Drawing on antibody data from a study led by virologist Lena Okafor, but having taken no part in that study, _____
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
For an introductory-modifier question, identify the grammatical head of the subject rather than choosing an option merely because it mentions a suitable person. Verify that the complete subject can logically satisfy every part of the modifier, including any attribution or participation details supplied in the sentence.
Hints
Find the modified subject
Determine who or what the two opening phrases are intended to describe, and then identify the grammatical subject of each completion.
Use every detail
Pay particular attention to who led the original study and whether that person could also be described as having taken no part in it.
Step-by-step Explanation
Identify the modifier’s requirements
The opening modifier describes someone who both draws on data from the original study and did not participate in that study. The grammatical subject after the introductory comma must logically satisfy both conditions.
Use the attribution in the opening phrase
The original study was led by Lena Okafor, so a subject that includes Okafor cannot logically be described as having taken no part in that study.
Check the grammatical subject
In the correct completion, immunologist Priya Natarajan is the sole grammatical subject and can logically satisfy both opening descriptions. In the other choices, the subject either includes Okafor or is an inanimate reanalysis or set of data.