延長句子方法(3)：後置名詞修飾語之分詞詞組

當講到participle phrase, 不外乎講兩種，一種叫做present partipial phrase,即用verb-ing開始的phrase, 一種是past participial phrase,即用過去分詞開始的phrase.例如:

Present partipial phrase: Entering the 21st century, China has emerged as an economic powerhouse that can rival that of Japan, the US and the Europe.

Past participial phrase: Written by the personnel director, the office manual details the rules of employment.

記得以前教學生呢種句子結構時,好多時學生係唔明究竟個分詞應該係present participle定past participle. 其實要分究竟應用邊種分詞,只係睇個動作係主動定被動.一點也不複雜.

呢度要特別講兩個特別情況, 一個係錯的, 一個係模稜兩可的.

錯的句子結構叫dangling modifier. 例子:

Having finished the assignment, the TV was turned on.

句子中having finished the assignment係個participial phrase, the TV was turned on係個main clause. 問題係:究竟那participial phrase修飾main clause哪部分? the TV? TV唔會做功課喎. 其實個作者係想講:

Having finished the assignment, Tim turned on the TV.

呢句句子個participial phrase好明顯係修飾Tim. 

係Having finished the assignment, the TV was turned on呢句句子,我地叫Having finished the assignment係dangling modifier. 因為呢句participial phrase要修飾的東西,根本唔見咗, (dangle,即吊咗係半空,搵唔到落腳點)

另一種情況就相反,唔係搵唔到要modify的物體,卻係有多過一個可修飾的句子部份.例:

The woman closed the door, driven by the wind.

究竟driven by the wind係指the woman定係the door? 

基本上,兩種句子也要提防.