Why is 'on' being used here after 'back'? Does this 'on' give a specific nuance to the sentence?
Native speaker’s answer
Rebecca
"On" here is an adverb that modifies the verb "sewing". "On" here indicates that his arm was sewn so that it is attached to ("on") his body again. "On" is placed after "back" because "back" indicates that his arm is being re-attached, meaning it used to be attached. Here are some examples of "on" used as an adverb: Ex: She put her favorite shirt on. ("On" here modifies the verb "put") Ex: He placed his sunglasses on. ("On" here modifies the verb "placed")