"Only usable" and misplaced modifiers

BenPeal wrote:

The Rules Team, as part of their V:EKN duties and not at the request of any company, has been working on an overhaul of the rulebook and card text templating. The goal is to get the game to work the way we know it, only written properly.

On the topic of card text templating, let’s discuss the phrase “only usable” that appears on a large number of cards. This phrase is an example of a misplaced modifier in English grammar. “Only” is an adverb. Adverbs need to appear directly next to the word being modified to avoid ambiguity. In the phrase “only usable, “only” is modifying “usable” because it appears directly before “usable.” This is incorrect. The phrase should be “usable only.”

What’s the difference? Immortal Grapple states “Only usable at close range before strikes are chosen.” This phrase technically obliges the player to play the card if these criteria are met. The card is “only usable” if range is close and combat is in the phase before strikes are chosen; nothing else can be done with the card, including not using it. We all know this is not the case; you can choose to use the card or not use it.

If the phrase were changed to “Usable only at close range before strikes are chosen,” “only” would appear directly before (and thus modify) the part of the phrase that outlines the criteria for use of the card. The meaning becomes less ambiguous: you can use the card at close range before strikes are chosen but cannot use it when these criteria are not met.

Why bring this up? The Jyhad version of Wake With Evening’s Freshness got the phrase right, stating “usable only by a tapped vampire.” It had been changed with the VTES printing and stayed that way in subsequent printings. This has been bothering me for 20 years.

The implied full text of the card is "This card is [o]nly usable at close range [and] before strikes are chosen."

(In this case, we see that "before strikes are chosen" does not modify "at close range." That means there is an implied conjunction, "and", between the two prepositional phrases.)

"Only" modifies the entire adjectival phrase begun by "usable", which includes the two dependent prepositional phrases. If you placed "only" after "usable", it would create an ambiguity because it would not be clear whether "only" modified the entire adjectival phrase or only the one prepositional phrase "at close range".

Thus, this is a possible meaning with your suggested placement:
This card is usable only at close range, and this card is usable before strikes are chosen.

This meaning implies that the "before strikes" part is informational or optional, not restrictive.

The placement of "only" works all right with WeEF because there is only one dependent prepositional phrase, thus no room for ambiguity.

Also, this grammar source advises the placement of "only" after the verb "be" or an auxiliary verb: staff.washington.edu/marynell/grammar/AdverbPl.html

AaronC wrote:

The implied full text of the card is "This card is [o]nly usable at close range [and] before strikes are chosen."

(In this case, we see that "before strikes are chosen" does not modify "at close range." That means there is an implied conjunction, "and", between the two prepositional phrases.)

"Only" modifies the entire adjectival phrase begun by "usable", which includes the two dependent prepositional phrases. If you placed "only" after "usable", it would create an ambiguity because it would not be clear whether "only" modified the entire adjectival phrase or only the one prepositional phrase "at close range".

Thus, this is a possible meaning with your suggested placement:
This card is usable only at close range, and this card is usable before strikes are chosen.

This meaning implies that the "before strikes" part is informational or optional, not restrictive.

The placement of "only" works all right with WeEF because there is only one dependent prepositional phrase, thus no room for ambiguity.

Also, this grammar source advises the placement of "only" after the verb "be" or an auxiliary verb: staff.washington.edu/marynell/grammar/AdverbPl.html

Very nice points. I still think that placing "only" next to the prepositional phrases is the optimal placement. I agree that if the card text read "at close range AND before strikes are chosen," ambiguity would be introduced. But the card text does not say that, and I don't agree that a conjunction is even implied there.

As for that resource you cite, the example given is "he is only five years old." What if you actually wanted to say "only he is five years old"? Moving only after the verb changes the meaning in this case. I think you're misconstruing a rule of thumb as a concrete grammar rule.

I think there are quite a large pile of cards that have way more pressing need to be rewritten than Immortal Grapple.

Then again, the card wording IS being reviewed by all cards (?) by (at least) Pascal and Vincent. A giganormous effort to which I, again, would like to give praise!

After they're ready we only need the cards to get card in print again...