Having received protection under the Endangered Species Act, and captive breeding and reintroduction efforts, Spanish wildlife officials estimate the Galapagos giant tortoise population to have grown to exceed 250,000.

A – Spanish wildlife officials estimate the Galapagos giant tortoise population to have

B – Spanish wildlife officials’ estimate of the Galapagos giant tortoise population has

C – the Galapagos giant tortoise population, Spanish wildlife officials estimate, has

D – the Spanish has a Galapagos giant tortoise population that wildlife officials estimate to have

E – wildlife officials in the Spanish estimate a Galapagos giant tortoise population that has

Right Answer: C

Error Identification: 

Identifier	Fix
Participial modifier “Having received…” incorrectly modifies “Spanish wildlife officials”	Modifier

Explanation:

In the sentence, the participial modifier ‘Having received…’ incorrectly modifies ‘Spanish wildlife officials’. Instead, it should logically modify ‘the Galapagos giant tortoise population’ which is directly affected by the actions mentioned in the modifier.

A – Modifier ‘Having received…’ incorrectly modifies ‘Spanish wildlife officials’. Hence, eliminated.

B – Modifier ‘Having received…’ incorrectly modifies ‘Spanish wildlife officials’ estimate’. Incorrectly conveys that the ‘estimate’ has grown to exceed 300,000, rather than the population. Hence, eliminated.

C – Modifier ‘Having received…’ correctly modifies ‘the Galapagos giant tortoise population’. This is the correct answer.

D – Modifier ‘Having received…’ incorrectly modifies ‘the Spanish’. Hence, eliminated.

E – Modifier ‘Having received…’ incorrectly modifies ‘wildlife officials’. Hence, eliminated.