₦airaland Forum

Hillarie:
No, sir. Semantics doesn't work that way. It's an ambiguous sentence. That is to say that it can mean different things.
While you're very correct about the adverbial clause modifying the verbal phrase "beat up", (even though it was erroneously written as "beats up" ) it still doesn't explain whether it's the mother who was drunk or the daughter. Read up on ambiguity in language.

kings59:
A mother is the subject, her daughter is the object, because = is the emphasis, she was drunk was the reason for the action.

Her daughter was drunk.

He threw the fruit away because it was bad.

socialmediaman:
It's grammatically correct but doesn't give full context. "She" could be referring to the mother or the daughter.

The correct way to express it is something like:

"A mother beats up her daughter because she (the mother) was drunk".

"A mother beats up her daughter because she (the daughter) was drunk".

"A mother beats up her daughter because she, the daughter, was drunk".

"A mother beats up her daughter because she, the mother, was drunk".

Update:

Even better ways to provide clarity:

“A mother beats up her daughter, who was drunk”.

“A mother, who was drunk, beats up her daughter”.

kings59:
A mother is the subject, her daughter is the object, because = is the emphasis, she was drunk was the reason for the action.

Her daughter was drunk.

He threw the fruit away because it was bad.

Asawoboy:

kings59:
A mother is the subject, her daughter is the object, because = is the emphasis, she was drunk was the reason for the action.

Her daughter was drunk.

He threw the fruit away because it was bad.

Tapout:
It's obvious you're among the 140 million that scored below 200 in jamb..

CaptainFM1:
There's a straight answer. Kings59 already answered it correctly @ first to comment.

chiefolododo:
they can as well both be drunk

Biglittlelois:
You are right, I actually scored 03 in Jamb.

Biglittlelois:
No straight answer to this

The mother MAY be drunk and beat the daughter cos she's intoxicated, or due to anger, alcohol bring out the worst in humans

The daughter MAY be underage so can't drink alcohol

The daughter MAY be drunk which made the mother beat her.

HALCYON44:
A mother is the subject
Beats up is the verb( concord)
Her daughter ( object)
Because she was drunk( adverb of reason) modifies the verb phrase "beats up"
Definitely the daughter is the one that is drunk. If it's the mother that is drunk. The sentence will be the "drunk mother "beats up her daughter

Biglittlelois:
He is wrong, it is an ambiguous expression that can go both ways that's why I gave possible instances to that sentence.

Biglittlelois:
He is wrong, it is an ambiguous expression that can go both ways that's why I gave possible instances to that sentence.

kings59:
A mother is the subject, her daughter is the object, because = is the emphasis, she was drunk was the reason for the action.

Her daughter was drunk.

He threw the fruit away because it was bad.

Saviourk:
This is an ambiguous sentence/statement. Either of them them could be drunk; hence there's is no answer to the above question.

Biglittlelois:
No straight answer to this

The mother MAY be drunk and beat the daughter cos she's intoxicated, or due to anger, alcohol bring out the worst in humans

The daughter MAY be underage so can't drink alcohol

The daughter MAY be drunk which made the mother beat her.

Biglittlelois:
No straight answer to this

The mother MAY be drunk and beat the daughter cos she's intoxicated, or due to anger, alcohol bring out the worst in humans

The daughter MAY be underage so can't drink alcohol

The daughter MAY be drunk which made the mother beat her.

Biglittlelois:
No straight answer to this
The mother MAY be drunk and beat the daughter cos she's intoxicated, or due to anger, alcohol bring out the worst in humans
The daughter MAY be underage so can't drink alcohol
The daughter MAY be drunk which made the mother beat her.

kings59:
A mother is the subject, her daughter is the object, because = is the emphasis, she was drunk was the reason for the action.

Her daughter was drunk.

He threw the fruit away because it was bad.

kings59:
A mother is the subject, her daughter is the object, because = is the emphasis, she was drunk was the reason for the action.

Her daughter was drunk.

He threw the fruit away because it was bad.