- I was on the boat, floating in the river.
Here the task of floating indicates what I was doing, i.e I is the subject of participle phrase. floating is not indicating boat, because a comma has been placed before floating.
- I was on the boat floating in the river.
Here floating indicates the boat, not I, because no comma has been used before floating.
Is it a condition that, without a comma, a participle or a participle phrase will indicate the noun, when a participle/participle phrase is placed just after that noun?
Let's consider the following sentence:
- Combustion or burning is the sequence of exothermic chemical reactions between a fuel and an oxidant accompanied by the production of heat and conversion of chemical species.
Here accompanied has been placed just after an oxidant, and no comma has been placed before accompanied. Is accompanied modifying just an oxidant? Or is it modifying both a fuel and an oxidant? Sometimes it seems to me that accompanied is describing neither a fuel nor an oxidant. It is modifying the sequence, but I'm not sure. It is confusing to me to understand to which a participle is indicating, when no comma is used.
I cannot understand when only one noun is modified, when more than one are modified, and when whole clause is modified by a participle or a participle phrase.
Now I want suggestion from the members of this forum. It is not necessary to use my examples to give solution of my problems. You can use any example that is convenient for you.