Question

Can you explain how to differentiate between an absolute phrase and a dangling modifier?

CalifJim · Accepted Answer

The absolute constructions have their own subjects.

Dangling modifiers are participle clauses that don't have subjects. They take their subjects from a nearby noun in the sentence. If the participle clause does not modify the nearby noun appropriately, it's called a dangling modifier.

Looking through the microscope - Participle clause. No subject.

Looking through the microscope, we saw a beautiful butterfly. - 'we' is the subject. It is taken from the following clause. We were looking through the microscope. This is not "dangling".

Looking through the microscope, a beautiful butterfly was seen. - 'butterfly' is the subject. It is taken from the following clause. The butterfly was looking through the microscope!

"Looking through the microscope" is dangling in this case.

An absolute construction looks more like this:

The microscope stored in its case, we turned off the lights and left the laboratory.

'microscope' is the subject of the absolute construction, which has no finite verb, 'stored' being a participle, and 'we' is the subject of the main clause.

CJ

Gomblan · Answer

I am struggling with this sentence: "I got up early to read English books or remember English words".

I looked up "get up" and it is an intransitive phrasal verb, which means that there is no object in the sentence. So, my confusion comes in when I am analyzing "to read English books or remember English words." After I read this phrase several times, I thought it might be and infinitive phrase because of the to + verb 'to read.' However, the more I read it I change my mind to see this very phrase as a prepositional phrase. When I think of " to read English books or remember English word" phrase a bit longer, I conclude that perhaps if its form is a prepositional phrase then maybe its function is an adverbial phrase. But after a lengthy time of thinking what this phrase is, I get side tracked and start thinking about the "get" passive verb. With too many thoughts without further support of anyones thinking I conclude that i am confused and cannot on my own figure it out to fit a perfect compartment in my brain. All I can do is try to label each part and see where my thought process erred.

{I (subject) got up (phrasal verb,simple past tense) [main clause]} early (adverb modifying "got up" When the subject got up) {to read ( infinitive) English ( adj) books( noun) or ( conjunction) remember (verb) English (adj) words (noun) infinitive phrase or prepositional phrase modifying ??}

Help me clear my though process by correcting my thinking, please.
What is the form and function of the sentence in quotes?

CalifJim · Answer

gomblanI got up early to read English books or remember English words

The sentence is not really very idiomatic, but I'm going to ignore that in the interest of showing you how it is constructed.
_____________

I got up early .......................[main clause] [not transitive; no object]

to read English books............[infinitive of purpose; says why you got up early] ["to" is not a preposition]
or
(to) remember English words. [infinitive of purpose; says why you got up early; the "to" carries over from "to read"]

CJ

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