Question

A squinting modifier __________. is placed too far away from the element it attempts to modify always modifies a noun requires both a subject and a predicate is placed between two elements and could modify either

Answer 1

A squinting modifier is a modifier placed between two potential elements it could modify, leading to ambiguity. It doesn't always modify a noun and it doesn't require a subject and predicate. Correct placement of modifiers is vital to ensure clear meaning in a sentence.

Step-by-step explanation:

A squinting modifier is a type of ambiguous modifier that is improperly placed in a sentence, and as a result, it's unclear which word it is modifying. A typical error occurs when a modifier is placed between two elements and could modify either, creating confusion. A squinting modifier does not always modify a noun, nor does it require both a subject and a predicate. The positioning of the modifier is crucial to ensuring clarity in a sentence.

For instance, in the sentence 'Running quickly becomes tiring for beginners,' the adverb 'quickly' squints because it could modify 'running' or 'becomes.' Proper placement would be either 'Quickly running becomes tiring for beginners' where 'quickly' clearly modifies 'running,' or 'Running becomes quickly tiring for beginners,' where it modifies 'becomes tiring.'

Answer 2

The correct answer is D. is placed between two elements and could modify either