【语法忽悠】Verbs and Verbals (9) / 四六文摘

语法忽悠

这一帖主要是"温故而知新"。

A few remarks of recap regarding what was done in the last section:

1. Whatever the dangling modifiers are, they usually introduce sentences, contain a verbal form[1], and imply but do not name a subject (the doer) of the verb in the dangling phrase.

2.For the sake of convenience, let's call the verb in the dangling phrase as "dangling verb", and the verb of the main sentence as "main" verb.

3.In the last section, we showed that most of dangling phrases are of "-ing" form. It doesn't have to be the case. Many other types of phrases can also be used as dangling phrases.

4.If used properly, dangling modifiers give you a powerful tool in your English writing. However, if used improperly, dangling modifiers represent one of the major sources of common mistakes in English. Usually the mistake is the mismatch between the subject of the dangling verb and the subject of the main verb. Such confusion makes readers suffer.

This section focuses on the correction of dangling modifiers with errors and provides you an opportunity of rewriting the sentences correctly. It serves to further your understanding and empower your ability to use this powerful tool of writing.

Sentence 1: When in diapers, his mother remarried.

This is a clause phrase used as the dangling[2]. It is a confusing sentence. An English grammar rule on skipping the subject of participle phrase or clause phrase tells us that such a subject has to be the same as the subject of the main sentence (the main verb), otherwise such skipping should not occur. For instance, "while I was doing homework last night, I felt so sleepy" can be written as "while doing homework last night, I felt so sleepy", with the subject (I) and the auxiliary verb (was) skipped.

According to this rule, Sentence 1 is equivalent as "When his mother was in diapers, his mother remarried." In this case, "his mother" and the "his mother (can be replaced by she)" are the same person and this sentence would be grammatically correct. However, it doesn't make sense. His mother could not even get married for the first time (let alone get remarried) when in diapers. So correction can be:

(a) When he was in diapers, his mother remarried.

(b) When in diapers, he attended his mother’s second wedding.

Note that in correction (b), the part "he was" in the phrase is correctly skipped (since the subject of the dangling phrase = that of the main verb); while in correction (a), "he was" of the phrase cannot be skipped (since the subject of the phrase ¹ the subject of the main verb).

Sentence 2:Passing the building, the vandalism became visible.

This is a present participle used as dangling phrase; and again, the error is the mismatch. If the sentence is considered grammatically correct (it could be), then "vandalism" must be the subject/doer of the participle verbal "passing". Since that's impossible, we know that rewriting is needed[3]:

(a)Passing the building, they saw the obvious vandalism.

(b)They passing the building, the vandalism become visible.

(c)As they were passing the building, the vandalism became visible.

(d) In their passing the building, the vandalism became visible.

However, correction (b) is very awkward and hence should be avoided.

Sentence 3: To understand the causes, vandalism has been extensively investigated.

This is an infinitive phrase used as a dangling phrase. Again, the sentence may be grammatically correct, but it's not clear who wants to understand the causes of vandalism. Look at the following rewritings:

(a) To understand the causes, researchers have investigated the vandalism.

(b) For people to understand the causes, vandalism has been investigated.

Now the infinitive phrase has a subject. In (a), the infinitive subject (doer) is the same as the researchers and hence it is skipped in this infinitive dangling. In (b), in order to indicate who is the correct doer of the infinitive phrase, we let the infinitive phrase have its subject through the "for .." part in front of the infinitive phrase[4].

Sentence 4. After studying the problem, the rainwater has been found to be polluted.

This dangling phrase is a prepositional one with a gerund (studying the problem) as the prepositional object. Again, there is a mismatch between the doer of the dangling and the subject of the main verb. When the dangling doer is skipped, then the subject of the main sentence is taken as the doer of the dangling. So "the rainwater" studied the problem? Do you see the mismatch now? Now let's correct the mistake:

(a) After studying the problem, researchers found that the rainwater has been polluted.

(b) After researchers studying the problem, the rainwater has been found to be polluted.

Here (a) may be preferred over (b), but (b) is still acceptable.

Sentence 5: When destructive, police have found that vandals act more likely in group.[5]

Again, it is an elliptical clause used as the dangling. But who are destructive? If this sentence is considered grammatically correct, then it must be the police who are destructive. We know this is not what it means and therefore it needs to be corrected.

(a) When vandals are destructive, police have found that they act more likely in group.

(b) Vandals being destructive, police have reinforced the strength of their special squads to deal with them.

Now hope you have learned your way of dealing with various dangling errors correctly. The following provides a few sentences with embedded mistakes, for you to apply your understandings/skills to correct them.

a. Driving north, the vegetation became increasingly sparse.

b.By the age of fourteen, both of Jackson's parents had dies.

c. Unaware of what had happened, the confusion puzzled Jane.

d. Looking out the window, a velvety lawn ran down to the river's edge.

e.When not croaking (making hoarse, raucous, and noisy sound), the chance that the frogs will be eaten by predators is reduced.

Note that in sentences b and c, we notice that both preposition phrase and adjective phrase can be used as dangling phrases. Of course, changes can be made to them. For instance, "Unaware of..." can be rewritten as "Being unaware of ...".

Also, the mismatch between the doer of the dangling phrase and the subject of the main verb is especially likely when the main verb is in passive voice instead of active voice. Based on such a finding, a hint for correction can be: change the passive voice of the main verb back into the active voice.

[1] Do you know the difference between "verbals" and "verbs" now? If not, see the section on "verbs v. verbals".

[2] When a clause phrase is used as a dangling phrase with its subject and verb(s) are omitted together, such a clause is called elliptical clause. "elliptical" means omissible or skippable.

[3] Corrections (a), (b), and (d) may be preferred over correction (c). (c) is still OK, but a bit awkward. (d) is a participle phrase no more, rather, it is a gerund phrase (strictly speaking, "-ing" form used as noun). It can also be written as "In their passing the building, the vandalism was visible."

[4] Remember, this is how we give the doer to an infinitive phrase.

[5] In this sentence, "police has..." or "police have..." are both correct, as the noun "police" can be considered either singular or plural.