<p>23<br>
Unlike (her) best friend Margie, (making) the varsity soccer team (as) a freshman, Jill (did not) make the team until her junior year. No error </p>
<p>I fail to see how the error could be B. Here is CB's explanation:
[quote]
The error in this sentence occurs at (B), where the improper use of a gerund (“making”) results in a sentence fragment. There is no main verb to indicate that Margie is performing the action described in the first part of the sentence. The pronoun “who,” combined with the past-tense verb “made,” is needed (“Unlike…Margie, who made…”).
<p>The “making”, i think, is not a gerund, but a present participle modifying the noun, “…Margie”
I fail to see how it’s being used as a gerund. Gerunds are nouns. In this case, “making” is not a noun, but something that is referring to Margie–a present participle would fit (albeit not the best choice). So, Margie made the Volleyball team as a freshman. What’s so illogical about that?</p>
<p>“Making” could modify “Jill” as well, like as a participle in an introductory participial phrase:
Making the varsity soccer team as a freshman, Jill. . . .
In the case of the entire sentence with “Margie” and “Jill,” what the participle modifies is unclear. The phrase “who made,” on the other hand, restricts its referent to the object that precedes it (“Margie”).</p>
<p>It also does not make sense semantically to use a participle. It is like saying, “Unlike John sleeping on the street and getting hit by a bus, I am not clumsy and am always cautious” (incorrect), instead of “Unlike John, who slept on the street and got hit by a bus, I am not clumsy and am always cautious.” The present participle describes a person in the act of doing something as opposed to a person who simply did something. The sentence about Margie and Jill has nothing to do with simultaneous actions; it has to do with two discrete actions from the past. Also notice that the ambiguity is cleared when the comma before the participle is eliminated.</p>