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Modifier doubt ?

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Modifier doubt ?

by akshayanand » Fri Aug 19, 2011 6:53 pm
Since the start of space age, more and more littering has occured in orbits near Earth, often because the intentional discarding of lens caps, packing material , fuel tanks and payload covers.

a) same
b) orbits near Earth have become more and more littered , often from
c) orbits near Earth became littered more and more, often resulting from
d) there have been more and more littering of orbits near Earth, often because of
e) there had been littering more and more of orbits near Earth, often with


Since the start of the space age, more and more littering has occurred in orbits near Earth, often because the intentional discarding .........

My question is regarding modifier highlighted above (since........ age), is it a noun modifier intended to modify the noun, 'orbit' or a verb modifier modifying the verb, 'occupied' ?

Thanks
Akshay
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by aspirant2011 » Fri Aug 19, 2011 7:54 pm
akshayanand wrote:Since the start of space age, more and more littering has occured in orbits near Earth, often because the intentional discarding of lens caps, packing material , fuel tanks and payload covers.

a) same
b) orbits near Earth have become more and more littered , often from
c) orbits near Earth became littered more and more, often resulting from
d) there have been more and more littering of orbits near Earth, often because of
e) there had been littering more and more of orbits near Earth, often with


Since the start of the space age, more and more littering has occurred in orbits near Earth, often because the intentional discarding .........

My question is regarding modifier highlighted above (since........ age), is it a noun modifier intended to modify the noun, 'orbit' or a verb modifier modifying the verb, 'occupied' ?

Thanks
Akshay
I think it's a verb modifier & modifies the verb occurred ........
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by crick » Fri Aug 19, 2011 8:31 pm
I like B here.

Regarding modifiers, i think Since the start of space age seems to be modifying orbits near earth.

I reached this conclusion after rephrasing the sentence :

orbits near the earth, since the start of the space age, ...... (Since the rephrased version makes sense, the modifier is modifying orbits near the earth)

Crick
Last edited by crick on Fri Aug 19, 2011 10:42 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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by akshayanand » Fri Aug 19, 2011 9:02 pm
OA: B

But my question still remains what does the modifier (since........age) modifies ?
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by crick » Fri Aug 19, 2011 10:45 pm
Please refer to my earlier post.

Whenever I am totally stumped with the modifier dilemma, I start moving the modifier phrase around the possible candidates. If the resulting sentence makes grammatical sense(even if it is very awkward) I am sure that the modifier is indeed modifying the candidate.

I hope I am making sense :).

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by 786 » Fri Aug 19, 2011 11:21 pm
a) same
because should introduce a clause and that does not happen here in A.
b) orbits near Earth have become more and more littered , often from
have goes well with since here .
c) orbits near Earth became littered more and more, often resulting from
I am not sure , but i guess since + became isn't proper
d) there have been more and more littering of orbits near Earth, often because of
awkward and wordy
e) there had been littering more and more of orbits near Earth, often with
no need of past perfect.

I have one question though.
Which is better : more and more littered or littered more and more ?
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by aspirant2011 » Sat Aug 20, 2011 12:29 am
786 wrote:a) same
because should introduce a clause and that does not happen here in A.
b) orbits near Earth have become more and more littered , often from
have goes well with since here .
c) orbits near Earth became littered more and more, often resulting from
I am not sure , but i guess since + became isn't proper
d) there have been more and more littering of orbits near Earth, often because of
awkward and wordy
e) there had been littering more and more of orbits near Earth, often with
no need of past perfect.

I have one question though.
Which is better : more and more littered or littered more and more ?
more and more littered is better........
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by Frankenstein » Sat Aug 20, 2011 1:22 am
786 wrote: I have one question though.
Which is better : more and more littered or littered more and more ?
Hi,
Meaning is the issue here:
more and more littered -> the level of littering is increasing.

littered more and more -> littering is done more number of times.

Original sentence says: more and more littering
As we need to preserve the meaning of the original sentence, we shouldn't change.
Cheers!

Things are not what they appear to be... nor are they otherwise
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by akshayanand » Sat Aug 20, 2011 1:38 am
@786: Thanks for the explanation. Thats exactly how i picked the OA. But I am confused with modifiers here ?

@cric: your logic can be extrapolated here to modify 'littered' too.
orbits near the earth have become more and more littered, since the start of the space age, ...... (even this makes sense littered the antecedent of the modifier, also have become which is a verb could be the antecedent)

Need experts opinion here. could someone please comment.

@Experts:
If you look at the correct OA below: B

Since the start of space age, orbits near Earth have become more and more littered, often from the intentional discarding of lens caps, packing material, fuel tanks and payload covers.

I have two questions:
Q1) The modifier (since .......age) modifies noun (orbit) or verb (have become) ??
Q2) The end modifier (often .........covers) modifies noun (littered) or verb (have become) ??
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