What does "to the detriment" modify?
Children spend too much time on schoolwork, to the detriment of other activities.
It seems like "to the detriment of other activities" modifies its entire preceding clause "Children...on schoolwork".
Am I right?
Top answer
on schoolwork". Yes, though 'modify' is not the right word to describe the relationship. There's probably a technical term for that relationship, but I don't know it.
- on schoolwork".
- Yes, though 'modify' is not the right word to describe the relationship.
- There's probably a technical term for that relationship, but I don't know it.
- That final prepositional phrase is almost a second predicate.
- , and that is to the detriment of other activities.
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fire1It seems like "to the detriment of other activities" modifies its entire preceding clause "Children...on schoolwork".
Yes, though 'modify' is not the right word to describe the relationship.
There's probably a technical term for that relationship, but I don't know it. That final prepositional phrase is almost a second predicate.
...,
0Children spend too much time on schoolwork, to the detriment of other activities.
I'm inclined to say that the underlined element is a verbless clause functioning as an adjunct to the preceding clause.
It is semantically similar to the supplementary relative clause "which is to the detriment of other activities".
0
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