PP MODIFIER

Question

Analysts blamed May's sluggish retail sales on unexciting merchandise as well as the weather, which was colder and wetter than usual in some regions, slowing sales of barbecue grills and lawn furniture.

I dont find any verb that adverbial phrase slowing sales of barbecue grills and lawn furniture could modify logically? Can someone highlight what does this phrase modify..

My understanding of ING phrase is that It should be attributed to the subject of the preceding clause and should also modify the entire action of the preceding clause for ex ...if it is properly used we should be able to say

Weather slowed sales of barbecue grills and lawn furniture,

and

It should answer how when and why question with respect to the preceding clause..

eg: How was weather colder and wetter? ...etc

Above sentence satisfies the first criteria but not the second on... However ETS says its correct sentence... Can someone help me out?

Thank you

POK

CalifJim · Accepted Answer

pokhAnalysts blamed May's sluggish retail sales on unexciting merchandise as well as the weather, which was colder and wetter than usual in some regions, slowing sales of barbecue grills and lawn furniture.

Meaning:

Analysts blamed May's sluggish retail sales on unexciting merchandise as well as the weather, which was colder and wetter than usual in some regions, thereby slowing sales of barbecue grills and lawn furniture.

~ Analysts blamed May's sluggish retail sales on unexciting merchandise as well as the weather, which was colder and wetter than usual in some regions, and therefore slowed sales of barbecue grills and lawn furniture.

~ Analysts blamed May's sluggish retail sales on unexciting merchandise as well as the weather, which was colder and wetter than usual in some regions, to [the degree / such a degree] that it slowed sales of barbecue grills and lawn furniture.

pokhMy understanding of ING phrase is that It should be attributed to the subject of the preceding clause and should also modify the entire action of the preceding clause

Not always true. In this case you'd have a better argument for saying that the participle clause modifies colder and wetter as would an adverb of degree. How much colder? How much wetter? Very much colder. Very much wetter. (The weather was) So much colder and wetter that it (the weather) slowed sales.

pokhIt should answer a how, when, or why question with respect to the preceding clause.

You neglected to include a 'how much' question, i.e., a 'to what degree' question, thereby eliminating the possibility of an adverb of degree that might modify an adjective.

CJ

Pokh · Answer

Thanks CJ for such an awesome insight...

What if I change adverbial modifier to adjectival as in sentence below... Will the meaning still be same or drastically different from the previous one?

Analysts blamed May's sluggish retail sales on unexciting merchandise as well as the weather, colder and wetter than usual in some regions, which slowed sales of barbecue grills and lawn furniture.

CalifJim · Answer

pokhWhat if I change adverbial modifier to adjectival as in sentence below... Will the meaning still be same

Yes. Same meaning. Equally grammatical. No problem.

CJ

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