<p>I don't know what grammar rule this is so I don't know how ill learn from this. This question is one I don't understand so if someone can help me, thatd be great.</p>
<p>They had never before been in a museum with such an extensive collection, they had a difficult time deciding how to make the most of the limited time they could spend there.</p>
<p>(A) They had never before been
(B) They never before were
(C) Never before had they been
(D) Never before having been
(E) Because of never before being</p>
<p>They had never before been was underlined, and the correct answer is D. I don't know why. Please help.</p>
<p>Choices (A), (B), and (C) will create a comma splice. You need an answer choice that creates a dependent clause, which modifies the “they” after the comma. Choice (D) does this:</p>
<p>Dependent clause: Never before having been in a museum […],
Independent clause: they had a difficult time […].</p>
<p>The problem with (E) is that it no longer modifies “they”. It’s modifying the reason (had a difficult time), not the people (they). Plus, be wary of any answer choice with “being” in it on the SAT. I rarely see it used correctly.</p>
<p>PSVicki’s explanation is correct, although the terminology that she uses in explaining that choice D is correct is not quite right.</p>
<p>I’m assuming that you’re not looking for a “grammar rule” regarding why A, B and C are wrong. If you are then review the definition of “conjunctions” and “clauses”.</p>
<p>(E) is wrong because as written:</p>
<p>Because of never before being in a museum with such an extensive collection</p>
<p>It is meant to be a dependent clause. “Because” is a subordinate conjunction that serves to tie this dependent clause to the independent clause: </p>
<p>“they had a difficult time deciding how to make the most of the limited time they could spend there.”</p>
<p>A clause is very much like a sentence. It requires a subject and verb. As written the clause is missing a subject. A correct version of this clause might be:</p>
<p>“Because the boys had never before been is a museum with such an extensive collection …” Here “boys” is the required subject.</p>
<p>(D) is not a clause. It is a participial phrase. A participial phrase functions as a modifier (i.e. adjective). Here it modifies “they”.</p>
<p>If you’re unsure about the distinction between a phrase and clause review the definition in any modern grammar book or web site.</p>