Cella J.

asked • 05/08/15

Is the sentence "The bottom of the walls in the hall is brown." correct or incorrect?

Is the sentence "The bottom of the walls in the hall is brown." correct or incorrect?
 


Currently in a massive grammar/literacy fight with my roommate over this.

4 Answers By Expert Tutors

By:

Victoria R. answered • 01/30/16

Tutor
New to Wyzant

Elementary, College and homeschool teacher

Mark M.

It does not have a misplaced modifier.
An example: She served sandwiches to the children on paper plates.
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01/30/16

Victoria R.

Brown is an adjective, therefore, a modifier.  It is should be placed next to what is brown.
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02/02/16

Matt H.

The issue in question is NOT whether or not there is a misplaced modifier. There isn't.
 
"My house in town is white. My house in the country is blue." Those are fine sentences where the modifier is not "next to" what is modified.
 
What this question is getting at is singular vs. plural: bottom agrees with is; however, it does not really work with walls, since if there are plural walls, we should assume they have plural walls.
 
Therefore, the best correction would be to change bottom to bottomS, which would in turn require us to change is to are.
 
M
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02/02/16

Mark M.

The subject of the sentence is "bottom."
The verb "is" the copulative verb with "brown" being the predicate nominative.
"Of the walls" is a prepositional modifier (correctly placed) of "bottom."
"In the hall" is also a prepositional modifier (correctly placed) of "walls."
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02/02/16

Clement T. answered • 11/15/15

Tutor
4.9 (2,126)

Former Law Book Copy Editor!

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