Difficulty: Medium
Correct Answer: C. Racing for the bus, her bag flew open and all the documents were lost.
Explanation:
Introduction / Context:
This question focuses on dangling and misplaced modifiers, a classic error type in English grammar questions. The situation described is simple, but the wording can make it appear as if the wrong thing is performing the action. You must notice which sentence incorrectly suggests that the bag, and not the woman, was racing for the bus.
Given Data / Assumptions:
All four options describe a woman running or racing for a bus.
Her bag opens, and as a result, the documents are lost.
You must choose the option that is grammatically incorrect.
The key issue is who is doing the action described by the initial phrase Racing for the bus or As she raced for the bus.
Assume standard rules against dangling modifiers in formal writing.
Concept / Approach:
A participial phrase at the beginning of a sentence, such as Racing for the bus, should clearly modify the subject that immediately follows it. If the noun that follows is not the one doing the action, the modifier is said to be dangling or misplaced, which is treated as an error in formal English. The approach is to check each sentence to see whether the opening phrase logically and grammatically refers to the subject that comes next.
Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Read option A. As she raced for the bus, her bag flew open and all the documents were lost. The subject after the comma is her bag, but the clause starts with as she raced, so it is clear that she is the one racing. This sentence is acceptable.
Step 2: Read option B. While she was racing for the bus, her bag flew open and the documents were lost. Again, the clause clearly states she was racing, so the meaning is not confusing.
Step 3: Read option D. As she raced for the bus, her bag flew open, causing all the documents to be lost. The introductory clause still explicitly names she as the runner and is grammatically fine.
Step 4: Read option C. Racing for the bus, her bag flew open and all the documents were lost. Here, the initial participial phrase Racing for the bus is directly followed by the noun phrase her bag.
Step 5: Grammatically, this construction suggests that her bag was racing for the bus, which is illogical. The intended subject, she, is missing after the comma, so the modifier dangles.
Step 6: Therefore, option C contains a dangling modifier and is grammatically incorrect.
Verification / Alternative check:
A good way to verify is to try rewriting option C. If you change it to Racing for the bus, she saw her bag fly open and all the documents were lost, the error disappears, showing that the problem was the missing subject she. Since the original option C does not contain this correction, it remains incorrect, while the other options are acceptable.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option A explicitly uses she in the introductory clause, so there is no confusion about who is racing.
Option B also clearly states she was racing, and the bag is just the subject of the main clause, which is fine.
Option D uses a correct introductory clause and then adds a participial phrase causing all the documents to be lost, which clearly refers to the bag flying open.
Option C, in contrast, improperly attaches Racing for the bus to her bag, so it is the incorrect sentence.
Common Pitfalls:
Many candidates read quickly and focus on overall meaning, ignoring the exact grammatical link between clauses. Examinations often exploit this by using logical impossibilities, such as a bag racing for a bus, to test your awareness of dangling modifiers. Remember that in formal English, such structures are treated as errors even if the intended meaning is obvious from context.
Final Answer:
The grammatically incorrect sentence is Option C. Racing for the bus, her bag flew open and all the documents were lost.
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