Ambiguous to be sure, but I was considering the reading where the boy is
the pig.

 

________________________________

From: Assembly for the Teaching of English Grammar
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of STAHLKE, HERBERT F
Sent: Sunday, December 14, 2008 1:06 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Clause or Phrase

 

Who's "such a pig" in (2)?

 

Herb

 

From: Assembly for the Teaching of English Grammar
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Veit, Richard
Sent: 2008-12-14 13:04
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Clause or Phrase

 

Scott,

 

The comma certainly makes all the difference in your first and third
sentences, which are certainly not synonymous:

 

1.	The boy was very happy that his mother did not see him being
such a pig.
2.	The boy was very happy that his mother did not see him, being
such a pig.

 

To me the following groupings are more or less synonymous (a with b and
c, d with e and f):

 

a.	The boy was very happy that his mother did not see him being
such a pig.
b.	The boy was very happy that his mother did not see his being
such a pig.  [a tad awkward for me]
c.	The boy was very happy that his mother did not see him in the
act of being such a pig.
	     
d.	The boy was very happy that his mother did not see him, being
such a pig.
e.	The boy, being such a pig, was very happy that his mother did
not see him.
f.	The boy was very happy that his mother did not see him, because
he was such a pig.

 

Dick Veit

 

________________________________

From: Assembly for the Teaching of English Grammar
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Scott Woods
Sent: Sunday, December 14, 2008 2:35 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Clause or Phrase

 

Are these pairs basically synonymous to you and are they punctuated
correctly?

 

The boy was very happy that his mother did not see him being such a pig.

The boy was very happy that his mother did not see him eating so
greedily.

The boy was very happy that his mother did not see him, being such a
pig.

The boy was very happy that his mother did not see him, being such a
duplicitous boy.

The boy was very happy that his mother did not see his being such a pig.

The boy was very happy that his mother did not see his bad behavior.

 

Scott Woods

 

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