Up Your Score (52 page)

Rule 10: Dangling Modifiers

“Dangling modifier” is a fancy grammatical term for a simple concept. Here are some sentences with dangling modifiers.

Example 1:

Taking the test, his copy of
Up Your Score
was in his pocket.

This sentence does not mean what the person who wrote it wanted it to mean. This sentence implies that the copy of
Up Your Score
was taking the test. (This book can do many things, but it cannot take the test all by itself.) Whenever a sentence begins with a phrase like “Taking the test,” which is supposed to modify (that is, describe) a word in the sentence, the word that it modifies must be in the sentence, and it must come right after the modifying phrase.

Correct:
Taking the test, he had his copy of
Up Your Score
in his pocket.

The sentence can also be corrected another way.

Correct:
While he was taking the test, his copy of
Up Your Score
was in his pocket.

Dangling modifiers will be on the sentence correction section of the test. Whenever you see a sentence with an “-ing” word in a phrase at the beginning, be on the lookout for a dangling modifier.

Example 2:

Conscientious about proper grammar, dangling modifiers were always on Bertha’s mind.

Were the dangling modifiers conscientious about proper grammar? No, Bertha was. So she should come right after the comma.

Correct:
Conscientious about proper grammar, Bertha always had dangling modifiers on her mind.

(Example 2 is an exception to the rule about dangling modifiers having an “-ing” word at the beginning.)

Example 3:

Parachuting over the Emerald City, the ant gasped in awe.

Was the ant parachuting? Hell, yes—so the sentence is correct.

Rule 11: Sentence Logic

On the sentence correction section of the test, there are often sentences that are grammatically correct but don’t do a good job of saying what the writer wants them to say.

Example 1:

There are often sentences that are grammatically
correct, and do not say what
the writer wants them to say.

(A) correct, and do not say what

(B) correct and do not say that which

(C) correct but do not say what

(D) correct, with the exception that

(E) correct saying not what

The correct answer is (C). One would expect that if the sentences were grammatically correct, they would say what the author wanted them to say.
But
they don’t. The word
but
indicates that the part of the sentence after the comma contradicts what you would expect after reading the first part of the sentence.

Example 2:

It was dark in the closet, and they
managed to find the exit.

(A) It was dark in the closet, and they

(B) It was dark in the closet, they

(C) It is as dark in the closet, if they

(D) Although it was dark in the closet, they

(E) Until it were dark in the closet, they

The answer is (D).
Although
you would expect that in a dark closet the exit would be hard to find, they did find the exit. The word
although
correctly conveys the author’s intent that the part of the sentence after the comma should say something contrary to what one might expect after reading the first part of the sentence.

Rule 12: Commonly Messed-up Expressions

Sometimes the ETS will deliberately mess up an expression to try to foil you. The only way to prepare for this type of question is by becoming familiar with standard, formal English and being able to hear or see which words or phrases just sound or look wrong. Like the Totally Bogus Sight Questions, these are pretty ridiculous.

Example:

Since it’s a beautiful day, I’d just assume walk.

The expression is “just as soon,” but it sounds a lot like “just assume.” You have to be able to see that it’s wrong.

Correct:
Since it’s a beautiful day, I’d just as soon walk.

Rule 13: Logical Comparison

Remember when your math teacher said, “You can’t compare apples and oranges”? That’s basically what this rule is about. Make sure that when you make a comparison, you compare two like things.

Example 1:

My mother’s salary is higher than Jane’s mother.

Your mother’s salary is higher than Jane’s mother’s salary, not higher than Jane’s mother. How could a salary be higher than a person?

Correct:
My mother’s salary is higher than Jane’s mother’s.

Example 2:

Harry raised more cows than Jim’s ranch.

Again, Jim raised the cows; his ranch did not raise anything.

Correct:
Harry raised more cows than Jim did.

A few more things to watch out for

• Don’t split an infinitive. Instead of saying “to slowly walk,” you should say “to walk slowly.”

• Don’t use slang or clichés.

•
Either
goes with
or; neither
goes with
nor.

• When referring to a country, don’t use
They.

Example:

The United States is the richest country in the world. They have the highest GNP.

Correct:
It has the highest GNP.

• You can prefer something to something, but you can’t prefer it over or more than.

Example:

Correct:
I prefer science to math.

Incorrect:
I prefer science more than math.

Incorrect:
I prefer science over math.

• Use the word
fewer
if you can count what you’re describing; if not, use the word
less.

Example:

Now that there are fewer elephants milling around, there is less dust being kicked into the air.

• Choices that begin a sentence with
being
are usually wrong.

Example:

Being that Larry is so old, he’s never heard of Justin Bieber.

Okay—here are some pseudo-SAT usage and sentence correction questions. It’s easier to practice the rules with these types of questions, although the revision-in-context section will also test the rules. There is one question for each rule and two sentences that is correct. (You caught that mistake, didn’t you? It should be “two sentences that
are
correct.”)

Usage

1. After many
had been
blue and yellow, the police
caught
the man with the spray can.

2. One
to Ke$ha’s lyrics;
might miss their thematic significance.