Just to jump in to the conversation here: I disagree with the
grammaticality judgment that allows the participial phrase to attach to the
first noun in the sentence--mansion--rather than the noun that is closest
to the participial phrase (man). I see nothing wrong with having the phrase
attach lower in the tree; in fact, it has to attach that way for me.
Examples:

This is the mansion of the most hated man in American, born in 1849.
*This is the mansion of the most hated man in American, built in 1849.

This is the mansion of the most hated man in American, who was born in 1849.
*This is the mansion of the most hated man in American, which was built in
1849.

Happy new year :)

Linda


Linda Di Desidero, PhD

Director, Leadership Communication Skills Center

Marine Corps University

Gray Research Center, Room 122

Quantico, Virginia 22134

703-784-4401


On Wed, Dec 25, 2013 at 12:06 PM, Dick Veit <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> Right you are, Bruce. I was just reading about Henry Clay and jumped to
> conclusions.
>
> Frick may have been America's most hated man, but I always had kind
> thoughts when visiting his mansion and art collection in NYC.
>
> Dick
>
>
> On Wed, Dec 25, 2013 at 11:47 AM, Bruce Despain <[log in to unmask]>wrote:
>
>> Dick & John,
>>
>> Henry Clay Frick, the industrialist, was indeed born in 1849 (December
>> 19).
>> Am I right to assume that the awkward noun phrase is a sentence fragment,
>> apparently the title of an illustration or picture?
>> The reference to "this day," however, makes me think maybe not.
>> The adjective phrase (participle) modifying *man*, which is a part
>> of the quotative phrase (itself another fragment), is not really a very
>> smooth style.  I think I would want to rewrite it:
>>
>> *The stunning mansion of 'the most hated man in America' (who was born on
>> this day in 1849).*
>>
>> --- [log in to unmask] wrote:
>>
>> From: Dick Veit <[log in to unmask]>
>> To: [log in to unmask]
>> Subject: Re: modifier placement
>> Date: Wed, 25 Dec 2013 11:23:47 -0500
>>
>>   There are two possible interpretations:
>>
>> 1)   ...mansion [...man] [born...], where both phrases are modifiers of
>> "mansion"
>> 2)   ...mansion [ [...man] [born...] ], where the first phrase modifies
>> "mansion" and the second modifies [man]
>>
>> Both are grammatical, but grammaticality counts for little if the result
>> is ambiguous and unclear. The result here is actually worse than ambiguous.
>> Because "born" is generally used with people and not buildings, most
>> readers are likely to assume the second reading, i.e., that Clay was born
>> in 1849. Since this is not true (he was born in 1777), the writer has done
>> a poor job indeed. If he had used "built" instead of "born," the problem
>> would have been less likely to have arisen.
>>
>> Best holiday wishes.
>> Dick
>>
>>
>> On Wed, Dec 25, 2013 at 7:34 AM, John Chorazy <
>> [log in to unmask]> wrote:
>>
>>  Happy Holidays to all...
>>
>> I can infer that the intent of the phrase below suggests that "the most
>> hated man in America" (referring to Henry Clay Frick) was born "on this
>> day" etc. But can I defend in grammatical terms that this is a misplaced
>> modifier suggesting that the mansion was born on this day? Thank you and
>> best wishes...
>>
>>
>> *The stunning mansion of 'the most hated man in America,' born on this
>> day in 1849.*
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> --
>>  John Chorazy
>> English I and III, Academic and Honors
>> Advisor, *Panther Press* and Co-advisor, *Folio*
>> Pequannock Township High School
>> 973.616.6000
>>
>>
>> Noli Timere
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