"Sophia Loren has been such an inspiration for me. She's beautiful in an offbeat, angular way, which I can relate to easier than I can to stars today." - Eva Mendes, in Lucky
Eva has made two errors in modifier confusion; one is straightforward and the other is relatively complicated. Furthermore, while it is easy to understand the meaning of the second sentence, her syntax is awkward and creates a faulty comparison.
In the dependent clause "which I can relate to easier than I can to stars today," the adjective "easier" modifies the verb "can relate." This is incorrect because an adjective cannot modify a verb; only an adverb can modify a verb. Change the adjective to an adverb to correct the error.
The word "today" can be a noun ("Today is my birthday") or an adverb (in the clause "I am celebrating my birthday today," it answers the question "When?"). In the context of Eva's statement, "today" is used as an adverb that either incorrectly modifies the noun "stars" (only an adjective can modify a noun) or awkwardly modifies the verb "can relate."
The latter use is awkward because it creates an illogical comparison. If "today" modifies "can relate," indicating that she is relating in the present, the adverb can be moved closer to the verb to illustrate the error more clearly. The clause then becomes "which today I can relate to [more easily] than I can to stars." The word "which" can modify either of two preceding elements of the sentence: the object of the preposition or the entire clause. The comparison is either between "stars" and "an offbeat, angular way" (the object of the preposition "in") or between "stars" and "She's beautiful in an offbeat, angular way" (the entire clause). Neither comparison makes sense.
Eva's statement can be modified to express the same meaning without these errors.
"She's beautiful in an offbeat, angular way, which I can relate to more easily than to the way that stars are today."
The adverb phrase "more easily" modifies the verb "can relate." The adverb "today" modifies the verb "are." The comparison is between two ways: "an offbeat, angular way" and "the way that stars are today." However, the strictest interpretation of the rules of grammar would dictate that this comparison is not parallel in structure. The first "way" is modified by two adjectives ("offbeat" and "angular"), while the second way is modified by a dependent clause ("that stars are today").
While it is safe to assume that questions on standardized examinations will not require you to correct errors as complex as those in this revision and the one it corrects in the original sentence, it is important to understand that you should never choose an answer that introduces a new error.
The following revision of Eva's statement correct the modifier errors and creates a grammatically correct comparison.
"She's beautiful in an offbeat, angular way. I can relate to her beauty more easily than I can to that of today's stars."
In this version of the statement "her beauty" is compared to "that of today's stars." This comparison is both logical and parallel in structure. In this revision, the word "today," functioning as a noun, is the object of the implied preposition "of" ("today's stars" can be thought of as "stars of today").
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