Sheila's Purchase: Finding the Best Placement for a Modifier

Which sentence shows the best placement for the modifier “that was on sale”?

Sheila bought soap at the farmer’s market that was on sale.

Sheila that was on sale bought soap at the farmer’s market.

Sheila bought that was on sale soap at the farmer’s market.

Sheila bought soap that was on sale at the farmer’s market.

Answer:

The sentence that shows the best placement for the modifier "that was on sale" is the following one: Sheila bought soap that was on sale at the farmer's market.

Explanation:

A relative clause is a subordinate clause which specifies or gives information about a person or thing. In this case, the relative clause, that was on sale, gives further information regarding the noun soap. This relative clause is considered essential because it provides necessary information with respect to the noun it refers. If it was dropped, the sentence would not have the same meaning. Sheila bought a particular soap, the soap which was on sale, not just any soap. The reader can identify which soap Sheila bought with the information included in the relative clause.

Final answer:

The correct sentence is 'Sheila bought soap that was on sale at the farmer’s market' because it places the modifier next to the noun it describes, indicating clearly that the soap was the item on sale.

Explanation:

The question asks for the best placement of the modifier "that was on sale" in a sentence to convey clearly which item was on sale. Modifiers should be placed next to the word or phrase they are intended to modify to avoid ambiguity. The correct sentence is: Sheila bought soap that was on sale at the farmer’s market. This placement clearly implies that it was the soap that was on sale.