Which of the following sentences contains a poorly placed modifier?

• A. "Is Google Making Us Stupid?", written by Nicholas Carr, argues that the internet may be changing the way we read.
• B. "Is Google Making Us Stupid?", an article by Nicholas Carr, argues that the internet may be changing the way we read.
• C. "Is Google Making Us Stupid?", argues that the internet may be changing the way we read, an article by Nicholas Carr.
• D. Is Google Making Us Stupid? argues that the internet may be changing the way we read, an article by Nicholas Carr.

Answer: (C)

Placing descriptors so they clearly modify the right noun is key. The phrase an article by Nicholas Carr is meant to identify the work Is Google Making Us Stupid. In the version that ends with a comma, an article by Nicholas Carr, after the main clause, the appositive is read as if it were describing the action or the clause itself rather than the title. That dangling attachment makes the sentence unclear and feels like the descriptor isn’t tied to the correct noun.

The clear, correct approach is to attach that descriptor directly to the title, right after it, so it clearly identifies the work being discussed: Is Google Making Us Stupid?, an article by Nicholas Carr, argues that the internet may be changing the way we read. This keeps the modifier linked to the title and avoids misreading.