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. Run-on sentence
B. Infinitive phrase
C. Prepositional phrase
D. Dangling modifier
correct C. PrepositioNal phrase
Nope.
Did the hikers rise because of the rain?
D---Dangling modifier
The common error in the given sentence is a dangling modifier (option D) rather than a prepositional phrase (option C). A dangling modifier occurs when the subject that the modifier is describing is either missing or placed in the wrong position, resulting in a lack of clarity or a mismatch between the modifier and the subject it is intended to modify.
In the sentence, "Having risen because of the rains" is the dangling modifier. The intended subject of this phrase is not clearly stated, causing confusion about who or what has risen because of the rains. To correct the sentence and eliminate the dangling modifier, we need to include the subject that the phrase is modifying. One possible correction could be: "The hikers, having risen because of the rains, were unable to cross the river."
To identify and correct dangling modifiers, it is important to carefully examine the sentence structure and ensure that the modifier is properly connected to its intended subject.