Read the sentence.

Question

Swimming through the ocean, the fin of the whale slapped against the water.

Which option best revises the sentence to correct the dangling modifier?

Responses

A gray whale was swimming through the ocean, slapping its fin against the water.
A gray whale was swimming through the ocean, slapping its fin against the water.

Slapping its fin against the water, a gray whale has been swimming through the ocean.
Slapping its fin against the water, a gray whale has been swimming through the ocean.

A gray whale slapped its fin, swimming through the ocean, against the water.
A gray whale slapped its fin, swimming through the ocean, against the water.

Through the ocean and slapping a fin against the water, a gray whale swam.

Answer 1

The best option to correct the dangling modifier in the sentence is:

A gray whale was swimming through the ocean, slapping its fin against the water.

This revision clarifies that it is the gray whale that is swimming and slapping its fin, correcting the original structure that implied the fin was doing the swimming.