Where we place prepositional phrases matters as much as where we place adjectives and adverbs, as these three examples show.
1. No change in meaning, but change in impact.
Zandra walked into the office.
Into the office Zandra walked.
2. Obvious change in meaning.
Yancy knew the speaker at the podium. (Yancy is in the audience looking at the podium.)
At the podium Yancy knew the speaker. (Yancy is a fellow speaker at the podium.)
3. Subtle change in meaning.
Xiomara works for Microsoft. (Xiomara is employed by Microsoft.)
For Microsoft Xiomara works. (Xiomara exerts effort at Microsoft in a way that she does not for others.)
So be careful when choosing between these two sentences:
I know the policy for now. (The policy seems subject to constant revisions.)
For now I know the policy. (I tend to forget the constant policy.)
1. No change in meaning, but change in impact.
Zandra walked into the office.
Into the office Zandra walked.
2. Obvious change in meaning.
Yancy knew the speaker at the podium. (Yancy is in the audience looking at the podium.)
At the podium Yancy knew the speaker. (Yancy is a fellow speaker at the podium.)
3. Subtle change in meaning.
Xiomara works for Microsoft. (Xiomara is employed by Microsoft.)
For Microsoft Xiomara works. (Xiomara exerts effort at Microsoft in a way that she does not for others.)
So be careful when choosing between these two sentences:
I know the policy for now. (The policy seems subject to constant revisions.)
For now I know the policy. (I tend to forget the constant policy.)
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