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ACT English 5.8 Passage Drill 186 Views


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ACT English: Passage Drill 5, Problem 8. The best placement for the word "strong" would have been where?

Language:
English Language

Transcript

00:03

Here’s your Shmoop du jour, brought to you by sticky threads.

00:07

Great for weaving spider webs, bad for weaving shirts.

00:36

The best placement for the word “strong” would be where?

00:40

And here are the potential answers...

00:44

This question requires us to solve “The Case of the Misplaced Modifier.”

00:49

No worries, though; it doesn’t take Sherlock to solve this one.

00:52

The rule of thumb is that it’s best to place a modifier as close to the thing it’s modifying

00:56

as possible. Failing to do so puts us on the road to confusion.

00:59

In this particular sentence, the adjective “strong” is meant to describe the term “dragline threads.”

01:06

So the right answer will be the one that places modifier and modified snuggly together.

01:11

Option (D) is definitely incorrect because it places “strong” the furthest away from “dragline threads.”

01:17

Just listen to the sentence (D)’s way...

01:19

“Their webs are complex nets of dragline threads radiating strong out from...”

01:26

If we place the adjective “strong” after “radiating,” it makes it sound like the

01:29

adjective is trying to modify the way in which the dragline threads are radiating,

01:33

instead of the threads themselves.

01:36

If we take option (B)’s advice, there’s only more confusion in store.

01:40

Check it out....

01:41

“Their webs are complex nets strong of dragline threads radiating out from...”

01:47

If possible, this choice is even more confusing than the one before. It’s hard to tell what

01:50

the adjective is trying to modify here. The preposition “of” maybe?

01:55

No doubt this is wrong because adjectives can only modify nouns, pronouns, and other adjectives.

02:01

Whatever, we’ll toss this one on the pile before we waste too many brain cells on it.

02:05

Remember: whenever possible store brain cells away for when you’ll really need them.

02:11

(A) suggests leaving the adjective where it is now, so the sentence would read...

02:15

“Their webs are complex nets of dragline strong threads radiating out from...”

02:22

This doesn’t work either because in this version “strong” only modifies “threads,”

02:26

not “dragline threads.”

02:28

And dragline threads do so hate it when they’re not modified.

02:31

Choice (C) finally gets it right by placing the modifier before dragline.

02:35

The sentence now reads...

02:37

“Their webs are complex nets of strong dragline threads radiating out from...”

02:43

Placing one-word modifiers, like “strong,” directly before the thing they’re modifying

02:47

is usually the best way to avoid confusion.

02:49

A concern: Does Confusion ever feel bad that everybody tries to avoid it?

02:55

That’s gotta be a blow to the self esteem.

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