This is a sentence from Manhattan SC After many years of

Question

This is a sentence from Manhattan SC

After many years of difficult negotiations, a deal has been reached that will lower tariffs and end
many subsidies, potentially changing the lives of millions of people in both the developed and the
developing world.

main clause is - a deal has been reached

this main clause is modified by the essential modifier (releative clause) - "that will lower tariffs and end many subsidies"

this is followed a ",verbing" modifier - , potentially changing the lives of millions of people in both the developed and the
developing world.

i have read the discussion on verbing modifiers.

the question i have is : in a construction identical to the one above, will the verbing modify the releative clase which immediately precedes it?

or will it modify the main clause of the sentance?

i went through the explanation given under "verbing modifiers part 2"

In the past several years, astronomers have detected more than 80 massive planets, most of them at least as large as Jupiter, circling other stars.

(leaving the idiom issues aside)

it says circling is verbing modifier without the COMMA (since the comma belongs to the non essential phrase , most of them at least as large as Jupiter,)

so circling is a present participle which modifies plants

I am ok with this explanation.

My question is that

After many years of difficult negotiations, a deal has been reached that will lower tariffs and end
many subsidies, potentially changing the lives of millions of people in both the developed and the
developing world.

in the above sentance, clearly ",potentially changing" is an adverbial modifier (not a noun modifier like in the previous example)

so will changing modify the clause

1. that will lower tariffs and end many subsidies

or

2. a deal has been reached

Any help is greatly appreciated.

daagh · Answer

In adverbial modifications involving a comma and verb+ing, the clear rule is that it will modify the immediate previous clause's subject and its action. In the given context, the modified part is a deal and its action of lowering tariffs and ending subsidies. There is no need to consider whether the previous clause is a relative clause or a subordinate clause or the main clause itself. All that one has to verify is what the previous clause is, what its subject is, and what the subject's action is.
Hope this helps.

This is a sentence from Manhattan SC After many years of

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