885-20-5

YuukiChan

5.Selling several hundred thousand copies in six months, the publication of “Maple Leaf Rag” in 1899 was an instant hit, helping to establish Scott Joplin as the preeminent ragtime composer.
(A) Selling several hundred thousand copies in six months, the publication of “Maple Leaf Rag” in 1899 was an instant hit, helping to establish Scott Joplin as the preeminent ragtime composer.
(B) The publication in 1899 of “Maple Leaf Rag” was an instant hit: in six months they sold several hundred thousand copies and it helped establish Scott Joplin as the preeminent ragtime composer.
(C) Helping to establish Scott Joplin as the preeminent ragtime composer was the publication of “Maple Leaf Rag” in 1899, which was an instant hit: it sold several hundred thousand copies in six months.
(D) “Maple Leaf Rag” was an instant hit: it helped establish Scott Joplin as the preeminent ragtime composer, published in 1899 and selling several hundred thousand copies in six months.
(E) Published in 1899, “Maple Leaf Rag” was an instant hit, selling several hundred thousand copies in six months: it helped establish Scott Joplin as the preeminent ragtime composer.

Why not D? does the "published in 1899 and selling several hundred thousand copies in six months" mordify the subject---it or the nearest noun---composer?

I think it could mordify the subject since there is a commer between them.

lohashilda

D is definitely wrong,
ragtime composer, (published) in 1899 and selling several hundred thousand copies in six months.
is a vague modifier
and published is a instant event may not be so appropriate to be accompanied with selling an on-going action.

这道题，几经有讨论过，可以用搜索功能， 查“20-5”即可。

Knightll

这种说法听上去不错，有没有例证呢，好像第一次碰到

doudoucc

请教为什么不能选c呢？

anilolive

c的主次反了

anilolive

而且C的which指代有问题

cookiezwy

同样的关于D的疑问

D如果论修饰的话，E也是两个分词修饰主语，

D/E都是分词并列修饰，

D是为什么不好呢？

secretsoft

不明白D为什么错，如果说published in 1899 and selling several hundred thousand copies in six months有修饰就近名词composer的歧义，那么E中selling several hundred thousand copies in six months不也会有就近修饰hit 的歧义吗？请高人指点