In assessing the ﬁlms of Japanese director Akira Kurosawa, ______ have missed his equally deep engagement with Japanese
artistic traditions such as Noh theater.
many critics have focused on Kurosawa’s use of Western literary sources but
Kurosawa’s use of Western literary sources has been the focus of many critics, who
there are many critics who have focused on Kurosawa’s use of Western literary sources, but they
the focus of many critics has been on Kurosawa’s use of Western literary sources; they
Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is subject-modiﬁer placement. This choice makes the noun phrase
“many critics” the subject of the sentence and places it immediately after the modifying phrase “in assessing…Kurosawa.” In
doing so, this choice clearly establishes that it is the critics—and not another noun in the sentence—who assess Kurosawa’s
ﬁlms.
Choice B is incorrect because it results in a dangling modiﬁer. The placement of the noun phrase “Kurosawa’s…sources”
immediately after the modifying phrase illogically suggests that his use of Western literary sources is what assesses
Kurosawa’s ﬁlms. Choice C is incorrect because it results in a dangling modiﬁer. The placement of the function word “there”
immediately after the modifying phrase illogically suggests that “there” is what assesses Kurosawa’s ﬁlms. Choice D is
incorrect because it results in a dangling modiﬁer. The placement of the noun phrase “the focus…critics” immediately after
the modifying phrase illogically suggests that the critics’ focus is what assesses Kurosawa’s ﬁlms.