Ing modifier. Please explain

[reply2spg]

Hi all,

I found below statement on ndtv.com. I am unable to understand which part of the sentence 'grabbing & exiting' modifies. What is the role of this ing modifier.

I feel that this is very awkwardly written sentence.

Slater, 38, is accused of cursing out a passenger over the intercom after his plane landed on Monday at John F Kennedy International Airport, grabbing some beer and exiting on the plane's emergency slide.

[gmatusa2010]

I think its right:


Slater , <modifier of Slater>, is accused of cursing......plane landed, <modifier of landed>, grabbing... and exiting.

It's a list of items he has been accused of. grabbing and exiting is NOT modifying "Slater is accused of...landed"

[reply2spg]

Thanks but I am not sure whether it is really a list of things for accusation. Why somebody will be accused of grabbing beer?

Not sure though

I think its right:


Slater , <modifier of Slater>, is accused of cursing......plane landed, <modifier of landed>, grabbing... and exiting.

It's a list of items he has been accused of. grabbing and exiting is NOT modifying "Slater is accused of...landed"

[gmatusa2010]

That's the structure thats implied.


you can flip it if it makes more sense to you:
accused of 1) cursing 2) exiting and grabbing beer.

contextually, Slater is a flight attendant that cursed at the customers then took off the airplane on the emergency exit , basically stealing/grabbing beer in the process. grab is used to highlight the anomaly of the situation. I think its fine.

accused doesn't have to be bad. you can be accused of being too good at sentence correction. thats fine.