Q. Please help with this.
The defense lawyer and witnesses portrayed the accused as a victim of circumstance, his life uprooted by the media pressure to punish someone in the case.
a)circumstance, his life
b)circumstance, and his life
c)circumstance, and his life being
d)circumstance; his life
e)circumstance: his life being
OA is A
Sentence correction
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- ceilidh.erickson
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Here, the phrase "his life uprooted by the media..." is modifying how the accused is a victim of circumstance. Though it might sound unusual to begin a modifier with a noun such as "his life," it's actually the past participle "uprooted" that's the modifier. Think of it as analogous to the following:
He was a victim of circumstance, hounded by the media...
This modifier usage is perfectly correct.
The defense lawyer and witnesses portrayed the accused as a victim of circumstance, his life uprooted by the media pressure to punish someone in the case.
b)circumstance, and his life
"And" after a comma would have to separate 2 independent clauses, but there is no verb to go with "his life." It should have said "... and his life WAS uprooted..." This is a sentence fragment. Incorrect.
c)circumstance, and his life being
Same issue here. The second half is not an independent clause, so this is a fragment. Incorrect.
d)circumstance; his life
A semicolon must also separate 2 independent clauses, but "his life uprooted" is not an independent clause. Incorrect.
e)circumstance: his life being
"Being" is a gerund (noun), and would thus need a verb with it to create an independent clause. This is again a fragment.
The correct answer is A.
What is the source of this question? Please always post your sources!
He was a victim of circumstance, hounded by the media...
This modifier usage is perfectly correct.
The defense lawyer and witnesses portrayed the accused as a victim of circumstance, his life uprooted by the media pressure to punish someone in the case.
b)circumstance, and his life
"And" after a comma would have to separate 2 independent clauses, but there is no verb to go with "his life." It should have said "... and his life WAS uprooted..." This is a sentence fragment. Incorrect.
c)circumstance, and his life being
Same issue here. The second half is not an independent clause, so this is a fragment. Incorrect.
d)circumstance; his life
A semicolon must also separate 2 independent clauses, but "his life uprooted" is not an independent clause. Incorrect.
e)circumstance: his life being
"Being" is a gerund (noun), and would thus need a verb with it to create an independent clause. This is again a fragment.
The correct answer is A.
What is the source of this question? Please always post your sources!
Ceilidh Erickson
EdM in Mind, Brain, and Education
Harvard Graduate School of Education
EdM in Mind, Brain, and Education
Harvard Graduate School of Education