Re: Connected millions

["Massi, Jerri" <JMassi -at- ADMIN -dot- CLEMSONSC -dot- NCR -dot- COM>]

A dangling participle is a verbal (a verb with an -ing ending) that is
misplaced in a sentence so that the reader is confused as to which word the
 -ing verbal (or participle) is modifying.

Example,

Plugging in the motor carefully, it should start up immediately.

John passed his grandmother, riding on a horse.

Tech writing abounds with dangling participles, especially in sentences that
begin with a participial phrase (as in the first sample above) that has no
noun to modify.  The error occurs most often in sentences that combine an
introductory participial phrase and a passive voice main clause.

Example,

Ensuring that there are no chocks before the wheels, the jeep should be
rolled back gradually.

Re-calibrating the dials at the end of each shift, the gauges should be
examined regularly.


In most instances, a sentences that ends with "to" is using "to" as a
preposition, not as part of an infinitive.

Example:
Who will you mail that letter to?
The word "to" is a preposition.  Correct form would be "To whom will you
mail that letter?"

'nuff said.
Jeri
 ----------
From: TECHWR-L
To: Multiple recipients of list TECHWR-L
Subject: Re: Connected millions
Date: Thursday, December 08, 1994 10:34AM

By the way, for you grammar mavens:  May we correctly write:

  "blah blah blah to."

We write alot of sentences in this thread  (including me)  with "to" at the
end
and I am not sure that this is grammatically correct.  Excuse the ignorance,
but in my business writings I try to avoid writing a similar sentence.  Is
ending a sentence with "to" what is called a dangling participle?
Laurie



> I can't imagine anything that you would want literally or figuratively to
> connect people to.  ...RM

> Richard Mateosian    Technical Writer in Berkeley CA     srm -at- c2 -dot- org