GRRR. I hate grammar! Help me out Collegeconfidental-ers :)!

Test Preparation SAT Preparation
1

<p>Not filling out the forms carefully, there was a two-week delay in processing his paycheck.
A. Not filling out the forms carefully
D. Because he had not filled out the forms carefully</p>

<p>Why is D correct? I thought D was wrong because of the 'he'. It never even mentions a he? What is this error called? >.<</p>

<p>**Just by unplugging your cell phone charger when you are not using it reduces carbon dioxide pollution.</p>

<p>C: just unplugging your
D: by just unplugging your **</p>

<p>I read silverturtle's explanation, but I still don't get it. I thought D was wrong because it needed a comma! Is that right? Like I didn't understand this question, then when I googled it, reread the sentence, the more I read it, the more right it sounded! Also what is this error?</p>

2

<p>If you rewrite the first question, D is right because it can be reworded as “There was a two week delay in processing his paycheck because he had not filled out the forms carefully”. “He” doesn’t always have to be specified. If you wrote a sentence such as “He ate pizza for lunch,” this is clearly a right sentence and “he” is not specified. Letter choice A is a dangling modifier.</p>

<p>Personally I think C is the right answer for the second question so I can’t really help you there. </p>

<p>Help me with mine: <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/sat-preparation/1389697-help-quick-short-reading-passage-few-writing-questions.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/sat-preparation/1389697-help-quick-short-reading-passage-few-writing-questions.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

3

<p>C is the right answer for the second question. but why??</p>

<p>And I’ll answer your question asap. Currently I’m on my phone ;p</p>

4

<p>“By just unplugging …” is a prepositional phrase. A prepositional phrase functions as an adjective or adverb.</p>

<p>In the sentence:</p>

<p>[…] your cell phone charger when you are not using it reduces carbon dioxide pollution.</p>

<p>You need a subject – i.e. a noun or pronoun. The gerund phrase “Just unplugging your cell phone charger …” functions as that noun. It’s the subject of the sentence.</p>

<p>For the first question:</p>

<p>Not filling out the forms carefully, there was a two-week delay in processing his paycheck.
A. Not filling out the forms carefully
D. Because he had not filled out the forms carefully</p>

<p>“Not filling out the forms carefully” is a participial phrase, and a participial phrase functions as a modifier. The subject that the participial phrase modifies is however missing.</p>

5

<p>OH.</p>

<p>DUH! (facepalm right there)</p>

<p>thanks guys :)</p>

6

<p>(there are two ways to fix modifier errors. most common is to move the mod. so it’s near the thing it modifies. But D above does the other method: make the mod into a clause by adding a subject.)</p>