In which sentence are the italicized words a dangling modifier? (A dangling modifier is a phrase that doesn't modify the noun that's near it.)
A. Arriving ten minutes late, the store was closed for the night.
B. Flying beneath the cloud, the pilot could see the airport.
C. Resting on the sea bottom, the old trunk held many coins.
D. Not knowing the danger, the soldiers marched into the trap.
I don't see any italicized words. Please use capital letters to let us know which words you're supposed to be focusing on.
Please also tell us which one you think the answer is. For example, I will tell you that D does NOT have a dangling modifier because the soldiers were the ones "not knowing the danger."
A. Arriving
A. Arriving ten minutes late, the store was closed for the night.
To determine which sentence has a dangling modifier, we need to identify the phrase that is set off by italicized words and check if it properly modifies the noun that is near it.
A. In this sentence, the phrase "Arriving ten minutes late" is the italicized phrase. However, it does not properly modify the noun "the store." It implies that the store arrived late, which is not possible. So, this sentence has a dangling modifier.
B. In this sentence, the phrase "Flying beneath the cloud" is the italicized phrase. It properly modifies the noun "the pilot." The pilot is the one flying beneath the cloud, so this sentence does not have a dangling modifier.
C. In this sentence, the phrase "Resting on the sea bottom" is the italicized phrase. It properly modifies the noun "the old trunk." The old trunk is the one resting on the sea bottom, so this sentence does not have a dangling modifier.
D. In this sentence, the phrase "Not knowing the danger" is the italicized phrase. It does not properly modify the noun "the soldiers." It implies that the soldiers do not know the danger of marching into the trap, which is unlikely. So, this sentence has a dangling modifier.
Based on this analysis, the sentence with the italicized words that form a dangling modifier is A. "Arriving ten minutes late, the store was closed for the night."