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Fire1 Posted 7 years ago
Grammar

Past participle with a comma

Kenneth nervously watched the woman, alarmed by her large gun.

Without further context, can it be either Kenneth or the woman who was alarmed by her large gun?

I mean the sentence implies both "Kenneth was alarmed by her large gun" and "the woman was alarmed by her large gun" without further context.

Am I right?

I think I might be wrong.

  

Top answer

fire1 Am I right? No. fire1 I think I might be wrong.

— Anonymous

  • fire1 Am I right?
  • No.
  • fire1 I think I might be wrong.
  • You are.
  • The sentence unambiguously means that Kenneth was alarmed, even if we did not have the clues that someone named Kenneth is amost certainly a male at least to all appearances, and that the holder of the gun would be far less likely to be alarmed by it than an observer would be.
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1 Answers
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fire1Am I right?

No.

fire1I think I might be wrong.

You are. The sentence unambiguously means that Kenneth was alarmed, even if we did not have the clues that someone named Kenneth is amost certainly a male at least to all appearances, and that the holder of the gun would be far less likely to be alarmed by it than

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