16. What is the name of the common error in the following sentence?
Having risen because of the rains, the hikers were unable to cross the river.
A. Infinitive phrase
B. Prepositional phrase
[C. Dangling modifier]
D. Run-on sentence
Right!
The common error in the given sentence is a dangling modifier, which is option C. Dangling modifiers are phrases or clauses that do not clearly modify the intended word or phrase in a sentence.
To understand why this is a dangling modifier, let's break down the sentence:
"Having risen because of the rains" is the introductory phrase that is intended to modify "the hikers." However, in the sentence as it is structured, the hikers are not the ones who have risen because of the rains. This creates a mismatch between the subject of the sentence and the modifier, resulting in a dangling modifier.
To fix this error, the sentence can be revised as follows:
"Because of the rains, the hikers were unable to cross the river after rising."
By modifying the sentence structure, we make it clear that the hikers, not the rains, have risen. This revision eliminates the dangling modifier error.