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Pokh Posted 15 years ago
Grammar

Modifier

In cold-water habitats, certain invertebrates and fish convert starches into complex carbohydrates,

in effect manufacturing their own antifreeze.

I believe author is trying to explain the result of the action in the previous clause using in effect manufacturing their own antifreeze. However, I am not able to figure out whether in effect manufacturing their own antifreeze is a phrase or some sort of the elided sentence (reduced clause). Can someone help me to understand the structure of above sentence as well as the usage of structure in effect manufacturing....?

Thank you
  

Top answer

pokh Can someone help me to understand the structure It may be clearer that it's a participle clause if you move "in effect" after the participle. In cold-water habitats, certain invertebrates and fish convert starches into complex carbohydrates, manufacturing, in effect, their own antifreeze. This semantic relationship is very common when a participle clause is added to a sentence.

— CalifJim

  • pokh Can someone help me to understand the structure It may be clearer that it's a participle clause if you move "in effect" after the participle.
  • In cold-water habitats, certain invertebrates and fish convert starches into complex carbohydrates, manufacturing, in effect, their own antifreeze.
  • This semantic relationship is very common when a participle clause is added to a sentence.
  • The meaning is "thereby" or "by doing so", thus: In cold-water habitats, certain invertebrates and fish convert starches into complex carbohydrates, thereby manufacturing, in effect, their own antifreeze.
  • or In cold-water habitats, certain invertebrates and fish convert starches into complex carbohydrates, and by doing so , they manufacture, in effect, their own antifreeze.
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3 Answers
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pokhCan someone help me to understand the structure
It may be clearer that it's a participle clause if you move "in effect" after the participle.

In cold-water habitats, certain invertebrates and fish convert starches into complex carbohydrates, manufacturing, in effect, their own antifreeze.

This semantic relationship is very common w
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CalifJim
pokhIn cold-water habitats, certain invertebrates and fish convert starches into complex carbohydrates, thereby manufacturing, in effect, their own antifreeze.


CJ
CJ,

Do you imply that manufacturing, in effect, their own antifreeze is not acting as a modifier(phrase) but a reduced cla
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pokhDo you imply that manufacturing, in effect, their own antifreeze is not acting as a modifier(phrase) but a reduced clause?
Yes.

CJ
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