Question 186·Hard·Form, Structure, and Sense
The following sentence contains an error in sentence structure.
Notorious for his reluctance to give formal interviews, half of the documentary featured the elusive painter speaking candidly in his studio.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
For modifier and sentence-structure questions, first locate any opening phrase before a comma and ask, "Who or what is being described here?" Then check that the noun right after the comma is exactly that person or thing. On the SAT, quickly eliminate any choices where the introductory phrase ends up attached to an illogical subject (like an object, an action, or the wrong noun), and choose the option where the modifier clearly and directly describes the intended noun while keeping the sentence smooth and concise.
Hints
Focus on the phrase before the comma
Look at the opening phrase "Notorious for his reluctance to give formal interviews," and think about who that description is talking about.
Check the noun right after the comma
Whichever noun or phrase comes immediately after the comma is what the opening description is grammatically attached to. Does that noun logically match the description?
Eliminate illogical matches
Cross out any option where the description seems to apply to something that cannot logically be "notorious for his reluctance to give formal interviews," such as a part of a documentary or an action.
Step-by-step Explanation
Identify the introductory modifier
Look at the beginning of the sentence: Notorious for his reluctance to give formal interviews, ...
This is a descriptive phrase (a modifier) that should clearly describe the noun that comes right after the comma.
Decide who the modifier is supposed to describe
Ask: Who is notorious for his reluctance to give formal interviews?
Logically, this must be the elusive painter, not "half of the documentary" or an action like "speaking candidly." So the noun that comes directly after the comma must be the painter.
Eliminate choices with mismatched subjects
Remove any answer choices where the word or phrase right after the comma is not the person being described.
- If the subject is "half of the documentary," then the sentence says the documentary is notorious for reluctance to give interviews, which is illogical.
- If the subject is a phrase like "speaking candidly in his studio," then the modifier is describing an action, not the person.
Those choices still contain a dangling or misplaced modifier and are incorrect.
Choose the option where the modifier clearly describes the painter
The only revision that places the elusive painter directly after the introductory phrase, making the meaning clear and grammatical, is:
Notorious for his reluctance to give formal interviews, the elusive painter spoke candidly in his studio for half of the documentary.