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Averell Posted 21 years ago
Grammar
reduced adjective clause with "to be"
Dear,
I have the following sentence: Some insects bear a remarkable resemblance to dead twigs, being long, wingless, and brownish in color. I wonder whether this is the reduced form of ... dead twigs, which are long, wingless... If so, could I change to Some insects bear a remarkable resemblance to dead twigs - long, wingless, and brownish in color (without being)?
Thank you very much!
I have the following sentence: Some insects bear a remarkable resemblance to dead twigs, being long, wingless, and brownish in color. I wonder whether this is the reduced form of ... dead twigs, which are long, wingless... If so, could I change to Some insects bear a remarkable resemblance to dead twigs - long, wingless, and brownish in color (without being)?
Thank you very much!
Top answer
" is not quite correct in my opinion. ". It is a listing of the specifics of the resemblance.
- " is not quite correct in my opinion.
- ".
- It is a listing of the specifics of the resemblance.
- ".
- The implication again is "because".
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4 Answers
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It is both the insects and the twigs which are long, wingless, and brownish in color, so, strictly speaking, "dead twigs, which are ..." is not quite correct in my opinion. The "being long ..." phrase is equivalent to "because they are long, ...". It is a listing of the specifics of the resemblance. You can also use the dash "dead twigs - long, wingless, ...". The implication agai
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Your suggested use of a relative clause (which) after twigs means that the twigs are long and wingless. I don't think you mean that.
The phrase "being long, wingless, and brownish in color" modifies INSECTS. When these verbal phrases get too far from what they modify (dangling modifier), the meaning of the sentence doesn't flow logically.
Compare the original sentence with this
The phrase "being long, wingless, and brownish in color" modifies INSECTS. When these verbal phrases get too far from what they modify (dangling modifier), the meaning of the sentence doesn't flow logically.
Compare the original sentence with this
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1. Some insects bear a remarkable resemblance to dead twigs, being long, wingless, and brownish in color.
I wouldn't myself call this a dangling modifier, since the subject of the first clause is the same as the implicit subject of the second clause. ("Some insects look like X, because they are...")
This however dangles:
2. Being long, wingless, and brownish in color, h
I wouldn't myself call this a dangling modifier, since the subject of the first clause is the same as the implicit subject of the second clause. ("Some insects look like X, because they are...")
This however dangles:
2. Being long, wingless, and brownish in color, h
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