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Anonymous Posted 15 years ago
Grammar
Participial/ prepositional phrase?
"Reports vary between 10,000 and 20,000 people, DEPENDING ON who's counting."
Would you PLEASE tell me: (1) Is "depending on" a participial phrase or actually a preposition? (2) Does it modify "vary" or the whole main clause?
Thank you VERY much.
Would you PLEASE tell me: (1) Is "depending on" a participial phrase or actually a preposition? (2) Does it modify "vary" or the whole main clause?
Thank you VERY much.
Top answer
Hi, It's a participial phrase acting as an adverb, and modifying 'varies'. But really, if you said it modifies the whole main clause, the meaning would be basically the same. Clive
- Hi, It's a participial phrase acting as an adverb, and modifying 'varies'.
- But really, if you said it modifies the whole main clause, the meaning would be basically the same.
- Clive
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8 Answers
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Hi,
It's a participial phrase acting as an adverb, and modifying 'varies'. But really, if you said it modifies the whole main clause, the meaning would be basically the same.
Clive
It's a participial phrase acting as an adverb, and modifying 'varies'. But really, if you said it modifies the whole main clause, the meaning would be basically the same.
Clive
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Actually, the conditional clause you wrote is incorrect. You should've written: "if you said it modified (not modifies)...".
if you said it modifies the whole main clause, the meaning would be basically the same.
I had to correct you.
[H]
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AnonymousYou should've written: "if you said it modified (not modifies)...".Anon,
I had to correct you.
Allow me to jump in with my two cents. I don't see it as incorrect. The discussion is ongoing, so past tense (if you tried to be critical, ok, perhaps you have a point) but the original question was: (2)
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I'm sorry. I think you got me wrong. I didn't mean to sound annoying or to hurt you by saying this.
I meant that even if he had asked a question in the present simple tense and you answered in the past
simple tense, you should have kept writing it in the past simple tense. The sentence should have been:
You said (refers to past) it modified (refers to past
I meant that even if he had asked a question in the present simple tense and you answered in the past
simple tense, you should have kept writing it in the past simple tense. The sentence should have been:
You said (refers to past) it modified (refers to past
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What we have here is a simple and general question ...", and I reiterate, it's a general question, not something actually happened or pertained to a past event. The rest had been expressed in my last post. I think our perspectives are not quite aligned at the same angle, not to say that you are wrong. In fact your reasoning is true had the context been different.
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AnonymousActually the second conditional pattern is there:
if you said it modifies the whole main clause, the meaning would be basically the same.
Actually, the conditional clause you wrote is incorrect. You should've written: "if you said it modified (not modifies)...".
I had to correct you.
If you said X, the meaning w
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I agree everyone sees things differently. I have a different point of view than you do, and it's
absolutely legitimate. It isn't a matter of right or wrong; it depends on our approaches - the way
you interpret a text would probably be right for what you've learned throughout the years.
The beauty is to share our knowledge, debate and argue. That's how we can truly begin
absolutely legitimate. It isn't a matter of right or wrong; it depends on our approaches - the way
you interpret a text would probably be right for what you've learned throughout the years.
The beauty is to share our knowledge, debate and argue. That's how we can truly begin
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