modifying danglers

[Pafra & Scott Catledge]

Unfortunately, many of those who are considered "good writers" today [i.e.,
on the best-seller list] resemble the "good writers" of yesteryear to the
same degree that rap musicians resemble Beethoven and Brahms.
-----Original Message-----
From: Allan Metcalf <AAllan at AOL.COM>
To: ADS-L at UGA.CC.UGA.EDU <ADS-L at UGA.CC.UGA.EDU>
Date: Thursday, May 06, 1999 12:44 PM
Subject: Re: modifying danglers


>As the ever-useful _Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of English Usage_ informs
>us, many of the best-known egregious examples of dangling modifiers are
>(likely) factitious. In actual usage, dm's generally pass by untroubled and
>untroubling. You can find them in even the best writing, which makes
looking
>for them a sport; but which also reinforces the notion that English
teaching
>is a "gotcha" matter. Just yesterday in a freshman composition class I was
>dealing with students who didn't know much about writing, but did know you
>should never start a sentence with "And" or "Because." These people grow up
>to be copyediting "which" hunters.
>
>It would be nice to think that the usage we taught was what good writers
>actually use.
>
>- Allan Metcalf