Writing > Improving Sentences
Part or all of the following sentence is underlined; beneath the sentence are five ways of phrasing the underlined material. Select the option that produces the best sentence. If you think the original phrasing produces a better sentence than any of the alternatives, select choice A.
Although hailed as one of the greatest choreographers of his time, Merce Cunningham's company, founded in 1953, consistently gave performances that caused some members of the audience to walk out.
(A) Although hailed as one of the greatest choreographers of his time, Merce Cunningham's company, founded in 1953,
(B) Although Merce Cunningham was hailed as one of the greatest choreographers of his time, his company, founded in 1953,
(C) Founded in 1953, Merce Cunningham's company had one of the greatest choreographers of his time, himself, and
(D) Although hailed as one of the greatest choreographers of his time, Merce Cunningham founded his company in 1953, which
(E) Merce Cunningham's company, founded in 1953, was hailed as one of the greatest choreographers of his time, but
The Correct answer is D.
Explanation
Choice (B) is correct. It avoids the modification error of the original by replacing the modifying phrase ("Although hailed as one of the greatest choreographers of his time") with the dependent clause ("Although Merce Cunningham was hailed as one of the greatest choreographers of his time"). It does not make sense to say that his "company," rather than Merce Cunningham himself, was "hailed as one of the greatest choreographers of his time."
