High School

Sentence 5: They keep children from pulling drawers down on their heads and to scatter objects that might cause them to trip.

Which is the best way to write the underlined portion of this sentence? If the original is the best way, choose that option.

A. and to scatter
B. and scattering
C. and to have scattered
D. but scattering
E. but to scatter

Answer :

Final answer:

The best revision for the underlined portion of the sentence is 'and scattering' to maintain parallel structure within the sentence.

Hence, the correct answer is option b.

Explanation:

The student is asking about the correct phrasing for an underlined portion of a sentence. The options provided are to use different forms of the verb 'to scatter' following the conjunction 'and' or switching 'and' with 'but.' The best way to maintain parallel structure in the given sentence would be to use 'and scattering,' as it aligns with the '-ing' form of the verb following 'from pulling,' creating a parallel list of actions. Using 'and to scatter' introduces inconsistency in the verb forms. The use of 'but' would incorrectly introduce a contrast that is not implied in the original meaning of the sentence. Therefore, the revised sentence should read: 'They keep children from pulling drawers down on their heads and scattering objects that might cause them to trip.'

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