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Boomshakala Posted 11 years ago
Grammar

Modify an object with a phrase with a clause in the middle?

“She moved the object, which the kids earlier had knocked out of alignment, on top of the table.”

Does the sentence above make sense? I'm trying to modify the object with both a clause and a prepositional phrase.
  

Top answer

Hello, boomshakala—and welcome to English Forums. The sentence is clumsy, but the grammar is OK. It would be more acceptable if more realistic.

— Mister Micawber

  • Hello, boomshakala—and welcome to English Forums.
  • The sentence is clumsy, but the grammar is OK.
  • It would be more acceptable if more realistic.
  • She moved the vase, which the kids had earlier knocked off, back onto the top of the table.
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6 Answers
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Hello, boomshakala—and welcome to English Forums.

The sentence is clumsy, but the grammar is OK. It would be more acceptable if more realistic.

She moved the vase, which the kids had earlier knocked off, back onto the top of the table.
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boomshakalaI'm trying to modify the object with both a clause and a prepositional phrase.
Yes, you can do that.

The committee made the changes which had been requested in no time at all.
The witch offered them cookies which were poisonous with a little cackle in her voice.
Laura found the key to the car, which had been missing
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Thanks for the welcome Micawber,
Mister MicawberShe moved the vase, which the kids had earlier knocked off, back onto the top of the table.
In your sentence:

back onto the top of the table is an adverbial phrase referring to how or where she moved the vase.

but in my sentence:

on top of the table is a prepositional
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Anonymouson top of the table is a prepositional phrase acting as an adjective that modifies which vase was moved.
In that case, your sentence does not work; as you saw, I utterly misunderstood the meaning.
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Mister Micawber Anonymouson top of the table is a prepositional phrase acting as an adjective that modifies which vase was moved.In that case, your sentence does not work; as you saw, I utterly misunderstood the meaning.
Thank you for the clarification.

I think this is a case of a dangling participle. If I am not mistaken, an adjectival participial ph
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boomshakalahe moved the vase on top of the table, which the kids earlier had knocked out of alignment.This case also creates a confusion as the clause which the kids earlier had knocked out of alignment might be referring to the table and not the vase.
Yes; the reader must use common sense, as with most ambiguities in the language.
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