he was going, a bike hit him.	Not looking where he was going, he was hit by a bike.
Not looking where he was going, he was hitted by a bike.	Not looking where he was going, him was hit by a bike.
Correct Answer: Not looking where he was going, he was hit by a bike.
Explanation: The work of ‘looking’ is done by the person ‘he’. So the subject of the principal clause will be ‘he’.

15. Choose the correct sentence.

The tailor’s broken umbrella was in the storeroom.	The broken tailor’s umbrella was in the storeroom.
The tailor’s umbrella was in the storeroom.	The tailor’s broken umbrella was broken in the storeroom.
Correct Answer: The tailor’s broken umbrella was in the storeroom.
Explanation: The umbrella is broken here, not the tailor or the room. So the modifier ‘broken’ will be used before the modified word ‘umbrella’.

16. Choose the sentence with correct modifiers.

Just Lincoln was selected for the team.	Lincoln was just selected for the team.
Lincoln was selected for just the team.	Lincoln just was selected for the team.
Correct Answer: Lincoln was just selected for the team.
Explanation: Here just is used as an adverb of time. So it has to be used with the modified noun.

17. Complete the sentence with an appropriate choice:Walking through forest,______________.

the path of the traveler was moonlit	the moon lit up the leaves of the trees
the traveler saw the moon above the trees	the moon was seen above the trees by the traveler
Correct Answer: the traveler saw the moon above the trees
Explanation: It is the ‘traveler’ who is walking through the forest and only he can see the moon above him. The moon or the path can’t act like active agents.

18. Choose the correct sentence.

Hearing the good news, I was glad.	Hearing the good news, glad I was.
Hearing the good news, I glad was.	Hearing the good news, glad I was.
Correct Answer: Hearing the good news, I was glad.
Explanation: Hearing is a quality that can move only human. So, the subject of the principal clause will be ‘I’.

19. Similar to the hard disk_________.

stores data in the floppy disk sectors	the floppy disk stores data in disk sectors
data is stored in the floppy disk sectors	stores data in sectors of the floppy disk
Correct Answer: the floppy disk stores data in disk sectors
Explanation: Here, in the first part something similar to the hard disk is mentioned here. So, in the second part, the subject will be something similar to a hard disk.

20. Which sentence uses the modifier correctly?

The kids quickly ate all that food.	I only have one day to get this report finished.
The movie’s exciting plot didn’t improve it.	Plunging into the water, he rescued the child drowning.
Correct Answer: I only have one day to get this report finished.
Explanation: All except ‘b’ has the wrong placement of modifier. Only is the modifier of the sentence and it will be placed before the word it modifies. Otherwise, the meaning of the sentence will be changed.

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Exercises on Modifiers with Explanation

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