When Participial Phrases Do Not Work

Dear N:

You wrote:

Is this sentence correct:

1-I did not open the door, letting the cat go out.

Meaning: I did not open the door and let the cat out.

#1 sounds downright silly: How could you let cat out if you did not open the door? Did the cat go through a closed door?

Remember, English tends to prefer clauses over verbal phrases.

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