African American Percy Julian was a scientist and entrepreneur whose work helped people around the world to see. Named
in 1999 as one of the greatest achievements by a US chemist in the past hundred years, ______ led to the ﬁrst mass-produced
treatment for glaucoma.
Julian synthesized the alkaloid physostigmine in 1935; it
in 1935 Julian synthesized the alkaloid physostigmine, which
Julian’s 1935 synthesis of the alkaloid physostigmine
the alkaloid physostigmine was synthesized by Julian in 1935 and
Choice C is the best answer. The convention being tested is subject-modiﬁer placement. This choice makes the noun phrase
“Julian’s 1935 synthesis” the subject of the sentence and places it immediately after the modifying phrase “named…years.” In
doing so, this choice clearly establishes that Julian’s 1935 synthesis of the alkaloid physostigmine—and not another noun in
the sentence—was named in 1999 as one of the greatest achievements by a US chemist in the past hundred years.  
Choice A is incorrect because it results in a dangling modiﬁer. The placement of the noun “Julian” immediately after the
modifying phrase illogically suggests that Julian himself was named as one of the greatest achievements by a US chemist in
the past hundred years. Choice B is incorrect because it results in a dangling modiﬁer. The placement of the prepositional
phrase “in 1935” immediately after the modifying phrase illogically and confusingly suggests that “in 1935” was named as
one of the greatest achievements by a US chemist in the past hundred years. Choice D is incorrect because it results in a
dangling modiﬁer. The placement of the noun phrase “the alkaloid physostigmine” immediately after the modifying phrase
illogically and confusingly suggests that the alkaloid physostigmine itself (not the synthesis of it) was named as one of the
greatest achievements by a US chemist in the past hundred years.