Hi, please look at this sentence:
I liked German shepherds and grew up with one. Yet the wagging tail was utterly surprising and endearing to me given this dog’s dire condition.
=> Is it grammatically correct? I think it is because I cited it from a paper. However, the bold part seems very dangle to me. (strange syntax)
Many thanks
Nessie.
Hi Nessie,
The sentence is fine. ‘given’ here works as a participle and means as much as ‘taking into consideration’ or ‘seeing’.
Would a comma before “given” make it less strange?
(I hope the condition wasn’t acaudescence.)
MrP
Hi MrP,
I’m mystified; acaudescence - a cau de science - brimming with science - serious? :?:
It is a very rare condition, much feared by breeders, where the tail suddenly detaches itself in mid-wag.
Ah, heedless docking!
Thanks a lot, MrP and Ralf 
So whether there is a comma before “given” or not is OK?
.
Yes.
.