some other
construction.

Wrong: Having taken our seats, the umpire announced the
batteries.

Right: Having taken our seats, we heard the umpire announce
the batteries. [Or] When we had taken our seats, the umpire
announced the batteries.

Wrong: She was for a long time sick, caused by overwork. [The
participle _caused_ should not modify _sick_. A participle is
used as an adjective, and should therefore modify a noun.]

Right--using an adjectival modifier:

She had a long sickness, {caused by} overwork.
{due to }

Right--using an adverbial modifier:

{because of }
She was for a long time sick {owing to } overwork.
{on account of}

=When a gerund phrase (_in passing_, _while speaking_ etc.) implies the
action of a special agent, indicate what the agent is. Otherwise the
phrase will be dangling.=

Faulty: In talking to Mr. Brown the other day, he told me that
you intend to buy a car.

Better: In talking to Mr. Brown the other day, I learned that
you intend to buy a car.

Faulty: The address was concluded by reciting a passage from
Wordsworth.

Better: The speaker concluded his address by reciting a passage
from Wordsworth. [Or] The address was concluded by the
recitation of a passage from Wordsworth.

Note.--Two other kinds of dangling modifier, treated elsewhere in this
book, may be briefly mentioned here. A phrase beginning with the
adjective _due_ should refer to a noun; otherwise the phrase is left
dangling (See 5 Note). An elliptical sentence (one from which words are
omitted) is faulty when one of the elements is left dangling (See 3).

Faulty: I was late _due_ to carelessness [Use _because of_].

Ludicrous: My shoestring always breaks when hurrying to the
office at eight o'clock [Say _when I am hurrying_].

Exercise:

1. Coming out of the house, a street car is seen.

2. While engaged in conversation with my host and hostess, my
maid placed upon the table a steaming leg of lamb.

3. A small quantity of gold is thoroughly mixed with a few
drops of turpentine, using the spatula to work it smooth.

4. After being in the oven twenty minutes, open the door. When
fully baked, you are ready to put the sauce on the pudding.

5.