Casting a furtive glance over his shoulder

[newkeenlearner]

Casting a furtive glance over his shoulder, the felon slipped out the main prison gate to be swallowed up in the British fog.


1)Does "his shoulder" refer to the "felon" or to the "guard of the prison"?
2)Why did the author use the ing form of the verb "cast"? Can the following be correct?

While the felon was casting a furtive glance over his shoulder, he slipped out the main prison gate to be swallowed up in the British fog.

Source: 1100 words you need to know

 

[emsr2d2]

1. Since there is no mention of a guard, I don't know why you think it might refer to one. Regardless of that point, it refers to the prisoner's own shoulder.
2. It could be rewritten as "While the felon was casting ..." but it wouldn't be very natural and it would be unnecessary. The original is the best way to write it.

 

[newkeenlearner]

Thank you Emsr2d2.
I also don't know why the author used "to be swallowed up in the British fog" instead of "to swallow up in the British fog"?

 

[emsr2d2]

1. "to swallow up in the British fog" is ungrammatical.
2. That would suggest that it's the felon who will be swallowing something up. It's not. The fog is going to swallow up the felon (ie he is going to disappear into the fog).

 

[newkeenlearner]

Thank you. I got it. The reason I was confused was that the author used "be swallowed up in the British fog.", not "... by the British fog."

the felon slipped out the main prison gate to be swallowed up in the British fog.

 

[emsr2d2]

I agree with you that "by" would have been a better choice.