Correct grammar

Question

In the first paragraph, the author wrote: "Being a Penangite, it was indeed fun to go somewhere far as it would be a change from my normal routine..."
This is a classic dangling modifier in which the author refers it (the trip) as a Penangite.
Is it correct?

AlpheccaStars · Accepted Answer

ErnestYongThis is a classic dangling modifier in which the author refers it (the trip) as a Penangite.
Is it correct?

Yes. "It" refers to the phrase "to go somewhere far".

ErnestYong · Answer

Thank you for your reply..
That was one Mr. Lim's comment in an online newspaper. Is Mr. Lim correct in saying that the statemnet was grammatically wrong? the person who set the question had this to say... what is your comment?

****start

In the first sentence, the pronoun “it” is impersonal, which means that “it” may or may not refer to the introductory clause — i.e. Being from Penang ... — which only serves to give extra information that is not necessary to the clear meaning of the full sentence. This is proven by the fact that the second clause can stand on its own and makes perfect sense even without the introductory clause.

‘Dangling’ means ‘inseparably attached’, but the second clause is not inseparably attached from the first because it has complete meaning of its own.
*****end

AlpheccaStars · Answer

ErnestYongIs Mr. Lim correct in saying that the statemnet was grammatically wrong?

Yes, he was correct. It is a good example of a dangling modifier.

A correction:
Being a Penangite, I had fun going far away because it was a change from the normal routine.

It implies that, in some way, Penangites have fun when they travel to far-away places.

ErnestYong · Answer

Thank you very much. I agree with you.
Next question... Is Mr. Lim right in commenting as follows?

There were two other flaws in the second paragraph:

The first one “Drop me off at a small town” should correctly read as “in a small town” while the other one “I went to enquire at the bus station” should in fact read “I went to enquire about the bus schedule at the bus station”.

The writer wrote in the third paragraph: “… I alighted where most buses stopped for passengers to get refreshments and stretch their legs.”

Did he or she really mean he or she got off the bus where most buses stopped for passengers to get refreshments and stretch their legs?

AlpheccaStars · Answer

Is Mr. Lim right in commenting as follows?
The first one “Drop me off at a small town” should correctly read as “in a small town” Yes, "in" is the better preposition. You can say "drop me off at the post office".

while the other one “I went to enquire at the bus station” should
in fact read “I went to enquire about the bus schedule at the bus
station”. The more common verb is "inquire." The original sentence is vague; the reader expects the writer to indicate the object of inquiry. The bus schedule makes a lot of sense.
The writer wrote in the third paragraph: “… I alighted where most buses stopped for passengers to get refreshments and stretch their legs.”
Did he or she really mean he or she got off the bus where most buses stopped for passengers to get refreshments and stretch their legs? It is a strange sentence. I would write: "I alighted whenever the bus stopped for passengers to get refreshments and stretch their legs." Then it is clear that I was on the bus, and got off at all the rest stops.

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