By law

[heymayank08]

By law, a qualified physician can only prescribe medicine, protecting the public.
(A) By law, a qualified physician can only prescribe medicine, protecting the public.
(B) By law, only a qualified physician can prescribe medicine, protecting the public.
(C) By law, only a qualified physician can prescribe medicine which protects the public.
(D) In order to protect the public, by law a qualified physician only can prescribe medicine.
(E) In order to protect the public, by law only a qualified physician can prescribe medicine.

didn't get this one at all..
what is the difference b/w by law a qualified....
and
In order to protect the public, by law...
in the 2nd one isn't the construction wrong ..coz here after the modifier it should be the physician...
correct me if i am wrong...
[spoiler]OA: Later[/spoiler]

[Bill@VeritasPrep]

A and B use the participial phrase "protecting the public" which should modify the physician. However, it is the law that protects the public, so this is modifier error.

C uses "medicine which protects the public" which is also a modifier error.

D misplaces "only" such that it appears to modify the verb instead of the physician.

E is the best option.

[heymayank08]

A and B use the participial phrase "protecting the public" which should modify the physician. However, it is the law that protects the public, so this is modifier error.

C uses "medicine which protects the public" which is also a modifier error.

D misplaces "only" such that it appears to modify the verb instead of the physician.

E is the best option.

hi
i still didn't get whats wrong with A...
i mean i didnt get the participle error clause..can u pls explain this

[Bill@VeritasPrep]

By law, a qualified physician can only prescribe medicine, protecting the public.
(A) By law, a qualified physician can only prescribe medicine, protecting the public.

The participial phrase is at the end of the sentence: "protecting the public." When it is placed there, it can modify either the noun before the comma ("medicine") or the subject of the clause ("physician"). Both of these are incorrect here; it's the law that is directly protecting the public.

[Gaurav 2013-fall]

+1 for E

[Birottam Dutta]

@Bill:
Don't you think that E would have been an even better option if there was a comma after law?

[Bill@VeritasPrep]

@Bill:
Don't you think that E would have been an even better option if there was a comma after law?

I prefer it without the comma, but I don't think it makes much of a difference.

[vk_vinayak]

By law, a qualified physician can only prescribe medicine, protecting the public.
(A) By law, a qualified physician can only prescribe medicine, protecting the public.

The participial phrase is at the end of the sentence: "protecting the public." When it is placed there, it can modify either the noun before the comma ("medicine") or the subject of the clause ("physician"). Both of these are incorrect here; it's the law that is directly protecting the public.

One more reason for A to be incorrect: only is misplaced.

[Bill@VeritasPrep]

That is a good point. "Only" should describe the physician, not the act of prescribing medicine.