Journal of Technical Writing and Communication Jan 1999

“Unattached” Clauses in Technical Writing

Michael P. Jordan Queen's University

Abstract

The views concerning “dangling participles” of grammarians, usage experts and authors of books on technical writing are reviewed and compared. Although many unattached clauses are clearly unacceptable, some are less objectionable and still others are acceptable practice. Absolute constructions and other clause-relational participial, infinitival and verbless clauses need no attachment to a proximate noun or noun phrase, and logical clauses that are not attached to a noun are shown as normal, acceptable use. Even clearly adjectival clauses are often unattached when followed by the passive voice, intransitives and several other grammatical structures; clauses between the subject and verb and at the end of the sentence are also often not attached to the immediately preceding noun. Cultural (perhaps also gender) differences between humanistic teachers and task-oriented engineers are noted as possible causes of different viewpoints regarding the use of unattached participles, and greater acceptance of the many acceptable forms of unattached clauses is argued.

Journal
Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
Published
1999-01-01
DOI
10.2190/41pb-wpvv-0vxy-jm1q
Open Access
Closed
Topics
technical communication voice and style

Citation Context

Cited by in this index (1)

  1. Boettger et al. (2014)
    The Naked Truth about the Naked<i>This</i>: Investigating Grammatical Prescript…
    Technical Communication Quarterly

Cites in this index (4)

  1. Rodman (1994)
    The Active Voice in Scientific Articles: Frequency and Discourse Functions
    Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  2. LAY (1994)
    The Value of Gender Studies to Professional Communication Research
    Journal of Business and Technical Communication
  3. Rodman (1991)
    Anticipatory <i>it</i> in Scientific Discourse
    Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  4. Steinberg (1986)
    A Pox on Pithy Prescriptions
    College Composition and Communication
Also cites 5 works outside this index ↓
  1. 10.1075/pbns.16.08jor
     ↗
  2. 10.1163/9789004368811_003
     ↗
  3. 10.17763/haer.53.2.h08w5m7v217j84t1
     ↗
  4. 10.1075/cilt.158.07jor
     ↗
  5. 10.1016/S0378-2166(97)00086-6
     ↗
CrossRef global citation count: 3 View in citation network →

Related Articles

  1. Journal of Business and Technical Communication Jan 2026
    Increasing Literacy on the Scams Targeting Latines: Generative Artificial Intelligence, Digital Technologies, and the Latine Community ↗
    Gabriel Lorenzo Aguilar
    artificial intelligence technical communication multilingual writers voice and style
  2. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication Jul 2022
    Local Knowledge as Illiterate Rhetoric: An Antenarrative Approach to Enacting Socially Just Technical Communication ↗
    Isidore K. Dorpenyo
    technical communication multilingual writers voice and style
  3. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication Oct 2021
    User Experience in Health &amp; Medicine: Building Methods for Patient Experience Design in Multidisciplinary Collaborations ↗
    Molly M. Kessler; Lee-Ann K. Breuch; Danielle M. Stambler; Kari L. Campeau; Olivia J. Riggins; Erin Feedema; Sarah I. Doornink; Stephanie Misono
    multimodality technical communication voice and style
  4. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication Jul 2020
    A Day in the Life: Personas of Professional Communicators at Work ↗
    Eva Brumberger; Claire Lauer
    technical communication voice and style
  5. Journal of Business and Technical Communication Jan 2018
    The Use of Passives and Impersonal Style in Civil Engineering Writing ↗
    Susan Conrad
    writing across the curriculum technical communication professional writing voice and style