When learning to dive it is important to relax in between and take breaks.
- (a)When learning to dive
- (b)it is important
- (c)to relax in between and take breaks.
- (d)No error
Correct — A, 'When learning to dive'. This is a dangling modifier: the implied doer of 'learning' should be the person who dives, but the main clause subject is the impersonal 'it', which cannot learn to dive. Segment (a) is the faulty part; it needs a real subject, e.g. 'When you are learning to dive, it is important…' or 'When learning to dive, one should relax…'.
- (b)it is important — A grammatical main clause; the fault is the unattached opening modifier, not this segment.
- (c)to relax in between and take breaks. — A correct infinitive phrase completing 'important'; not the error.
- (d)No error — The introductory '-ing' clause dangles because its implied subject does not match 'it', so the sentence is not error-free.
Error-spotting item on a dangling participial modifier — an introductory '-ing' clause must share its subject with the main clause.
No directly related past PYQ was found.
- practice — not a real PYQ
Spot the error: '(a) While driving to work, / (b) the traffic / (c) made me late. / (d) No error'
- (a)While driving to work,
- (b)the traffic
- (c)made me late.
- (d)No error
Answer(a) While driving to work, — it dangles; the traffic was not driving.
- practice — not a real PYQ
Which sentence corrects the dangling modifier in 'When painting the wall, the ladder slipped.'?
- (a)When painting the wall, the ladder slipped.
- (b)When I was painting the wall, the ladder slipped.
- (c)The ladder slipped when painting the wall.
- (d)Painting the wall, the ladder slipped.
Answer(b) When I was painting the wall, the ladder slipped — it supplies a real subject for 'painting'.