0
Park sang joon Posted 10 years ago
Grammar

A dangling participle

The narrator recalls his childhood.
He lives with his mother, Peggotty the only maid of his house, his stern stepfather Mr. Murdstone, and Mr. Mudstone's eccentric elder sister in his late father's house.

Be this as it may, I well remember the tremendous visages with which we used to go to church, and the changed air of the place. Again, the dreaded Sunday comes round, and I file into the old pew first, like a guarded captive brought to a condemned service. Again, Miss Murdstone, in a black velvet gown that looks as if it had been made out of a pall, follows close upon me; then my mother; then her husband. There is no Peggotty now, as in the old time. Again, I listen to Miss Murdstone mumbling the responses, and emphasizing all the dread words with a cruel relish. Again, I see her dark eyes roll round the church when she says "miserable sinners," as if she were calling all the congregation names. Again, I catch rare glimpses of my mother, moving her lips timidly between the two, with one of them muttering at each ear like low thunder.
[David Copperfield by Charles Dickens]
I'd like to know if "moving" is a dangling participle.
Thank you in advance for your help.
  

Top answer

park sang joon I'd like to know if "moving" is a dangling participle. No; the subject is 'mother', and the non-finite clause modifies her.

  • park sang joon I'd like to know if "moving" is a dangling participle.
  • No; the subject is 'mother', and the non-finite clause modifies her.
Free · every Monday

Get the Weekly English Kit 📬

New words, one handy idiom, and a 2-minute quiz — delivered to your inbox to keep your streak alive.

3 Answers
0
park sang joonI'd like to know if "moving" is a dangling participle.
No; the subject is 'mother', and the non-finite clause modifies her.
0
Thank you, Mr.Micawber, for yet another very kind answer from you. Emotion: smile
I should take it that you think "moving" modifies "her lips.
0
I think the writer has that freedom of word order.

Related Questions