Which of the following sentences contains a misplaced modifier?

Study for the NES English Language Arts Secondary Endorsement Exam. Prepare with flashcards and multiple choice questions. Each question has hints and explanations to help you get ready for your exam!

A misplaced modifier is a word, phrase, or clause that is improperly separated from the word it modifies, leading to confusion or ambiguity. In the sentence "She found a wallet walking down the street," the phrase "walking down the street" appears to modify "wallet," suggesting that the wallet is somehow capable of walking. This creates a nonsensical interpretation.

When modifiers are positioned incorrectly, they can distort the meaning of the sentence or lead to misunderstanding. In this case, the intended meaning likely is that "she," the subject, was walking down the street when she found the wallet, but the construction of the sentence causes the modifier to attach incorrectly to "wallet" instead of "she."

The other choices utilize modifiers correctly. They clearly convey their intended meanings without introducing ambiguity or confusion.

Understanding misplaced modifiers is crucial for ensuring clarity in writing, and recognizing them can help improve sentence structure.

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