RW-SEC-06 · Standard English Conventions

Modifiers and participial phrases

Form, Structure, and Sense · Stage 2

01 · Key idea

The opening modifier must attach to the noun that performs its action.

Build on: RW-SEC-04

02 · Worked example

Revise: “Walking through the park, the flowers caught Maya’s eye.”

This teaching example is original and is not an official SAT question.

Reasoning

Maya was walking, not the flowers, so place “Maya” after the comma.

Answer

Walking through the park, Maya noticed the flowers.

03 · Next step

Practice questions remain in English, as on the SAT.

RW-SEC-06 · Modifiers and participial phrases