ACT Conventions Of Standard English Practice Test

An introductory participial phrase should clearly attach to the same subject that performs the action in the main clause, and it’s usually followed by a comma to separate the introductory element from the main statement. In the sentence that works, the introductory phrase After finishing the project clearly describes the subject who then does the next action. The subject right after the comma is she, who goes on to publish the report. This keeps the action of finishing the project tied to the same person who publishes, avoiding any confusion about who did what. The other options run into a classic problem: the introductory phrase ends up dangling or attaching to the wrong noun. In the first, After finishing the project, the report was published, the action of finishing the project isn’t done by the report, so the modifier misleads you about who finished it. In the third, Finishing the project, the report was published, the phrase is attached to the report itself, which would imply the report finished the project—nonsensical. The last option, The report was published finishing the project, places the participial idea after the main clause and without a separating comma, making the sentence awkward and unclear about who performed the finishing action. Tip: when you start with an introductory participial phrase, choose a subject in the following main clause that can plausibly be the one doing the action in the phrase, and set it off with a comma.