SC:Imported into Massachusetts form Europe

[RonPurewal]

I have came across some questions ...

...examples?

[ShriramC110]

To map Earth's interior, geologists use a network of seismometers to chart seismic waves that originate in the earth's crust and ricochet around its interior, traveling most rapidly through cold, dense regions and more slowly through hotter rocks.

This is the correct answer.
Travelling does't make sense with the subject of the previous clause ("geologists")

So it is not necessary for a ing-modifier to always make sense with the subject

Thanks,

[ShriramC110]

Hi ROn,

Can you please answer my above query, it's been time since i have posted this query.
SOrry for bumping.

Thanks,

[RonPurewal]

To map Earth's interior, geologists use a network of seismometers to chart seismic waves that originate in the earth's crust and ricochet around its interior, traveling most rapidly through cold, dense regions and more slowly through hotter rocks.

This is the correct answer.
Travelling does't make sense with the subject of the previous clause ("geologists")

So it is not necessary for a ing-modifier to always make sense with the subject

Thanks,

'comma _ing' modifies the closest action.

here, that action is '...ricochet around [the earth's] interior.'
the subject of THAT action is 'seismic waves', and so 'comma + _ing' works perfectly in the usual way.

[RonPurewal]

e.g., both of these sentences work in the same way:

A drunk driver drove his car into a storefront, causing several hundred thousand dollars' worth of damages.

A verdict is due today in the trial of a drunk driver who drove his car into a storefront, causing several hundred thousand dollars' worth of damages.

[RonPurewal]

also, this...

Hi ROn,

Can you please answer my above query, it's been time since i have posted this query.
SOrry for bumping.

doing this ('bumping') will accomplish exactly one thing: you'll wait longer for a response.

we answer these posts strictly in order from oldest to newest.
if you 'bump' your thread, you've just made it the 'newest' (= last in line) again. oops.

[aflaamM589]

Another problem where by verbing does not go back to subject.
Ron, do we have to revise our understanding of by verbing?
Best

[RonPurewal]

Another problem where by verbing does not go back to subject.
Ron, do we have to revise our understanding of by verbing?
Best

it describes the nearest action:
...a scientist attempting to do xxxxx by crossing gypsy moths with ...

[RonPurewal]

oh, i think i see what you are asking.

the problem is that you're being too literal about VERBS here.

in general, when modifiers modify actions, they just modify the closest action -- regardless of whether that action is actually a verb.

e.g.,
I made weird expressions with my mouth and fingers, scaring the babies.
My sister saw me making weird expressions with my mouth and fingers, scaring the babies.
both of these sentences are ok, and both of them work in exactly the same way. the fact that "making" isn't grammatically a verb doesn't make any difference -- and it would be silly to make rules based on that distinction.

[RonPurewal]

the same thing actually extends to almost ALL grammatical things that apply to "verbs".

for instance, you've probably learned that adverbs modify verbs.
e.g.
I walked slowly down the street
(in which "slowly" describes "walked")

...but even that isn't necessarily true. for instance, you can just as well write Walking slowly down the street is relaxing, in which "slowly" describes "walking" (grammatically a noun).
the point, though, is that "walking" is still an ACTION, so it's still ok for "slowly" to describe it.

[JoeA599]

To map Earth's interior, geologists use a network of seismometers to chart seismic waves that originate in the earth's crust and ricochet around its interior, traveling most rapidly through cold, dense regions and more slowly through hotter rocks.

This is the correct answer.
Travelling does't make sense with the subject of the previous clause ("geologists")

So it is not necessary for a ing-modifier to always make sense with the subject

Thanks,

'comma _ing' modifies the closest action.

here, that action is '...ricochet around [the earth's] interior.'
the subject of THAT action is 'seismic waves', and so 'comma + _ing' works perfectly in the usual way.

Hi Ron,

The Comma between cold and dense confused me a little bit, the first time i solved the problem i had the impression that the sentence was listing 3 items: most rapidly through X,Y and Z.

Shouldn't we have an "and" instead? is there a way to understand the concept so i won't fall into that trap next time?

Thank you, much appreciated.

Joe

[RonPurewal]

a comma is a very common way to separate 2 consecutive adjectives that are describing the same noun.

__

the first time i solved the problem i had the impression that the sentence was listing 3 items: most rapidly through X,Y and Z.

were you paying attention to the meaning of the words? if so, you should have INSTANTLY rejected this interpretation... since it's clear from a quick glance at the words that the sentence isn't doing that.

remember!
the FIRST STEP of ALL sentence correction problems is to ESTABLISH EXACTLY WHAT THE SENTENCE IS SUPPOSED TO SAY.
until you understand the EXACT intended meaning of the sentence, you should not try to address ANYTHING else in the problem ... including any of the answer choices.

[RickyH486]

a comma is a very common way to separate 2 consecutive adjectives that are describing the same noun.

__

the first time i solved the problem i had the impression that the sentence was listing 3 items: most rapidly through X,Y and Z.

were you paying attention to the meaning of the words? if so, you should have INSTANTLY rejected this interpretation... since it's clear from a quick glance at the words that the sentence isn't doing that.

remember!
the FIRST STEP of ALL sentence correction problems is to ESTABLISH EXACTLY WHAT THE SENTENCE IS SUPPOSED TO SAY.
until you understand the EXACT intended meaning of the sentence, you should not try to address ANYTHING else in the problem ... including any of the answer choices.

Hi master Ron, I love reading your responses to students' questions. I am always learning something new from you. I too have mistakenly thought that you cannot connect two parallel items with only a comma. I have a follow up question regarding this point. Can we connect 2 consecutive modifiers that are describing the same thing with a comma?

[aflaamM589]

ShriramC110 wrote:To map Earth's interior, geologists use a network of seismometers to chart seismic waves that originate in the earth's crust and ricochet around its interior, traveling most rapidly through cold, dense regions and more slowly through hotter rocks.

This is the correct answer.
Travelling does't make sense with the subject of the previous clause ("geologists")

So it is not necessary for a ing-modifier to always make sense with the subject

Thanks,


RON:
'comma _ing' modifies the closest action.

here, that action is '...ricochet around [the earth's] interior.'
the subject of THAT action is 'seismic waves', and so 'comma + _ing' works perfectly in the usual way.

Why can't it be applied to A?

A)Imported into Massachusetts from Europe in 1869, the gypsy moth was used by a French scientist in an attempt at developing a strong strain of silk-producing insects, crossing gypsy moths with adult silkworms.

Thanks in anticipation

[RonPurewal]

"attempt" is a noun.