Sentence Correction

On the Great Plains, nineteenth-century settlers used mud and grass to build their homes, doing it without timber and nails.
(A) settlers used mud and grass to build their homes, doing it without
(B) settlers, using mud and grass to build their homes, did it without
(C) settlers used mud and grass to build their homes, making them while not having
(D) settlers used mud and grass to build their homes, making do without
(E) settlers' homes were built of mud and grass, making do without

OA is D

To approach this question, one needs to understand the usage of "comma + verb-ing."

"Comma + verb-ing" must refer to the previous clause's subject, and in this case, nineteenth-century settlers.

So another way of looking at the subordinate clause is:

"nineteenth-century settlers making do without timber and nails."

So the only choices available are A, C, and D.

We can eliminate C for wordiness and incorrect usage of "...having..." participle.

A is awkward because "it" is ambiguous, and placeholder should be ahead of its subject (if I remember the rule correctly).

D is the correct answer.

Thanks uWhusky....