Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[BMO]

The neighbors said the man was British-born, with one parent who is Iranian and had recently become very religious.

Who had become very religious, the man or his parent? I think it is the man, am I right?

[CP]

It is ambiguous, meaning can be read in two different ways.

"The neighbors said the man was British-born, with one parent who is Iranian and had recently become very religious." It sounds as though this means that he has one Iranian parent, but it's not clear whether the man or his parent had recently become very religious. I would guess it is the man, because the sentence is about him, not about his mother or father.

I would rewrite it: "The neighbors said that the man, who had recently become very religious, was British born, with one Iranian parent."

Or: "The neighbors said that the man, a native Briton with one Iranian parent, had recently become very religious."
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[BMO]

Thank you very much.