Read the sentence. The doctor told his patient that he would need to step out of the room if the phone rang. Which of these best clears up the ambiguity in this sentence without changing its meaning? The patient was told by the doctor that he would need to step out of the room if the phone rang. Stepping out of the room, the doctor told the patient he would need to if the phone rang. The doctor said to his patient, "I need to step out of the room if the phone rings." If the phone rang, the doctor told his patient he would need to step out of the room.