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ACT English: Punctuation Drill 1, Problem 3. Is that comma being used correctly?
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ACT English 3.4 Sentence Structure 260 Views
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ACT English: Sentence Structure Drill 3, Problem 4. How should the sentence be changed to make it as clear as possible?
Transcript
- 00:03
Here's your Shmoop du jour, brought to you by stalkers. Believe it or not, they don't
- 00:09
spend all that much time detasseling corn.
- 00:12
How should you change the below sentence, if at all?
- 00:15
He was staring at the girl, wearing dark glasses, by the vending machine.
- 00:26
So we've got a girl, some dark glasses, a vending machine, and some guy who can't keep
Full Transcript
- 00:30
his eyes to himself. Could this be the beginning of Taken 3? Time will tell'
- 00:31
Anyway, let's take a look at choice (A) and see how the original sentence did with its modifying phrases.
- 00:36
We're not sure who the phrase, "wearing dark
- 00:39
glasses," is supposed be talking about. Is it the mysterious girl, or the creepy guy
- 00:44
who's staring at her?
- 00:45
The placement of the modifying phrase and the fact that commas separate it makes it
- 00:49
impossible to tell who plunked down some cash at the Sunglass Hut. So, we can nix choice
- 00:55
(A).
- 00:55
(B) makes it completely clear who's wearing the sunglasses with "at the girl wearing dark
- 01:01
glasses."
- 01:02
However, it is confusing who exactly is standing by the vending machine.
- 01:05
Choice (B) gets the boot.
- 01:07
Choice (C) is incorrect because "machine" should be secondary to the object of the action.
- 01:13
The vending machine isn't the important thing here; it's the girl who has caught this creeper's
- 01:18
attention. Therefore it's awkward to give the vending machine priority in the sentence.
- 01:22
Choice (D) paints a clear picture of this whole sinister scenario. By placing the phrase,
- 01:26
"who was wearing dark glasses," directly after "girl" we know for sure that she's the one
- 01:32
wearing sunglasses.
- 01:34
Because "by the vending machine" isn't separated by a comma, it's completely clear that it's
- 01:39
modifying girl by telling us where exactly she's standing.
- 01:42
Quick tip: if you're seriously interested in somebody, it's not the best idea to stare
- 01:47
at him or her creepily before approaching.
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