Linda waited for Martin to finish patiently.

[keannu]

Which does "patiently" describe? "Linda" or "Martin"? I think it's ambiguous. In "Linda waited for Martin to patiently finish", "patiently" definitely describes "Martin", though.

gr67)Linda waited for Martin to finish patiently.

 

[Raymott]

Which does "patiently" describe? "Linda" or "Martin"? I think it's ambiguous. In "Linda waited for Martin to patiently finish", "patiently" definitely describes "Martin", though.

gr67)Linda waited for Martin to finish patiently.

If you write that sentence, you are asking for it to be interpreted as Martin being patient, because there is a far easier way to indicate that it's Linda who is patient ("Linda waited patiently for ...")

 

[keannu]

My grammar book says in "Linda waited for Martin to finish patiently." , " "Linda is patient", which is wrong according to your explanation. So doesn't it have any possibility to be intereted as describing "Martin"?

 

[5jj]

My grammar book says in "Linda waited for Martin to finish patiently." , " "Linda is patient", which is wrong according to your explanation. So doesn't it have any possibility to be interpreted as describing "Martin"?

Yes it does have that possibility, especially in speech, where the speaker can indicate maning by stress, intonation and pauses. However, as Raymott has already, it's far more likely to be taken to mean that Martin is patient.

Why make life complicated?