Great Plains - modifier question

Question

On the Great Plains, nineteenth-century settlers used mud and grass to build their homes, making do without timber and nails. 

Make do = to manage with the current rousrces at hand



My question is what type of phrase is  making do without timber and nails ? What is it modifying? It seems like a dangling modifier and those are always wrong on the GMAT test.

bmwhype2 · Answer

Same concept here.....anyone care to elaborate?

A new influx of private investment should create a bright new future for manned space exploration, making the possibility of commercial space tourism a much more viable than it was 10 years ago.

snow wolf · Answer

I hope this helps.I think it is right because it properly modifies what the settlers did.

vineetgupta · Answer

It is not always necessary that the participles modify the noun just before them...They can modify the whole previous clause by modifying a noun in that clause.

In the two examples above :
making modifies settlers
and creating modifies a new influx

dwivedys · Answer

Wanted to pick these up again. I believe the highlighted part is a participial modifying settlers. Initially it looked like an absolute construction but then I thought Making Do clearly points to settlers and hence participial.

dwivedys · Answer

Making the possiblity points to influx and hence participial.

Vlad77 · Answer

Here some additional thoughts: https://www.gmatclub.com/forum/t52478

Giovanni_IT · Answer

When a modifying phrase modifies an action and not a noun, the first verb in the modifier changes to the form and 'which' is removed. (MGMAT SC BOOK, page 78) Example. The police found the murder weapon, which made the prosecutor's job much easier. - (incorrect) As in above sentence, when a modifier beings with 'which', it modifies the noun it touches; in this case 'murder weapon'. To correct this problem, just change the verb starting the modifier to its form as done above; 'which made' changed to 'making'. The police found the murder weapon, making the prosecutor's job much easier. - (Correct) This makes it clear that the modifier is modifying the action of finding the murder weapon. Does this clear it up for you?

Giovanni_IT · Answer

IMO This sentence is slightly different from the other one. There is a thread on which this type of sentence is being discussed.

 https://www.gmatclub.com/forum/t52338

Great Plains - modifier question

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