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 >> To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web >> interface at: http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html and select >> "Join or leave the list" >> Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/ >> >> >> To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web >> interface at: http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html and select >> "Join or leave the list" >> Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/ >> To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web >> interface at: http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html and select >> "Join or leave the list" >> >> Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/ >> > > To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface > at: http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html and select "Join or > leave the list" > > Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/ > To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface at: http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html and select "Join or leave the list" Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/