(A) Originally developed for detecting air pollutants, a technique called proton-induced x-ray emission, which can quickly analyze the chemical elements in almost any substance without destroying it,
(B) Originally developed for detecting air pollutants, having the ability to analyze the chemical elements in almost any substance without destroying it, a technique called proton induced x-ray emission
(C) A technique originally developed for detecting air pollutants, called proton-induced x-ray emission, which can quickly analyze the chemical elements in almost any substance without destroying it,
(D) A technique originally developed for detecting air pollutants, called proton-induced x-ray emission, which has the ability to analyze the chemical elements in almost any substance quickly and without destroying it,
(E) A technique that was originally developed for detecting air pollutants and has the ability to analyze the chemical elements in almost any substance quickly and without destroying the substance, called proton-induced x-ray emission,
Solution:
OG Solution: Rhetorical construction
The original sentence successfully avoids the problems that may occur in a long sentence with multiple modifiers. The sentence opens with the modifier originally developed for detecting air pollutants. This participial phrase is immediately followed by the word technique that it modifies; technique is in turn followed by the phrase called proton-induced X-ray emission. Finally, the non-restrictive clause which….destroying it is correctly placed next to emission and set off from the rest of the sentence by a pair of commas.
(A) Correct. The modifiers are all correctly placed and punctuated; the meaning is clear.
(B) Placement of two long modifiers at the beginning of the sentence is awkward and makes it difficult to locate the subject; second modifier (having….) actually modifies the first modifier
(C) Called proton-induced X-ray emission should be placed next to a technique and should not be set off by commas; relative clause introduced by which incorrectly and illogically modifies emission
(D) Called proton-induced X-ray emission should be placed next to a technique and should not be set off by which incorrectly and illogically modifies emission; has the ability to is wordy
(E) Called proton-induced X-ray emission should be placed next to a technique and should not be set off by commas; has the ability to is wordy
Sentence Correction - 1000 Questions with Solution:
