SC: heirloom tomatoes

Hi arun@crackverbal


This misplaced modifier in the question wasn't very tricky to spot following the rule that a modifier should be placed next to the thing it should modify. However, I solved a similar question using the same logic of misplaced modifier and eliminated the right answer because there were other things at play that I missed. Could you check this question out?

Although appearing less appetizing than most of their round and red supermarket cousins, heirloom tomatoes, grown from seeds saved during the previous year—they are often green and striped, or have plenty of bumps and bruises—heirlooms are more flavorful and thus in increasing demand.


(A) Although appearing less appetizing than most of their round and red supermarket cousins, heirloom tomatoes, grown from seeds saved during the previous year

(B) Although heirloom tomatoes, grown from seeds saved during the previous year, appear less appetizing than most of their round and red supermarket cousins

(C) Although they appear less appetizing than most of their round and red supermarket cousins, heirloom tomatoes, grown from seeds saved during the previous year

(D) Grown from seeds saved during the previous year, heirloom tomatoes appear less appetizing than most of their round and red supermarket cousins

(E) Heirloom tomatoes, grown from seeds saved during the previous year, although they appear less appetizing than most of their round and red supermarket cousins

Thinking process:

(A) Although appearing less appetizing than most of their round and red supermarket cousins, heirloom tomatoes (has no predicate because a new noun is introduced later in the sentence), grown from seeds saved during the previous year Eliminated

(C) Although they appear less appetizing than most of their round and red supermarket cousins, heirloom tomatoes (has no predicate because a new noun is introduced later in the sentence), grown from seeds saved during the previous year Eliminated

(D) Grown from seeds saved during the previous year, heirloom tomatoes appear less appetizing than most of their round and red supermarket cousins It fails to make a contrast.

(E) Heirloom tomatoes, grown from seeds saved during the previous year, although they appear less appetizing than most of their round and red supermarket cousins Chose this wrong option because I couldn't spot an error and I had already eliminated option B (The correct answer) thinking that there is a modifier issue.

(B) Although heirloom tomatoes, grown from seeds saved during the previous year, appear less appetizing than most of their round and red supermarket cousins—they are often green and striped, or have plenty of bumps and bruises—heirlooms are more flavorful and thus in increasing demand.

What kind of role does the slanted part play in a sentence? I eliminated option B because the description (slanted part) of the heirloom tomatoes is placed next to the "red supermarket cousins". Therefore, I thought it described the wrong subject and eliminated option B.

Dablu