Title: Default for Exercise 2 - Parallelism, Pronoun References, and Modifier Placement
Course: Applied English for Science and Technology

Q: (A) Although design flaws in the Titanic were realized soon after its sinking in 1912, the reasons for the severe damage inflicted by the iceberg remained a mystery until (B) its (C) discovery in 1985.
- (A)
- (B)
- (C)
- NO ERROR
A: (B)
Feedback: Incorrect pronoun reference. Although the writer intended the second "its" to refer to the Titanic, someone could misread the reference to be the iceberg. To correct, change the second "its" to "Titanic's."

Q: (A) Once the earthquake has subsided, you are not yet out of danger. Often the electricity has gone out and it is dark. However, (B) striking a match (C) or any open flame may cause a gas explosion.
- (A)
- (B)
- (C)
- NO ERROR
A: (B)
Feedback: Faulty parallelism. The gerundial phrase "striking a match" is not parallel with the noun phrase "any open flame." Moreover, the position of "striking" causes an ambiguity: Are open flames to be struck? To correct, replace the words "striking a match" with "a lit match."

Q: (A) At this time, the Department of Energy is (B) only (C) considering Yucca Mountain as a possible storage site for nuclear waste. (D) For that reason, (E) this report will not consider other sites.
- (A)
- (B)
- (C)
- (D)
- (E)
- NO ERROR
A: (B)
Feedback: Misplaced modifier. Although the writer intended the word "only" to modify "Yucca Mountain," someone could easily assume that the word modifies "considering." To correct, move "only" such that it precedes "Yucca Mountain."

Q: (A) Scientists have problems assuring that the viral vectors apply themselves to the correct cells. (B) When implanted, (C) they (D) tend to migrate throughout the body and miss targeted cells more often than not.
- (A)
- (B)
- (C)
- (D)
- NO ERROR
A: (C)
Feedback: Incorrect pronoun reference. To avoid confusion, the word "they" should be "vectors."

Q: (A) Reductions of up to 80 percent in heat and mass transfer coefficients (B) were measured (C) due to outgassing.
- (A)
- (B)
- (C)
- NO ERROR
A: (C)
Feedback: Misplaced modifier. Were the reductions measured because of outgassing, or were the reductions at the level of 80 percent because of outgassing? Because the writer intended the second possibility, the sentence should be rewritten: "Measured were reductions of up to 80 percent in heat and mass transfer coefficients. These large reductions occurred because of outgassing."

Q: (A) The objectives of the Viking mission were to obtain high-resolution images of the Martian surface, (B) characterize the structure and composition of the atmosphere and surface, (C) and to search for evidence of life.
- (A)
- (B)
- (C)
- NO ERROR
A: (B)
Feedback: Faulty parallelism. The list of three verb phrases is not parallel. To correct, insert the word "to" before "characterize."

Q: (A) Mars and Earth are similar (B) in that (C) both are rapidly rotating planets (D) and both have seasonal climate changes.
- (A)
- (B)
- (C)
- (D)
- NO ERROR
A: NO ERROR
Feedback: Note that “in that” means “because”!

Q: (A) The decoder was (B) either (C) faster than the worst case specified by the manufacturer, or the HC_11 held the data longer than the minimum time specified by Motorola.
- (A)
- (B)
- (C)
- NO ERROR
A: (B)
Feedback: Faulty parallelism. With an either/or construction, what appears on the right of the "either" must be parallel with what appears on the right side of the "or." Either the decoder was faster than the worst case specified by the manufacturer, or the HC_11 held the data longer than the minimum time specified by Motorola.