English 1b3 Posted 15 years ago
Grammar
If clause--reduced. dangling modifiers
Are if clauses that are reduced able to be dangling modifiers like when you reduce other adverbial clauses?
EG. When walking home, the weather always seems to turn bad.
a. If the building is destroyed, we all have to help rebuild it.
b. If destroyed, the building will need rebuilding.
c. If destroyed, we will need to rebuild the building.
d. If destroyed, we will need to rebuild it.
e. I don't own the building. If destroyed, I will still help rebuild it.
f. Who will save them if not their leader?
g. If the person who will save them is not their leader, who will save them?
h. If the person who will save them is not their leader, Andrew will save them?
i. If not their leader, Andrew will save them.
Which of the above are incorrect and why?
EG. When walking home, the weather always seems to turn bad.
a. If the building is destroyed, we all have to help rebuild it.
b. If destroyed, the building will need rebuilding.
c. If destroyed, we will need to rebuild the building.
d. If destroyed, we will need to rebuild it.
e. I don't own the building. If destroyed, I will still help rebuild it.
f. Who will save them if not their leader?
g. If the person who will save them is not their leader, who will save them?
h. If the person who will save them is not their leader, Andrew will save them?
i. If not their leader, Andrew will save them.
Which of the above are incorrect and why?
Top answer
The incorrect ones are: c, d, e, and i. In those instances, the dangling modifier is just that - dangling. It is not clear what it refers to, or it seems to refer to the wrong thing.
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The incorrect ones are: c, d, e, and i.
In those instances, the dangling modifier is just that - dangling. It is not clear what it refers to, or it seems to refer to the wrong thing.
In c/d/e, the "destroyed" seems to refer to the person, not the building. This is due to word order I think: you have to put the item which is being destroyed directly after the word "destroye
In those instances, the dangling modifier is just that - dangling. It is not clear what it refers to, or it seems to refer to the wrong thing.
In c/d/e, the "destroyed" seems to refer to the person, not the building. This is due to word order I think: you have to put the item which is being destroyed directly after the word "destroye
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