Ing – Participle Functioning as Dangling Modifier in English Language : An Eclectic Study

Section: Research Paper
Published
Jun 24, 2025
Pages
71-79

Abstract

This research paper follows Quirk, et al. (1985) model, which deals with grammar from different perspectives; syntactic, semantic and pragmatic. Due to its multidisciplinary nature, this eclectic model is used here to study one type of dangling modifiers in English; that is, (-ing) participle. Used as a dangling modifier in English, (-ing) participle is often described, in the literature, as an ambiguous, and multifunctional structure. Since there hasn't been any research that focuses on this type of dangling modifiers eclectically, this paper might be of considerable value in this regard. The problem of this study is to determine how we can investigate (-ing) participle as a dangling modifier eclectically, and how it impacts the sentence's comprehension. In this respect, there are a number of questions and hypotheses that are utilized as unconfirmed tests for the treatment of the problem tackled here. One of the most noticeable hypotheses given here is that (-ing) participle, as a dangling modifier, affects the entirety of sentences, including all of their constituent words, rather than just the words it modifies. To test the reliability as well as credibility, the data samples consisting 10 distinct texts, as typical samples of the overall corpus consisting of 50 texts, have been gathered from literary works, linguistic textbooks, periodicals, and news reports. These samples have been examined in accordance with the theoretical principles of the multidisciplinary approach depicted in Quirk, et al. model (1985) . One of the main findings of this study is that the examination of the nonfinite verb phrases of (ing) verb forms supports the idea that context has an impact on how dangling modifiers are analyzed. Furthermore, dangling modifiers change the meaning of the entire phrase rather than just the word they modify.

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How to Cite

Saad Salih, F., فاطمة, Fathi Hussen, I., & اسماعيل. (2025). Ing – Participle Functioning as Dangling Modifier in English Language : An Eclectic Study. Adab Al-Rafidayn, 53(95), 71–79. https://doi.org/10.33899/radab.2023.180977