greatps24 wrote:
With her archaeologist husband, travels inspired several mystery novels by Agatha Christie; travelers to Egypt can still stay at the Old Cataract Hotel, the model for the hotel in one of Christie's most famous books.
a. With her archaeologist husband, travels inspired several mystery novels by Agatha Christie
b. Agatha Christie used her travels with her archaeologist husband to inspire several mystery novels
c. Because her husband was an archaeologist, Agatha Christie was able to use their travels as inspiration for several of her mystery novels
d. Together with her archaeologist husband, Agatha Christie was inspired to incorporate their travel into several of her mystery novels
e. Agatha Christie's travels with her archaeologist husband served as inspiration for several of her mystery novels
OA after discussion
The meaning of this sentence is:
1. Agatha Christie traveled with her archaeologist husband.
2. These travels served as inspiration for several of her mystery novels.
Now let's analyze the options:
A - The modifier "with her archaeologist husband" is modifying travels => as if travels (a person) inspired mystery novels and her (travel's) husband.
B - Agatha Christie used X to inspire novels. Absurd. It implies novels (as a person) were inspired. Meaning distorted and Agatha Christie herself was not inspired and may not have been her novels.
C. Awkward and Wordy construction. archaeologist is actually just an adjective to describe her husband. It is not that only because he was an archaeologist, she was able to get inspired.
D. It implies both her husband and Agatha Christie were inspired.
E. CORRECT. Subject is "Agatha christie's travels". Verb is "served" as inspiration. Agreeing and logical sentence construction. "her" in "her mystery novels", a possessive pronoun agrees with the possessive noun that it is replacing "Agatha Christie's".