gluon wrote:
The answer is
A. I dont see any misplaced modifier in A.
Antoine Lavoisier proved that combustion does not release phlogiston. The opening modifier
Until Antoine Lavoisier proved otherwise in the eighteenth century is correctly placed. It shows what scientists believed before Antione proved they were wrong. There is also correct use of past perfect
had believed showing what scientists believed before Antione proved them wrong.
The modifier
an imaginary substance whose properties were not fully understood is correctly modifying
phlogiston.
eyunni wrote:
Until Antoine Lavoisier proved otherwise in the eighteenth century, many scientists had believed that combustion released phlogiston, an imaginary substance whose properties were not fully understood.
(A) many scientists had believed that combustion released phlogiston, an imaginary substance whose properties were not fully understood
Correct
(B)many scientists believed that phlogiston was an imaginary substance released by combustion and its properties were not fully understood
Needs the past perfect had believed
(C)phlogiston was an imaginary substance whose properties were not fully understood and which many scientists had believed was released by combustion
Misplaced modifier. Opening modifier should not modify phlogiston
(D)phlogiston, an imaginary substance whose properties were not fully understood, was believed by scientists to be released by combustion
Misplaced modifier. Opening modifier should not modify phlogiston
(E)many scientists had believed that phlogiston was released by combustion and was an imaginary substance whose properties were not fully understood
Passive construction. The active construction in A is much preferrable over E.
Please explain your answers.
[/b]
In (A) : many scientists had believed that combustion released phlogiston, an imaginary substance whose properties were not fully understood
"an imaginary substance whose properties were not fully understood" is modifying phlogiston but sounds as if the bolded part of the sentence is a
fact qualifying phlogistion without saying that it was a misbelief. I am not sure if I am clear but I hope you get my point.
Here is another example:
Many scientists believe that alcohol, an organic compound, is harmful to health.
Does the above sentence
explicitly state that scientists believe alcohol to be an organic compound??? No. It only means that scientists believe alcohol to be harmful to health.
Similar is the case with (A). I am not convinced but I might be wrong. Any comments? I can post the OA but would like to bump the thread further for explanations.