0
Rambharosey Posted 16 years ago
Grammar

A modifier question..

Hello!! Consider the following two sentences:

Sam is the person with many bikes, which have two mirrors, each evenly spaced and shining in all glory.

Same is the person with many bikes, which have two mirrors, each is evenly spaced and is shining in all glory.

In the first sentece, "each evenly spaced and shining in all glory" is modifying "mirrors"; in second sentence, "each is evenly spaced and is shining in all glory" could be interpretted as modifying bikes and this is obviously wrong.

I have two questions:

1. Is there a grammar rule that is playing a part above in determining what is being modified?
2. Is the second statement a 'run-on' sentence?

Thanks,
Ram
  

Top answer

Your problem is indeed a run-on sentence, so it is invalid, but in fact, both of your sentences are awkward. Let's deal with these instead: Sam has many bikes which have two mirrors, each evenly spaced and shining in all glory. Same has many bikes which have two mirrors.

— Mister Micawber

  • Your problem is indeed a run-on sentence, so it is invalid, but in fact, both of your sentences are awkward.
  • Let's deal with these instead: Sam has many bikes which have two mirrors, each evenly spaced and shining in all glory.
  • Same has many bikes which have two mirrors.
  • Each is evenly spaced and is shining in all glory.
  • Both sentences describe the mirrors and not the bikes because the noun referent 'mirror' is nearer by.
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.

2 Answers
0
Your problem is indeed a run-on sentence, so it is invalid, but in fact, both of your sentences are awkward. Let's deal with these instead:


Sam has many bikes which have two mirrors, each evenly spaced and shining in all glory.
Same has many bikes which have two mirrors. Each is evenly spaced and is shining in all glory.

Both sentences describe the mirro
0
0
rambharoseyeach evenly spaced and shining in all glory.
An aside.

"each" is a singular concept. It considers things only one at a time.
Being "spaced" or "evenly spaced" involves things (more than one) at some distance from one another.

A single object cannot be "evenly spaced".
Consequently, you cannot have "each evenly
0

Related Questions