Modifiers -Essential part of sentence correction
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19 May 2018, 08:06
We are all aware that Sentence correction covers upto 33 percent part of Verbal Section.Sentence correction mainly tests your skills on meaning ,usage ,clarity and brevity of sentence.
Modifiers play an essential part of Sentence correction.Hard SC question revolves around them as one need to identify the correct modifier and also "subject" which modifier is modifying.Also modifier not always placed close to subject .So it is an essential part to score high in Sentence correction.
Here are few cases :
1)who/that/which + group of words as modifier
eg1 The patchwork of fields that surround/surrounds valley bustle/bustles with activity in the Spring season.
Here modifier That is used for fields , so correct usage here is surround as fields is plural
Also bustle/bustles is modifier modifying the patchwork above ,since patchwork is singular so bustles is best usage here .
Placement of that
Here placement of that modify the fields as it is coming immediately before "that" ,not patchwork
and this is the reason why bustles in later part of sentence is modifier of "patchwork"
2)Placement of modifier close to word it is modifying
eg.2 John bought a shirt at the store with blue stripes
here store with blue stripes appears that store has blue stripes but logically this is incorrect.
shirt has blue stripes not the store , the placement of modifier here changes the entire meaning of sentence
Correct sentence is
John bought a shirt with blue stripes at the store
3)Preposition + group of words act as modifier
consider below examples
a)The hut located on the hill is up for sale
b)The chair lying at the back of room is broken.
c)The bell hung at the door is ringing.
Highlighted part in above examples are cases of prepositional modifiers in which preposition +group of words modify the word .
Some other examples
Water in the bottle is transparent.
People of Japan respect each other.
Give kudos if it helps