<p>A fascinatingly intricate web of cracks and faults on the icy surface of Jupiter's moon, Europa, may conceal an immense ocean. No error</p>
<p>Why should 'fascinatingly' be just 'fascinating'?</p>
<p>The opponents of the bill were few but influential enough to prevent its being passed in the House. No error</p>
<p>Why does this sentence have no error? I thought that 'its being passed' should either be 'it from being passed' or 'its passing'. (This just "sounds" better.)</p>
<p>Thanks in advance!</p>
<p>For the first question, fascinating is an adjective, and thus has to modify a noun (in this case, the intricate web). “fascinatingly” is an adverb and adverbs cannot modify nouns. They can modify other adjectives, verbs, etc. but never nouns.</p>
<p>The second one i have no clue…Ill let some1 better than me explain this.</p>
<p>For the first question there is no error. “fascinatingly” is modifying the adjective “intricate.” “fascinating” could also be correct, however, if one thinks of “intricate web” as a noun phrase.</p>
<p>For the second question there is no error because “its being passed” is grammatically correct. The possessive pronoun “its” is correct in that it modifies a gerund, which is a noun.</p>
<p>Silverturtle—For the first question there is no error. “fascinatingly” is modifying the adjective “intricate.” “fascinating” could also be correct, however, if one thinks of “intricate web” as a noun phrase.</p>
<p>Wait, Isn’t the OP asking why “fascinatingly” should be “fascinating”? He’s implying that Letter A is wrong…</p>
<p>Perhaps he is implying that letter A is wrong, but it’s correct.</p>
<p>I would have said what you said, but i went along with his implication, and figured out why A is wrong, even tho i knew A was correct…sSTUPID ME</p>
<p>Oops, I meant to say ‘Why shouldn’t’ instead of ‘Why should’, but I got it now. Thanks so much, everyone!</p>
<p>fascinatingly is an adverb, which should modify a VERB. (He fascinately painted the canvas all colors of the rainbow.)</p>
<p>The sentence should read “The opponents of the bill were few but influential enough to prevent the bill from being passed.” (or “prevent it from being passed by the House”). ITS is an adjective and can’t modify ‘being passed’.</p>
<p>Limabeans is incorrect in both of his points.</p>
<p>Adverbs modify both verbs and adjectives. Thus, the OP’s sentence is correct because “intricate” is an adjective.</p>
<p>“its” is a possessive pronoun and can modify “being passed.”</p>