英语语法：73 Modifying Phrases

Grammar Girl here.

Today, guest-writer Bonnie Trenga helps us understand modifiers that come at the beginning of a sentence.

Bonnie says,

As a guest-writer, I plan to talk about two kinds of troublesome modifiers that begin a sentence. Like many of you, Suzanne wants to know if it’s OK to start a sentence with an “as” phrase, as in the sentence “As citizens of China, we enjoy eating noodles.” Of course you can, but you have to pay attention to what comes after this phrase.

“As” at the Beginning of a Sentence

In the phrase “as citizens of China,” the word “as” is a preposition that means “in the role of” or “in the capacity of” (1), but the whole phrase acts as an adjective to modify what comes next, in this case “we” (2). I often find myself saying sentences like “As a copy editor, I must correct many mistakes.” Now you try. Just plug in the specifics for your own job: “As a whatever, I do whatever.” A home inspector¹ might say, “As a home inspector, I have to watch out for bats in the attic².”

Misplaced Modifier Alert

So feel free to start a sentence with an “as” phrase, but just be careful that you put the person that the “as” phrase refers to right after the job name. It would be incorrect to say, “As a home inspector, bats sometimes fly in my face when I’m in the attic.” That’s called a misplaced modifier, because the modifier, the “as” phrase, mistakenly modifies “bats.” This is a very common error that I as a copy editor see.

Notice that in the last sentence I said, “I as a copy editor.” This sentence, although a bit awkward, is correct because “I” is next to the “as” phrase. An “as” phrase can sneak³ up on you in the middle or at the end of a sentence, too, so make sure you put the correct person after the “as” phrase no matter where it appears. Most of the time, though, the “as” phrase will be at the beginning of the sentence. So if you’re at all like me, you’ll yell to yourself, “There’s an ‘as’ at the beginning of this sentence!”

As a stickler⁴ for grammar rules, I urge you not to use “it” or “there” after an “as” phrase. So this would be wrong: “As a copy editor, it pains me to see this error so often.” You should instead say, “As a copy editor, I feel pain when I see this common error.” As a copy editor, there are too many times when I have to rearrange sentences. Wait a minute. I should have said, “As a copy editor, I have to rearrange sentences too many times.” As a student of grammar, you should try to remember this mantra: “As,” “job name,” comma, “person.” That way, you’ll remember the correct order and avoid a misplaced modifier.

“Like” at the Beginning of a Sentence

I’ve already mentioned, I think, that as a copy editor, I find many misplaced modifiers at the beginning of sentences. You might have heard a previous episode on misplaced modifiers, which goes into more detail. As someone against misplaced modifiers, I could go on about this topic for hours, but I’ll warn you about just one other type of common misplaced modifier. “Like”—and its opposite, “unlike”—often begin a sentence but lead to a misplaced modifier in the same manner as the word “as.” Take this faulty sentence: “Like most of you, the reason I study grammar is that it’s fascinating.” Here, “the reason” is not like most of you; “I” am like most of you, and “I” should go right after the “like” phrase. You’re comparing “most of you” to another person, so be sure that the person you’re comparing comes right after the comma.

Summary

So when you see a sentence that starts with an “as,” “like,” or “unlike,” pay a little extra attention to what comes next. Like me, you probably want to keep your grammar straight.

Administrative⁵

This podcast was written by Bonnie Trenga, author of The Curious Case of the Misplaced Modifier, who blogs at sentencesleuth.blogspot.com, and I'm Mignon Fogarty, the author of the paperback⁶ book Grammar Girl's Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing.

Finally, if you'd like to submit a question for the Grammar Girl show, the voicemail line is 206-338-4475 and the email address is...

That's all. Thanks for listening.

 

1 inspector   

n.检查员，监察员，视察员

参考例句：

• The inspector was interested in everything pertaining to the school.视察员对有关学校的一切都感兴趣。
• The inspector was shining a flashlight onto the tickets.查票员打着手电筒查看车票。

2 attic   

n.顶楼，屋顶室

参考例句：

• Leakiness in the roof caused a damp attic.屋漏使顶楼潮湿。
• What's to be done with all this stuff in the attic?顶楼上的材料怎么处理？

3 sneak   

vt.潜行(隐藏,填石缝)；偷偷摸摸做；n.潜行；adj.暗中进行

参考例句：

• He raised his spear and sneak forward.他提起长矛悄悄地前进。
• I saw him sneak away from us.我看见他悄悄地从我们身边走开。

4 stickler   

n.坚持细节之人

参考例句：

• She's a real stickler for etiquette,so you'd better ask her advice.她非常讲求礼节，所以你最好问她的意见。
• You will find Mrs. Carboy a stickler about trifles.您会发现卡博太太是个拘泥小节的人。

5 administrative   

adj.行政的，管理的

参考例句：

• The administrative burden must be lifted from local government.必须解除地方政府的行政负担。
• He regarded all these administrative details as beneath his notice.他认为行政管理上的这些琐事都不值一顾。

6 paperback   

n.平装本，简装本

参考例句：

• A paperback edition is now available at bookshops.平装本现在在书店可以买到。
• Many books that are out of print are reissued in paperback form.许多绝版的书籍又以平装本形式重新出现。