EXPRESSION AND
LANGUAGE USE
Misrelated Constructions
• Dangling modifiers
• Misplaced modifiers
Ambiguity
DANGLING MODIFIERS
1. Watching TV all night, my assignment was not done.
2. Before marrying our daughter, the dowry must be paid.
3. To succeed in a competitive society, education must be thorough.
• Grammar requires that opening constructions such as the underlined
parts of the sentences above, relate appropriately to the first noun,
noun phrase or pronoun which follows.
SOLUTIONS
1. Watching TV all night, my assignment was not done.
• Watching TV all night, I did not do my assignment.
• Because the student watched TV all night, he did not do his assignment.
2. Before marrying our daughter, the dowry must be paid.
• Before marrying our daughter, Kwame must pay the dowry.
• Before Kwame marries our daughter, he must pay the dowry.
3. To succeed in a competitive society, education must be thorough.
• To succeed in a competitive society, one must be thoroughly educated.
• For one to succeed in a competitive society, one must be thoroughly
educated.
TYPES OF DANGLING MODIFIERS
1. Present participial non-finite clauses
• Visiting UCC for the first time, the campus was impressive.
2. Past participial non-finite clauses
• Encouraged by high grades, working even harder seemed to make a lot of sense.
3. To-infinitive non-finite clauses
• To see in the dark, a flashlight was brought along.
4. Verbless clauses
• While in the university, her ambition was to become a radio broadcaster.
5. Prepositional phrases
• By reading history, one’s appreciation of the past increases.
6. Adjectival phrases
• A brilliant but outrageous comedian, KSM’s sketches both amuses and unsettles his audience.
EXCEPTIONS TO DANGLING
MODIFIERS
• Certain grammatical constructions that appear as dangling modifiers have been
accepted as notable exceptions:
1. Absolute constructions which have subjects of their own
• That said, we can examine the next issue.
• All things considered, Edward is highly qualified for the job.
2. Constructions that function as sentence adverbials
• Speaking frankly, the military officer was very compassionate.
• Strictly speaking, the judge was dishonest.
3. Introductory present participial constructions
• According to the doctor, drunkenness can reduce your life span.
• Owing to the heavy traffic, he missed the flight.
MISPLACED MODIFIERS
1. We saw the library driving through the university.
• Driving through the university, we saw the library.
• As we were driving through the university, we saw the library.
2. The students sent a parcel to their CS lecturer wrapped in a purple paper.
• The students sent a parcel wrapped in a purple paper to their CS lecturer.
3. Mary showed the painting to the customer with beautiful designs.
• Mary showed the painting with beautiful designs to the customer.
4. The meat came in a can which we immediately cooked for lunch.
• The meat which we immediately cooked for lunch came in a can.
5. The prince watched the independence parade along the street parked in a car near the castle.
• The prince watched the independence parade in a car parked along the street near the castle.
EFFECTS OF MISRELATED
CONSTRUCTIONS
1. Deviation from the norm
2. Absurdity in meaning
3. Loss of intended meaning
4. Ineffective communication
AMBIGUITY
The concept of ambiguity refers to a situation in language use in which
a word or group of words is understood in more than one way. Such a
word or group of words lends itself to more than one interpretation.
TYPES OF AMBIGUITY
• Phonological
• Semantic or Lexical
• Structural or grammatical
PHONOLOGICAL AMBIGUITY
HOMOPHONES
• Right-write
• Cite-sight
• Plain-plane
• Made-maid
• Floor-flaw
HOMONYMS
• See-see
SEMANTIC OR LEXICAL AMBIGUITY
1. My uncle is going to the court this morning.
• My uncle is going to the tennis court this morning.
2. We love our new school coach.
• We love our new school coach on which we travelled yesterday.
3. Please, where is the trunk?
• Please, where is the trunk in which I put my clothes?
4. We saw the old woman going to the bank.
• We saw the old woman going to the river bank.
STRUCTURAL OR GRAMMATICAL
AMBIGUITY
CAUSES
1. Unclear modification
The VC has refused to visit dirty students halls.
• The VC has refused to visit halls of students who are dirty.
• The VC has refused to visit students’ halls that are dirty.
2. The use of a gerund at the beginning of a sentence
Moving vehicles can be dangerous
• Vehicles that are moving can be dangerous.
• The moving of vehicles can be dangerous
3. The use of the verb “found”
We found her a reliable partner.
• We found her to be a reliable partner.
• We found a reliable partner for her.
CAUSES OF STRUCTURAL AMBIGUITY
CONT.
4. Nominalization of words
The investigation of the CEO angered the entire staff.
• When the CEO was investigated the entire staff was angry.
• When the CEO investigated the case the entire staff was angry.
5. The use of the to-infinitive form of the verb
The security men are trying to stop stealing on UCC campus.
• The security men are to stop their habit of stealing on UCC campus.
• The security men are trying to stop people from stealing on UCC campus.
6. The lazy omission of words
He likes me more than you.
• He likes me more than you do.
• He likes me more than he likes you.
CAUSES OF STRUCTURAL AMBIGUITY
CONT.
7. Careless word order
My father could not hear the explosion singing in the shower.
• Singing in the shower, my father could not hear the explosion.
She ate the cookies on the couch.
The woman hit the man with an umbrella.
The man is good at drawing water for little children.
8. Uncertainty of a pronoun’s reference
Mary smiled at Ama when she was put in charge of the fashion show.
• Mary smiled at Ama when Ama was put in charge of the fashion show.
9. Punctuation (the absence of commas)
Dr Shandorf our CS lecturer has arrived
Stop men at work
Caution slippery floor
