I was standing on the top floor of a building and peering down (at the people).

[tufguy]

1) I was standing on the top floor of a building and peering down (at the people).

2) I was standing on the top floor of a building and looking down (at the people).

3) I was standing on the top floor of a building and looking down at the people standing on the ground.

Could you please check my sentences?

 

[tufguy]

Delete 'and'. Otherwise they are OK.

1) I was standing on the top floor of a building peering down (at the people).

2) I was standing on the top floor of a building looking down (at the people).

3) I was standing on the top floor of a building looking down at the people standing on the ground.

 

[emsr2d2]

I would put a comma after "building" to avoid any possibility of someone thinking that it's the building (or the top floor of the building) that is looking/peering down at people.

 

[tufguy]

I would put a comma after "building" to avoid any possibility of someone thinking that it's the building (or the top floor of the building) that is looking/peering down at people.

1) I was standing on the top floor of a building, peering down (at the people).

2) I was standing on the top floor of a building, looking down (at the people).

3) I was standing on the top floor of a building, looking down at the people standing on the ground.

 

[emsr2d2]

That's how I would write them. Are you aware that "looking down" and "looking down at the people" don't mean the same thing?

 

[tufguy]

That's how I would write them. Are you aware that "looking down" and "looking down at the people" don't mean the same thing?

Yes, but here it doesn't mean that. Am I correct?

 

[emsr2d2]

Yes, but here it doesn't mean that. Am I correct?

here - where?
that - what?

I'm not asking you to change those words. I'm asking you to explain what you mean by "here" and "that".

 

[tufguy]

here - where?
that - what?

I'm not asking you to change those words. I'm asking you to explain what you mean by "here" and "that".

Yes, but in my sentence it doesn't mean that.

 

[emsr2d2]

That's the problem with ambiguous sentences. You know what you meant but your reader doesn't.

 

[tufguy]

That's the problem with ambiguous sentences. You know what you meant but your reader doesn't.

Are you saying my sentence is wrong?

 

[emsr2d2]

Where did I say it was wrong? It told you to add a comma to avoid ambiguity. You did that. I was pointing out that your original sentence was ambiguous.