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20-Nov-2006, 12:47
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| |  Comprehension etc.
Dear teachers,
I have three question to ask:
No.1
Her witness for the beauty and intergrity of life continues to inspire new gereations.
I can find the collocation of 'witness for sth'. Could you please explain it?
No.2
And even this, were it by some miracle possible would be futile.
I guess I can write the sentence this way:
Even if it were possible by some miracle it would be futile. Is that right? If it is, could you please explain 'by some miracle'? Does it mean ' when some miracle appears'?
No.3
In my grammar book there is an expression 'dangling participle'. Could you please give me an example to explain the term?
Looking forward to hearing from you.
Thank you in advance.
Jiang |
21-Nov-2006, 00:01
|  | VIP Member | | Join Date: Nov 2002 Country: USA
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| | Re: Comprehension etc.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jiang  Dear teachers,
I have three question to ask:
No.1
Her witness for the beauty and intergrity of life continues to inspire new gereations.
I can find the collocation of 'witness for sth'. Could you please explain it?
No.2
And even this, were it by some miracle possible would be futile.
I guess I can write the sentence this way:
Even if it were possible by some miracle it would be futile. Is that right? If it is, could you please explain 'by some miracle'? Does it mean ' when some miracle appears'?
No.3
In my grammar book there is an expression 'dangling participle'. Could you please give me an example to explain the term?
Looking forward to hearing from you.
Thank you in advance.
Jiang | 1. I have no idea what that means. That does not appear to be a correct ue of "witness".
2. Yes, your rephrase is correct. "By some miracle" means "through the action of a miracle".
3. A dangling participle is a participle or a participial phrase for which there is no logical noun to modify. Thus, it is a modifier that just dangles in a sentence.
Lighting a cigar, the car drove off the road.
There is nothing in the sentence for "lighting a cigarette" to modify.
Lighting a cigar, John drove the car off the road.
Another problem with participles is called a misplaced modifier (though some also call this a dangling participle). The proper noun or pronoun is in the sentence, but the modifying participle is in the wrong place.
Flying around a flower, John saw a bee.
John saw a bee walking through the park.  |
21-Nov-2006, 02:04
| | Key Member | | Join Date: Nov 2003 Country: China
Posts: 1,882
Current Location: China First Language: Chinese Thanks: 175
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| | Re: Comprehension etc.
Dear Mike,
Thank you very much for your explanation.
No.1 It must be a mistake.
No.2 I am glad my rephrase is correct.
No.3 I'd like to explain what I understand to make sure I understand your explanation correctly.
There are past participles and present participles in English. A dangling participle refers to present participle as in your example 'lighting a car'. Is that right?
I am quoting the part in my grammar to make sure I understand the explanation:
given time: This is a past participle phrase. Further examples,
Given opportunities, the boy will make a good artist.
In this structure, dangling participle should be avoided. The participle should be correctly related to the subject of teh sentence, denoting a condition for the subject.
After I read your explanation I think what the book meant is I can write 'Giving time' because that would mean 'The boy gives time to others'. Is that right?
Looking forward to hearing from you.
Thank you in advance.
Jiang Quote:
Originally Posted by MikeNewYork 1. I have no idea what that means. That does not appear to be a correct ue of "witness".
2. Yes, your rephrase is correct. "By some miracle" means "through the action of a miracle".
3. A dangling participle is a participle or a participial phrase for which there is no logical noun to modify. Thus, it is a modifier that just dangles in a sentence.
Lighting a cigar, the car drove off the road.
There is nothing in the sentence for "lighting a cigarette" to modify.
Lighting a cigar, John drove the car off the road.
Another problem with participles is called a misplaced modifier (though some also call this a dangling participle). The proper noun or pronoun is in the sentence, but the modifying participle is in the wrong place.
Flying around a flower, John saw a bee.
John saw a bee walking through the park. | |
21-Nov-2006, 03:10
| | VIP Member | | Join Date: Nov 2002 Country: USA
Posts: 6,095
Current Location: New York First Language: American English Thanks: 0
Thanked 7 Times in 7 Posts
| | Re: Comprehension etc.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jiang Dear Mike,
Thank you very much for your explanation.
No.1 It must be a mistake.
No.2 I am glad my rephrase is correct.
No.3 I'd like to explain what I understand to make sure I understand your explanation correctly.
There are past participles and present participles in English. A dangling participle refers to present participle as in your example 'lighting a car'. Is that right?
I am quoting the part in my grammar to make sure I understand the explanation:
given time: This is a past participle phrase. Further examples,
Given opportunities, the boy will make a good artist.
In this structure, dangling participle should be avoided. The participle should be correctly related to the subject of teh sentence, denoting a condition for the subject.
After I read your explanation I think what the book meant is I can write 'Giving time' because that would mean 'The boy gives time to others'. Is that right?
Looking forward to hearing from you.
Thank you in advance.
Jiang | I used present participles because they are the most common problem. Past participles can also be modifiers and they can be dangled or misplaced also.
The two examples given are correct. |
21-Nov-2006, 03:14
| | Key Member | | Join Date: Nov 2003 Country: China
Posts: 1,882
Current Location: China First Language: Chinese Thanks: 175
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| | Re: Comprehension etc.
Dear Mike,
Thank you very much for your explanation. Now I see.
Jiang Quote:
Originally Posted by MikeNewYork I used present participles because they are the most common problem. Past participles can also be modifiers and they can be dangled or misplaced also.
The two examples given are correct. | |
21-Nov-2006, 03:27
| | Key Member | | Join Date: Nov 2003 Country: China
Posts: 1,882
Current Location: China First Language: Chinese Thanks: 175
Thanked 3 Times in 3 Posts
| | Re: Comprehension etc.
Dear Mike,
I forget to mention one point. The following is from my grammar book:
given time: This is a past participle phrase. Further examples,
Given opportunities, the boy will make a good artist.
In this structure, dangling participle should be avoided. The participle should be correctly related to the subject of teh sentence, denoting a condition for the subject.
My quesiton is: why in this structure dangling participle should be avoided?
Looking forward to hearing from you.
Thank you in advance.
Jiang Quote:
Originally Posted by jiang Dear Mike,
Thank you very much for your explanation.
No.1 It must be a mistake.
No.2 I am glad my rephrase is correct.
No.3 I'd like to explain what I understand to make sure I understand your explanation correctly.
There are past participles and present participles in English. A dangling participle refers to present participle as in your example 'lighting a car'. Is that right?
I am quoting the part in my grammar to make sure I understand the explanation:
given time: This is a past participle phrase. Further examples,
Given opportunities, the boy will make a good artist.
In this structure, dangling participle should be avoided. The participle should be correctly related to the subject of teh sentence, denoting a condition for the subject.
After I read your explanation I think what the book meant is I can write 'Giving time' because that would mean 'The boy gives time to others'. Is that right?
Looking forward to hearing from you.
Thank you in advance.
Jiang | |
21-Nov-2006, 03:35
| | VIP Member | | Join Date: Nov 2002 Country: USA
Posts: 6,095
Current Location: New York First Language: American English Thanks: 0
Thanked 7 Times in 7 Posts
| | Re: Comprehension etc.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jiang
Dear Mike,
I forget to mention one point. The following is from my grammar book:
given time: This is a past participle phrase. Further examples,
Given opportunities, the boy will make a good artist.
In this structure, dangling participle should be avoided. The participle should be correctly related to the subject of teh sentence, denoting a condition for the subject.
My quesiton is: why in this structure dangling participle should be avoided?
Looking forward to hearing from you.
Thank you in advance.
Jiang | I hope they were just pointing out that one should avoid dangling a participle when a sentence starts with one. The example is not a dangling participle. |
21-Nov-2006, 03:42
| | Key Member | | Join Date: Nov 2003 Country: China
Posts: 1,882
Current Location: China First Language: Chinese Thanks: 175
Thanked 3 Times in 3 Posts
| | Re: Comprehension etc.
Dear Mike,
Did you mean in 'Given opportunities, the boy will make a good artist.' 'Given opportunities' isn't dangling participle?
Jiang Quote:
Originally Posted by MikeNewYork I hope they were just pointing out that one should avoid dangling a participle when a sentence starts with one. The example is not a dangling participle. | |
21-Nov-2006, 03:46
| | VIP Member | | Join Date: Nov 2002 Country: USA
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Thanked 7 Times in 7 Posts
| | Re: Comprehension etc.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jiang
Dear Mike,
Did you mean in 'Given opportunities, the boy will make a good artist.' 'Given opportunities' isn't dangling participle?
Jiang | No, it modifies "the boy", IMO. |
21-Nov-2006, 03:50
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Posts: 1,625
Current Location: England First Language: English Thanks: 0
Thanked 15 Times in 15 Posts
| | Re: Comprehension etc.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jiang
Her witness for the beauty and intergrity of life continues to inspire new gereations.
Jiang | 'Her witness' here means that she is giving evidence. The evidence is that her beauty and integrity inspires new generations. | | Thread Tools | | | | Display Modes |  Linear Mode | 
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