Grandma’s Stories

Mar 10th “”Dangling Participial “

“Dangling Participial” 

When I was in the third and fourth grades,   and in the Orphanage – where two “GRADES” were in the same room  – you just may get  – an  over dose  of some of the same information – and sometimes,  it did help – to find a permanent place in your BRAIN!

Take the case of the “Dangling Participial”  – as there were some things,  that without  some  visual idea of – there was no way – that you could just put a few words together – and stick them in your “BRAIN” and think that they would make any kind of  sense – if and when the situation would occur – and you would  then,  be able to understand – and keep yourself  from making an error – in your speech and or in writing about something.

So, Sister Florence, our teacher wrote this sentence on the  “blackboard” for all to see and then write in your notebooks – and maybe remember for when you needed an example – so as to correct yourselves and always  be in the know  as to what  a “Dangling Participial”  would  do  and sound like – when incorrectly  “Dangling” in your sentence!

“I saw the Empire State Building walking down Main Street!”

“Did you really see, the ” Empire State Building” –  walking down Main Street?”

We all of course nearly died, laughing about that  sentence – so much so – that,  just to think  about  those words –  we saw, a mental picture of that situation – and we knew exactly,   what a “Dangling Participial”  was – and ever since then, in the  “1940’s” – I will never forget seeing that  “Empire State Building” walking down  Main Street!

“Do you “know”  or have a correct version – of how that sentence should read?”

“How do you like this?”

“While walking down, “MAIN STREET” – I saw the Empire State Building!”

There is just something about “words” and how we run them together –  and some times,  we can just sit back  – and laugh – at the jumbled mess – that, we can come up with!

“If you are not too confused, let me hear about some of  the long ago and far away learning lessons – that you think  – are worth while talking about?

“Our learning lessons from the PAST – are what we are today  – called the total and completed product – that makes us that perfect individual – that our FAMILY and FRIENDS –  just LOVE to hear from and about!”    D.V.

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