BREAKING: Target Test Prep releases Brand New 2026 On Demand GMAT prep course

Redeem
TTP OnDemand GMAT Video Course
Featured Course

Target Test Prep GMAT OnDemand

Scott Woodbury-Stewart’s private virtual classroom — 400 hours of master-class video lessons for the GMAT Focus Edition.

  • 715+ score guarantee — highest in the industry (99th percentile)
  • 52 chapters · 1,500+ lessons · 4,000+ practice questions
  • 400 hours of video · 1,500+ instructor-led HD smartboard lessons
  • 300,000+ students accepted to Harvard, Stanford, Wharton, Booth & Sloan & more
  • 24/7 live support + weekly Zoom office hours with GMAT instructors
  • TTP AI Assist — 24/7 AI-powered virtual tutor for instant help
  • 1,200+ flashcards + AI-powered study assistant & daily calendar
  • OnDemand, LiveTeach & GMAT Bootcamp formats available
  • Also: GRE, SAT Math & Executive Assessment courses
  • MBA Admissions Consulting now available
  • 🏆 2025 EdTech Breakthrough Award: Test Prep Solution Provider of the Year
  • 200,000+ students served
  • 5-day free trial — $0 to start, no auto-billing, cancel anytime
★★★★★ 5.0 (559 reviews)
130-pt guarantee
$0 to start then $127/mo
Start Free 5-Day Trial Read 559 Reviews →

Tough confused pronoun and modifier

Expert replies
Post new topic Locked
Previous Topic Next Topic
User avatar
Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 296
Joined: Sun May 29, 2011 5:10 amFollowed by: 5 members
Location: Vietnam
Thanked: 10 times
by tuanquang269 » Thu Dec 08, 2011 11:37 am
This picture of Beethoven was sketched by a close friend of his by memory a few weeks after his death.
A. was sketched by a close friend of his by memory a few weeks after his death
B. was sketched by his close friend from memory a few weeks after his death
C. on his death bed, was sketched by a close friend of his from memory a few weeks later
D. was sketched by a close friend a few weeks after his death by memory
E. was sketched from memory a few weeks after his death by a close friend of his

I found this question is very nice one. So, I want to bring it to this forum to discuss more. Enjoy it.
Top
Join the discussion
Log in to postLogin with Googleuse password
QUOTE IN REPLY
Source: — Sentence Correction |
Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 385
Joined: Fri Sep 23, 2011 9:02 pmFollowed by: 6 members
Thanked: 62 times

by user123321 » Thu Dec 08, 2011 11:41 am
tuanquang269 wrote:This picture of Beethoven was sketched by a close friend of his by memory a few weeks after his death.
A. was sketched by a close friend of his by memory a few weeks after his death
B. was sketched by his close friend from memory a few weeks after his death
C. on his death bed, was sketched by a close friend of his from memory a few weeks later
D. was sketched by a close friend a few weeks after his death by memory
E. was sketched from memory a few weeks after his death by a close friend of his

I found this question is very nice one. So, I want to bring it to this forum to discuss more. Enjoy it.
[spoiler]is it E?[/spoiler]

in other options "his" may refer to friend of Beethoven or Beethoven.
C seems awkward.

user123321
Just started my preparation :D
Want to do it right the first time.
Top
Join the discussion
Log in to postLogin with Googleuse password
QUOTE IN REPLY
Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 218
Joined: Wed Nov 23, 2011 8:05 pmFollowed by: 4 members
Thanked: 26 times

by chieftang » Thu Dec 08, 2011 12:52 pm
tuanquang269 wrote:This picture of Beethoven was sketched by a close friend of his by memory a few weeks after his death.
A. was sketched by a close friend of his by memory a few weeks after his death
B. was sketched by his close friend from memory a few weeks after his death
C. on his death bed, was sketched by a close friend of his from memory a few weeks later
D. was sketched by a close friend a few weeks after his death by memory
E. was sketched from memory a few weeks after his death by a close friend of his

I found this question is very nice one. So, I want to bring it to this forum to discuss more. Enjoy it.
I would choose E. But I don't think this is a good question/answer set. All the answers have problems.

I would consider B also, except that technically the final "his" refers to the friend. And we know a friend can't sketch something two weeks after dying. :-)

E doesn't have the pronoun reference problem, however it does have another problem: It implies that the close friend killed Beethoven!

So, no good answers, but I'd have chosen E.

But here's how I'd write this sentence:

A couple weeks after his death, this picture of Beethoven was sketched from memory by a close friend.
Top
Join the discussion
Log in to postLogin with Googleuse password
QUOTE IN REPLY
Post new topic Locked
• Page 1 of 1