₦airaland Forum

4 Play:
Whether its telecom services or fuel products, a deregulated market will not give rise to a cabal as market competition drives pricing.

I respect you view on economics but this is NOT entirely true.

Do NOT discard a winning formula. Don't change the look.

muyoto:
so was my example correct?

Yeah, correct. Thanks.

ijigbamigb:
But the prediction of Prophet TB Joshua really affected us.

"We thought we could see him and see how he could overturn the negative prediction but the officials came with another prophet who prayed for us and told us that all was well.

What a country! What a comment!

Hilarious!

[quote author=Ileke-IdI link=topic=519155.msg9302561#msg9302561 date=1318125597]Th map seemed unreal, after driving for more tan one hour [/quote]This isn't a modifier (a dangler). It has been rearranged. The first part is now the main clause.

[quote author=Ileke-IdI link=topic=519155.msg9302406#msg9302406 date=1318121464]That's why I added the his/her. The driver feels that the map is unreal since he doesnt want to blame himself for his lack of direction.[/quote]But, the 'map' cannot be the subject of the clause, since the adjectival phrase is about "driving."

The subject of the main clause must refer to those in the car. You have to reposition the 'map.'

[quote author=Ileke-IdI link=topic=519155.msg9302400#msg9302400 date=1318121341]That would be kinda impossible since it's Isal's smile that is being focused on.[/quote]Remember, the adjectival phrase is "walking down the aisle with Ola". It must modify the subject (the person doing the walking). Her smile cannot walk down the aisle.

[quote author=Ileke-IdI link=topic=519155.msg9302400#msg9302400 date=1318121341]The best I can do is : With a brightened smile, Isale walked down the aisle with Ola. [/quote]This is OK.

Ola one:
POSER.



Steve Jobs was so great that other techies had problems understanding his concepts.



Steve Jobs was so great that other techies had problems in understanding his concepts.


Please, help us, Contumely.









Thank you, Contumely.

In today's English, both are correct.

Ola one:
POSER.

After driving for more than 1 hour in Lekki, the map seemed unreal.


^Hmm. Please, help us, Contumely.

A dangler. As explained!

Ola one:
POSER.


Long live the king.


Long lives the king.

Which one, please? And, why? Help us, Contumely.

Thanks Muyoto.

[quote author=Ileke-IdI link=topic=519155.msg9302384#msg9302384 date=1318120942]Is the map driving? add "to him/her"[/quote]No, Ileke. It's a dangler. The 'map' cannot be the subject. The driving must relate to someone doing it.

[quote author=Ileke-IdI link=topic=519155.msg9302379#msg9302379 date=1318120784]As she walked down the aisle with Ola, Isale's smile brightened.[/quote]Thanks, but the subject must refer to Isale and not her smile. Her smile can only occupy the object position.

Ola one:
POSER.


The actions and inactions of GEJ must be scrutinized by all Nigerians.



^Something is wrong. Please help us, Contumely.

"Inaction" is an uncountable noun. It is a mass noun.
Read more:
http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/inaction

Ola one:
"Steve Jobs, the world-renowned techie, whose innovative products made him one of the greatest brains of the last 100 years, died Wednesday," Konkobelow News said.



"Steve Jobs, the world-renowned techie, whose innovative products made him one of the greatest brains of the last 100 years, died on Wednesday," Konkobelow News said.


Which one, please? Or both? Or none, Contumely?

Both are correct.
The first one is common in news headlines.

Ola one:
Walking down the aisle with Ola, Isale's smile went brighter.





^Hmmmmmmm. Please help, Contumely.

A dangler. Isale's smile walked down the aisle?

You can say:
Walking down the aisle with Ola, Isale smiled brightly. Etc.

Ola one:
POSER.

Born in Nigeria, his most famous book is Things Fall Apart.




^^Something is wrong. Please help, Contumely.

Hi,

This is similar to the Split Infinitives. Both are here to stay. "To boldly go" is here to stay. This is for puritans . . . this is for those who live in the so-called linguistic cusp. And, we are all culpable.

Also, this is a mistake if you work for the Nigerian Tribune. LOL . This is a mistake if you are a paid fault-finder. This is a mistake if you work for The Nation.

My point is: this is a mistake if you're hired to attack the mouthpiece of a popular politician. Hmmmm.




This sort of mistake is a desperate attempt at nitpicking! I mean examining the whole hotchpotch of highbrow and lowbrow grammar, style and delivery. Don't do it!
We are learners - all of us! Anyone can fall prey to this type of error; even literary experts.



Unpicking the poser

This type of error is called a "dangling participles." Or a "dangler."

Here, there are 2 clauses:the main and the subordinate clauses. From the subordinate clause, 'born' is the participle.



So, Ola, what is a participle?
A participle is a VERB. Or, well, a form of it.
There are 2 types: present and past participles. The present ones end in -ing. The past ones take different forms depending on whether they are regular or irregular VERBS. E.g. Give (given), play (played). ETC.

We all know that a subordinate clause depends on a main clause. Thus, a participle MUST support a certain explicit subject (in the main clause).
A subject is the noun performing the action of the main verb. The main verb in this poser is "is."

The subject in the main verb CANNOT be "his most famous book." And, "his" itself CANNOT be a subject. Since a book cannot be "born" (participle).

The subject of the main clause MUST be a person and as a subject.

"Born in Nigeria" must qualify the person in question and not his literary work. It must modify the subject and not the object.
You can change the main clause to "Achebe is. . . . ." Or "he is. . . ."
Got it?
More explanations to follow. Let's take it one. . by. . er. . did you just say one?

Mind you, "dangling" isn't only about participial clauses and phrases. We also have "dangling modifiers."
A modifier can be a word. Or a group of words (word group). They 'add' to the meaning of another word. Or a group of words. But, care must be taken in order to avoid pitfalls.

E.G.

"Now almost 2 years in the college, the VC said Isale will be OK."

If I may ask:
Who has been almost 2 years in the college? Isale? The VC?

Now, you can see why it's a dangler
Of course, one can say "My audience will fathom that out." But, it's better to be explicit!

In order to avoid this confusion, move the modifier close to the noun it's meant to modify:

The VC said that Isale, now almost 2 years in the college, will be OK.



Hmm. The example below is from Wiki (couldn't resist it ):

Reaching the station, the sun came out.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dangling_modifier

If I may ask: the sun reached the station?

Read more:
http://www.usu.edu/markdamen/WritingGuide/10dangpt.htm




PS: Thanks Contumely and Muyoto.

Just kidding, Contumely.

You can answer the posers, nevertheless.

POSER.



Steve Jobs was so great that other techies had problems understanding his concepts.



Steve Jobs was so great that other techies had problems in understanding his concepts.


Please, help us, Contumely.









Thank you, Contumely.

POSER.

After driving for more than 1 hour in Lekki, the map seemed unreal.


^Hmm. Please, help us, Contumely.

POSER.


Long live the king.


Long lives the king.

Which one, please? And, why? Help us, Contumely.

POSER.


The actions and inactions of GEJ must be scrutinized by all Nigerians.



^Something is wrong. Please help us, Contumely.

"Steve Jobs, the world-renowned techie, whose innovative products made him one of the greatest brains of the last 100 years, died Wednesday," Konkobelow News said.



"Steve Jobs, the world-renowned techie, whose innovative products made him one of the greatest brains of the last 100 years, died on Wednesday," Konkobelow News said.


Which one, please? Or both? Or none, Contumely?

Walking down the aisle with Ola, Isale's smile went brighter.





^Hmmmmmmm. Please help, Contumely.

POSER.

Born in Nigeria, his most famous book is Things Fall Apart.




^^Something is wrong. Please help, Contumely.

Now, Contumely, you have kept me busy lately. I think you want us to revive this thread. I have to reciprocate this good gesture from you, my friend. I think you need POSERS , too.

Maybe 3/day for the next ten weeks? All yours, my friend.





Oya, let's do it!


PS: Please don't come back with "I don't know these posers." NO! Do some research. Answer them and give reasons for your answers.




Thank you.

Contumely:
Another one:
The husband 'had' been on the run since the incident happened.
http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/news/national/2011/oct/04/national-04-10-2011-001.html

For you to use the past perfect tense, there MUST be 2 actions in the past. One action occurred PRIOR to the other action - both in the PAST, that is.

With the use of "since", the second clause cannot be said to be in the past. To me, it is continuous.

Thus, the writer's statement is INCORRECT.

Contumely:
How I wish I could go back to Libya.


http://sunnewsonline.com/webpages/news/national/2011/oct/06/national-06-10-2011-006.html

You don come again, abi? LOL

This is correct. Please, read my post on the Subjunctive Mood (past).

Contumely:
If I 'have' the money; I 'will' go back there.


http://sunnewsonline.com/webpages/news/national/2011/oct/06/national-06-10-2011-006.html

Most of your questions are ambiguous in the sense that they are open and have more than one interpretation.
They are the type I like to describe as "up to the user."

This one is an example of what is known as "conditionals." Well, present Conditionals. They can be real or imaginary. Thus, again, I would say "up to the user."

Let's examine it:

"If I have" and "If I had"- these are are present conditionals. It is now up to the user to interpret his comment as real or imaginary.

Okay, take it from this angle:

"If I have" - here, the user is telling us that it is REAL.

If you do something normally (regularly?), you can use "have". E.g. If I go to my brother's office, I regularly take my iPad.


"If I had" - this can be described as "present imaginary conditional." I mean imaginary situations. For example, if there is no chance of the user raising the money.

Personally, I think he meant "if I had."

Just got this:

Three apples have changed the world. One seduced Eve, second awakened Newton, the third one was in the hands of Jobs.


RIP., genius!

And this one:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=om7O0MFkmpw

Trust the Yanks. Winner dem don win oo, winner

This is funny man

http://www.economist.com/blogs/johnson/2011/07/peeves

War of the breathing language. Who wins? You decide!



I don laugh tire oo

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/14130942

Agent Okonjo Iweala!


As directed, ma.

Messiah. I dey laugh oo.