Re: USAGE: Garden paths

dirk elzinga wrote:

> On Mon, 14 Aug 2000, Nik Taylor wrote:
>
> > J Matthew Pearson wrote:
> > >   "We raced the horse past the barn"
> > >   "The horse was raced past the barn"
> > >   "The horse [raced past the barn] fell down"
> >
> > Yes, but there'd be commas "The horse, raced past the barn, fell down",
> > which prevents the ambiguity.  Even so, it's still questionable in my
> > idiolect, but then again, I tend to use the relative pronouns alot more
> > than most people.
>
> No, there would only be commas if the relative clause were an
> unrestricted relative clause; in Matt's example, it is a restricted
> relative and requires no commas.
Well, perhaps this just illustrates a difference in Nik's and my
idiolects and Matt's and yours.  I would be forced to use a
relative clause if there is any even apparent ambiguity about the
participial construction. A restricted clause would not even have
the benefit of intonation to help.  The only way to preserve a participial
construction for me while also preserving the restrictedness is,
I think, thus:

"The horse having been raced past the barn fell down."

This is a somewhat awkward construction, and would probably
be replaced by a restrictive relative clause, as Nik suggested.

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Tom Wier   |     "Cogito ergo sum, sed credo ergo ero."
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