RE: Need some grammar help

[Jimmy Breck-McKye <jb527 -at- hotmail -dot- co -dot- uk>]

Problem? There are two verb phrases which could be modified: 'be divided [eg. by TCP]' and 'be transported [eg. by IP]'. This creates ambiguity. Nested clauses make reading harder, too, because readers need keep track of which clause relates to which.
> -----Original Message-----
> From: techwr-l-bounces+sjanoff=illumina -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
> [mailto:techwr-l-bounces+sjanoff=illumina -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com] On
> Behalf Of A.B. Cornwell
> Sent: Friday, November 12, 2010 8:49 PM
> To: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
> Subject: Need some grammar help
> 
> Hello!
> 
> I am trying to explain to my instructor why I believe the following
> question
> is worded incorrectly, given the "correct" answer. This is from an
> online
> test.
> 
> Question:
> 
> Your picture will be divided into little packets of data for transport
> across the internet using ___________.
> 
> Answers:
> 
> A. TCP
> 
> B. IP
> 
> C. Blah
> 
> D. Blahblah
> 
> I answered B. IP because there were no commas offsetting the phrase
> "across
> the internet" and I read the question as asking what is the protocol
> that
> does the transport of the little packets?
> 
> The "correct" answer is TCP.  I'm telling the instructor that if the
> intent
> had been to ask what is the protocol for dividing the picture into
> little
> packets of data, there should have been a comma before and a comma after
> the
> phrase "for transport across the internet" : "Your picture will be
> divided
> into little packets of data, for transport across the internet, using
> ___________."
> 
> This is no biggie, but, I am pretty sick of poorly written,
> syntactically
> deficient, and grammatically gory tests and handouts.  Plus, I drank a
> lot
> of coffee and will be up late, so I might as well nag.
> 
> I can't remember the correct name of the phrase represented by "for
> transport across the internet".  I'd like to lay that on the instructor
> as
> well.  Anyone?
> 
> Thank you, carry on with your weekends!
> 
> Anne C.
> 
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