[Grammar] trailing only South Korea, Australia and Singapore

[kadioguy]

Taiwan has the fourth highest dining-out costs in the Asia-Pacific region, trailing only South Korea, Australia and Singapore.
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Which one does 'trailing only South Korea, Australia and Singapore' modify?

a. the fourth highest dining-out costs
b. Taiwan
c. Taiwan has the fourth highest dining-out costs in the Asia-Pacific region

Would you be so kind as to help me? Thanks!

PS I also posted the same question on this, but all of your answers are unique to me. Hope we can discuss with each other. Thank you.

 

[tedmc]

I would replace "only" with "behind".
The comparison is on dining-out costs.

 

[TheParser]

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Which one does 'trailing only South Korea, Australia and Singapore' modify?

NOT A TEACHER


I have found some information that may interest you.

My favorite grammarian gives this sentence:

1. "He mistook me for a friend, so that he caused me some embarrassment."

2 He says that a shorter way is: "He mistook me for a friend, (thus) causing me some embarrassment."

3. In my opinion, then, your sentence is shorter for "Taiwan has the fourth highest dining-out costs in the Asia-Pacific region, so that it trails only South Korea, Australia and Singapore."

4. The scholar says that the participial clause does NOT "in any way" modify the principal proposition (the first clause).



Source: George Oliver Curme, A Grammar of the English Language (1931), Volume II, page 293.

 

[Raymott]

In fact, I'd say that the implication is the reverse of Parser's opinion:
"Taiwan trails only South Korea, Australia, and Singapore in dining-out costs in the Asia-Pacific region, so that it has the fourth highest costs."