What's the subject of the participle clause?

Question

Dr Frederike Range and colleagues put canines into pairs and watched how they reacted to unequal rewards. After being asked to perform a paw-shake trick, only one dog received a treat as its partner watched on. Soon the ignored pooch refused to put its paw in the experimenter’s hand, looking away and showing other signs of stress, such as licking and scratching. Researchers say it’s the first scientific study to find jealousy in non-primates.

If I change being asked in bold into a full adverbial clause, what should I put as the subject? If I change being asked into they were asked, is that grammatical?

I mean I think the subject of the participle clause is "they." If so, shouldn't "they" be put in front of "being asked" because the subject of the main clause is but only one dog, not "they"?

Mister Micawber · Accepted Answer

Dr Frederike Range and colleagues put canines into pairs and watched how they reacted to unequal rewards. After each pair of dogs / they were asked to perform a paw-shake trick, only one dog received a treat as its partner watched on.

Gu-Hoon Kwonshouldn't "they" be put in front of "being asked" because the subject of the main clause is but only one dog, not "they"?

It is a mild case of dangling modifier, which few native speakers would notice, much less concern themselves with.

Fivejedjon · Answer

Mister MicawberIt is a mild case of dangling modifier, which few native speakers would notice

I didn't notice it the first time I read it.

Cool Breeze · Answer

Participial structures are often used loosely and seemingly ungrammatically in English. You need some common sense and you'll understand the intended meaning correctly. English isn't always very exact. This is at least in part due to the fact that English has evolved without any official supervision throughout centuries. There has never been a Language Academy in any Anglo-Saxon country that would doubtless long ago have pruned structures like your example.

CB

Gu-Hoon Kwon · Answer

The reason I asked if the structure is grammatical is that I'd like to use the passage above in order to teach English for Korean teenagers. The structure can be accepted grammatically and even natural for native English speakers. But the passage would confuse the students not skillful enough if the structure is ungrammatical not only seemingly but actually. So I think I cannot use the passage for my students.

According to what I searched for after I posted above, quite many grammarians said that the misrelated participle is ungrammatical and not recommended. They say some great writers like Shakespeare also used dangling modifiers, but that can't make the structure grammatical.

Thanks anyway.

Mister Micawber · Answer

Gu-Hoon KwonBut the passage would confuse the students not skillful enough if the structure is ungrammatical not only seemingly but actually. So I think I cannot use the passage for my students.

Then you are dooming your students to lessons of Look, Jane, look. See Spot run. Real English does not pause to confirm such subtleties.

Gu-Hoon Kwon They say some great writers like Shakespeare also used dangling modifiers, but that can't make the structure grammatical.

On the contrary, that makes the 'rule' invalid.

Gu-Hoon Kwon · Answer

I almost fully understand what you are talking about and totally agree with your opinion. And I don't know whether you understand my opinion. I think you do. One thing that is certain is that you do not know my situation where whether the structure is grammatical is important. I just want anyone to decide whether it is grammatical, but as you see all above say to me, "That's not important!" It seems to me that no one above knows whether the misrelated participle is grammatical or not. Fortunately, I found what I wondered at the other site. Thank you for your careful concerns.

Fivejedjon · Answer

Gu-Hoon Kwon I just want anyone to decide whether it is grammatical,

As CB told you, there is no-one in the English-speaking world with the authority to do that. Writers of some style guides might claim that a particular construction is 'ungrammatical' but, if enough people such writers, then their words have no value.

Gu-Hoon Kwon Fortunately, I found what I wondered at the other site.

I do hope you realise that the other site has no more authority than this or any other site. The main difference between English Forums and some other sites is that we try to tell you what the real-life situation is, not what some self-appointed expert thinks it ought to be. That is why you will find that some of us disagree at times. There cannot always be complete agreement when there are few absolute rules.

If you insist on finding a particular 'rule', you will almost certainly find it somewhere on the internet or in some book. Search long enough and you will probably find a 'rule' that contradicts it.

What's the subject of the participle clause?

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