Tuesday, May 09, 2006

Squinting Modifiers

GMAT Verbal Section -- Squinting Modifiers

Squinting modifiers create uncertainity by appearing to either of two possible headwords
OR
Squinting modifiers are those modifiers that are placed between two words so that they could be understood to modify either word. e.g

The sight of teenagers hitting each other violently upset an elderly couple.

To clarify the statement, we should move violently, placing it before hitting if that is the correct meaning, or after couple -

Edited A- The sight of teenagers violently hitting each other upset an elderly couple.

Edited B - The sight of teenagers hitting each other upset an elderly couple violently.

Similarly below is another example -

To exercise regularly results in aches and pains.

Edited A - Regular exercise results in aches and pains.

Edited B - To exercise results regularly in aches and pains.

Link -
Squinting modifier

1 comment:

Mohit said...

Keep up the good work..
I regret so much for not having paid enough attention in my english classes when I was kid.