A modifier question tests whether an opening describing phrase points to the right noun. An opening -ing phrase must describe the main noun right after its comma. Ask who or what the phrase describes, and use the surrounding text to answer. Then check each choice’s main noun and read the sentence through to the end. A choice can mention the right thing later and still give the opening phrase the wrong noun.
Hints
- Hint 1
Reread the start of the second sentence and ask who or what is guiding visitors. The first sentence gives the context you need.
- Hint 2
Find the main noun right after the opening comma. Does that noun name the guide you identified from the passage?
Step-by-step
Name the guide, then check the noun
Step 1Read the opening phrase
Guiding visitors through the galleries in chronological order without staff assistance ends at the comma before the blank. What does this phrase tell us? Someone or something guides visitors, but the phrase doesn’t name that guide, so we need the passage to name the guide. An opening describing phrase describes the main noun right after its comma, which means the guide must be the next main noun.
- Step 2
Identify what guides visitors
Who or what guides visitors here? The first sentence says the curators installed new signs to make navigation easier, and the opening phrase adds without staff assistance. The signs guide visitors; the curators installed them. Starting with museum staff would make staff the guides, even though the text says visitors can follow the route without their help.
- Step 3
Test the main noun
Now test the main noun of each remaining choice, rather than every noun it mentions. Starting with confusion near the stairwells makes confusion the guide, while starting with navigation makes navigation the guide. Mentioning the signs later doesn’t make them the main noun. The version starting with the new signs puts the guide first and says the signs reduced confusion, while the number of missed exhibits dropped sharply gives the second result after and. Choice A.