Following an ancient rhythm, the Wind River Range is where bighorn sheep migrate more than 300 miles to the south and where the elevation is lower, winter is milder, and grass is easier to find.
A. Following an ancient rhythm, the Wind River Range is where bighorn sheep migrate more than 300 miles to the south and where the elevation is lower, winter is milder, and grass is easier to find.
B. Following an ancient rhythm, bighorn sheep in the Wind River Range migrate more than 300 miles to the south, where the elevation is lower, winter is milder, and where grass is easier to find.
C. Bighorn sheep in the Wind River Range follow an ancient rhythm by migrating more than 300 miles to the south, where the elevation is lower, winter is milder, and grass is easier for finding.
D. Bighorn sheep, following an ancient rhythm, migrate more than 300 miles to the south in the Wind River Range, where the elevation is lower, winter is milder, and where grass is easier to find.
E. Following an ancient rhythm, bighorn sheep in the Wind River Range migrate more than 300 miles to the south, where the elevation is lower, winter is milder, and grass is easier to find.
This question is based on Modifiers and Parallelism.
Option A contains an error of modifier. It is not the Wind River Range that follows an ancient rhythm. Since the modifier does not have an appropriate subject, Option A can be eliminated.
In Option B, the modifier is placed next to its appropriate subject – bighorn sheep. However, this option lacks parallelism. At the end of the sentence is a list of clauses that state why the bighorn sheep migrate to the south. The list is not parallel in this option - where the elevation is lower, winter is milder, and where grass is easier to find. The adverb ‘where’ is unnecessarily repeated and affects parallelism. So, Option B can be eliminated.
In Option C, the meaning is distorted by the phrase - follow an ancient rhythm by migrating. They do not follow an ancient rhythm by migrating. The intended meaning is that in migrating, they follow an ancient rhythm. This option also contains an idiomatic error – the phrase “easier for finding” is idiomatically inappropriate. So, Option C can be eliminated.
Option D also lacks parallelism - where the elevation is lower, winter is milder, and where grass is easier to find. The repetition of the adverb ‘where’ is unnecessary. So, Option D can also be eliminated.
Option E maintains parallelism - where the elevation is lower, winter is milder, and grass is easier to find. In this option, the adverb 'where' has been used once at the beginning of the list. The modifier - Following an ancient rhythm – is also placed next to its appropriate subject – bighorn sheep. Therefore, E is the most appropriate option.