GR translation: stood on stepladders up against its loathsome grayish flank

[Michael Bailey]

Mike Jing:

OK, I don't think I made myself clear. My question is: does it mean that
the stepladders are leaning against the flank of the Adenoid?



Yes. My school didn’t do parsing diagrams, but I believe “against its …
flank” modifies “stepladders” in that that’s what they are stood up against.

Or you could argue that the coke-shovelers are the ones stood up against
that flank & diagram “against its flank” as a modifier for them.

Or maybe “coke shovelers on ladders” including both as part of the, um,
participial phrase?
No, but something like that

Means about the same either way.

https://www.nltk.org/book/ch08.html
More about parsing diagrams than I could almost believe exists! I’m kinda
bummed that I did not get these, as it seems like it would be helpful.

(-;