Question

Fighting a rising tide of illegal fishing, four boats poaching sea cucumbers and other marine life caught in their waters have been set on fire by the island nation.

• A. the island nation has set fire on four boats caught poaching sea cucumbers and other marine life in their waters
• B. four boats caught poaching sea cucumbers and other marine life in their waters have been set on fire by the island nation
• C. the island nation has set fire to four boats caught poaching sea cucumbers and other marine life in its waters
• D. the island nation has set fire to four boats poaching sea cucumbers and other marine life caught in their waters

Answer 1

The correct option is C the island nation has set fire to four boats caught poaching sea cucumbers and other marine life in its waters

There are a few errors in the given sentence.

One is the dandling modifier, ‘fighting a rising tide of illegal fishing’. Who is fighting illegal fishing? The island nation (not the boats poaching in the waters). So, ‘island nation’ should follow the modifier, not ‘four boats’.

The second error is in the placement of the word ‘caught’. This verb does not relate to sea cucumbers and other marine life in the waters. The marine life has been poached. It is the boats have been caught poaching.

Finally, ‘island nation’ is singular. So, the pronoun that relates to this should be singular. The correct usage is ‘its waters’, not ‘their waters’.

Also note that in the answer options, option (a) says ‘set fire on’. This is incorrect. The correct usage is ‘set fire to’, or ’set on fire’.

Correct Answer: C