<p>Directing Al Pacino in The Merchant of Venice , Michael Radford takes a modern approach to a timeless story.</p>
<p>vs</p>
<p>A modern approach to a timeless story, Michael Radford directs Al Pacino in The Merchant of Venice . </p>
<p>On the PSAT score report it says that the first sentence is correct; however, I don’t see why the second sentence is wrong. The report says that the " A modern approach " incorrectly modifies Radford but aren’t there cases in which nouns such as “approach” represent the whole independent clause–similar to the role of an appositive:</p>
<p>The most excruciatingly sickening experience Tom ever experienced, the rollar coaster ride wasted a good hour of his free time.</p>
<p>Moreoever, shouldn’t the first sentence read “Taking a modern approach to a timeless story, Michael Radford directs Al Pacino in The Merchant of Venice”?</p>
<p>Adverbial phrases can modify entire clauses (e.g., the oft-maligned “hopefully”). But I’m fairly certain the rules about noun phrases acting as appositives are fairly strict. One noun phrase identifies another. Your PSAT score report is correct.</p>
<p>Your second example does not work the way you say it does. “experience” identifies “ride,” not the entire clause. </p>
<p>The answer to your last question has to do with emphasis, not correctness. Both versions are correct. The first emphasizes the modern approach. Your version emphasizes who is directing whom in what.</p>
<p>So, in the first sentence “Directing AL Pacino in The Merchant of Venice” refers to the director, who in this case was Michael Radford. In order to modifiy correctly, Michael Radford must come directly after the comma.</p>
<p>In the second, it reads that “Michael Radford” is a “modern approach to a timeless story.” A man can’t be a timeless approach. However, Michael Radford’s interpretation could be.</p>
<p>I think a correct sentence would read “A modern approach to a timeless story, Michael Radford’s interpretation of the Merchant of Venice involes the direction of Al Pacino.” or something like that :)</p>
<p>“A modern approach to a timeless story, Michael Radford directs Al Pacino in The Merchant of Venice.”</p>
<p>The adjectival phrase, everything before the comma, modifies the noun that is closest to it, Michael Radford. That is incorrect, as Michael Radford is not a modern approach to a timeless story.</p>
<p>“Directing Al Pacino in The Merchant of Venice , Michael Radford takes a modern approach to a timeless story.”</p>
<p>The participial phrase, everything before the comma, still modifies the noun that is closest to it, Michael Radford. That is correct, as Michael Radford is a director.</p>
<p>“The most excruciatingly sickening experience Tom ever experienced, the roller coaster ride wasted a good hour of his free time.”</p>
<p>The adjectival phrase, everything before the comma, modifies the closest noun, the roller coaster ride. Tom is part of the phrase. This isn’t comparable to the problem.</p>
<p>“Taking a modern approach to a timeless story, Michael Radford directs Al Pacino in The Merchant of Venice”?</p>
<p>Although it may not seem “funny” to us, the The Divine Comedy is just that, a mixed narrative, some epic, some tragedy, some melodrama, but with a happy ending (Paradise). This was the old definition of comedy, as opposed to our current notion that a comedy should keep us laughing. The Inferno, of course, is not a happy place, but since the Narrator (and presumably his readers) will learn from the Inferno to obey God and be virtuous, all these folks will have an improved chance to end up in Heaven, a definitively happy ending.</p>
<p>While reading-- researching-- Dante’s Inferno for my English class, I found this paragraph written by a professor of English — says at the top of the web address, “(Eng 2511)”. The last few words " a definitively happy ending." definitely caught my attention. I realize that “ending” modifies heaven, although it should modify “their ascension to Heaven”. " Ending" DOES NOT MODIFY THE ENTIRE SENTENCE. I read these incorrect modifiers in books in my English classes and elsewhere and realize that I never learned the grammar! Media,books,news mislead me into thinking that fancy language is correct language. </p>
<p>Professional and high quality writing doesn’t always follow the rules of SAT grammar. As an example, passages in the CR sections frequently use the word “this” without following it with a noun, a practice that is consistently considered unacceptable in SAT grammar questions.</p>