Short sentence with modifying phrase

Question

What do you think of this sentence? (It's not my writing)

Raindrops, the size of green peas, plopped on the hospital roof as I sat on a hospital cart, slowly being guided toward my room.

1)I see the phrase as a partciciple phrase ('being' = head of phrase) modifying 'I'. Would you agree?

Or do you see it as an adverb phrase modifying 'sat'? (I don't think this is right).

Thanks for your thoughts.

BarbaraPA · Accepted Answer

I'd say the cart you are on is being guided (and you along with it).

Eddie88 · Answer

1)So you say that it's a participle phrase modifying cart, not 'I'?

That does make more sense than it modifying 'I.'

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What about this phrase:

I made my way around town as many others hobbled, their skin like worn rags on their torn bodies

I'd say the italicised words are an absolute phrase, but I think some may say it's just an adjective phrase.

2)What would you call it?

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Cheers.

BarbaraPA · Answer

You'll need someone else to answer this. I try not to call anything in grammar by names. I prefer to think about how words work together to create meaning, not tear them apart to see what they're called.

Jossx · Answer

Morpho-syntactic analysis

Whole sentences (Complex sentence)

Raindrops, the size of green peas, plopped on the hospital roof as I sat on a hospital cart, slowly being guided toward my room.

Raindrops = Subject (the doer)

The size of green peas = appositive= a modyfing noun phrase (It describes or gives more details about the subject)

plopped= Intransitive verb (It doesn't take object)

on the hospital roof= Adverbial prepositional phrase of place. (WHERE the verb PLOP took place)

as I sat on a hospital cart = Dependent adverbial clause of time (WHEN the verb PLOP took place)

,slowly being guided toward my room = What/who is being guided towards my room? Answer= The raindrops. This is an independent adjectival clause, as for me, it should be next to the sentence it modifies (to avoid the reader confusing)

Re-constructing this sentence, for a better reader understanding, the sentence would be: ( Even though the sentence above is syntactically correct)

Slowly being guided toward my room, Raindrops the size of green peas, plopped on the hospital roof as I sat on a hospital cart.

Hope I helped. Regards from Chile

Joseph

BarbaraPA · Answer

Joseph, do you really think the raindrops were being guided toward the person's room?

I would suggest the order is actually: "As I sat on a hospital cart that was being slowly guided toward my room, raindrops, the size of green peas, plopped on the hospital roof."

Jossx · Answer

The comma stated it was talking about the subject! (Dangling modifier)

Ok dude! I'm not gonna help anymore!

Au revoir.

Goodman · Answer

Eddie88,

You seem to have an obsessive interest on the adverbial / participle usage which you had demonstrated in several postings. But you also seem to have a tendency to negate the forum’s suggestions and persisted with your own spin on what is correct in some instances. Am I misunderstanding you reasonably?

Frankly, I think this sentence is rather strange sounding. Hospital cart – We called wheel chair in the US.

When you are guided to your room, as you described it. You are realistically being helped to your room on a wheel chair by a hospital staff. Right? “Guided” is a strange choice of word. IMO.

Rain is not typically described in the “size of peas” except for hails.

How about: Heavy downpour / torrential rain was coming down, plopping on the roof of the hospital as I was sitting on a wheel chair being helped to my room by the hospital staff.

Participle and prepositional phrases have the same adverbial property and are essentially the same.

<<<Raindrops, the size of green peas, plopped on the hospital roof as I sat on a hospital cart, slowly being guided toward my room.>>>

1)I see the phrase as a partciciple phrase – I agree with this. ('being' = head of phrase) modifying 'I'. Would you agree? Not quite!

Instead of “modifying”, I would view it as “describing the additional information” to the context.

Goodman · Answer

Grammar GeekYou'll need someone else to answer this. I try not to call anything in grammar by names. I prefer to think about how words work together to create meaning, not tear them apart to see what they're called.

Agreed! My attitude exactly!

Eddie88 · Answer

You seem to have an obsessive interest on the adverbial / participle usage which you had demonstrated in several postings. But you also seem to have a tendency to negate the forum’s suggestions and persisted with your own spin on what is correct in some instances. Am I misunderstanding you reasonably?

I very rarely, almost never, disagree with what has been posted on here. I am well-read with some parts of the English subject as I find, other than this forum, internet sites to be the only method to improve my English. Occassionally therefore, I will have a modern and different opinion, which doesn't mean that I ignore what is put forth on the forum. I try and do most of the hard work myself by reading, and then I come here with examples to confirm my understanding and because I'm interested on peoples' opinions.

When you are guided to your room, as you described it. You are realistically being helped to your room on a wheel chair by a hospital staff. Right? “Guided” is a strange choice of word. IMO

If you look on the top of the first post, you will see that I didn't write this; I agree that the sentence is definitly not perfect.

And as for your last comments, it is good to see you agree with me that it is a participle phrase. Originally, I said the phrase was modifying 'I' but I was corrected by Avangi and now realise that it modifies the cart.

Frankly, I think this sentence is rather strange sounding. Hospital cart – We called wheel chair in the USFrankly, I think this sentence is rather strange sounding. Hospital cart – We called wheel chair in the US.

Perhaps, the person who wrote this is not from America.

Thanks for helping me with the participle phrase.

Cheers.

Short sentence with modifying phrase

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