![]() ![]() (As in this example, a comma often hints at a participial phrase.) For example, in the sentence "Sipping lemonade, we sat on the porch swing," the phrase "sipping lemonade" could be discarded the sentence "We sat on the porch swing" is perfectly correct. If a participle is removed from a sentence, what is left behind will still be a complete sentence with a subject and a verb. The simplest way to tell participles and gerunds apart is to determine whether an "ing" word or phrase could be removed while leaving a complete sentence. The possessive pronoun is a reminder that the gerund is the object and the "main point" of the action. An easy mistake is to say instead, "I really hate you always coming late to meetings." This is incorrect because it's not you I hate, it's your tardiness. The direct object of "I hate" - the thing I am hating - is the gerund "coming late to meetings." It just happens to be your coming late to meetings in this case. For example, "I really hate your always coming late to meetings" is correct. The most common problem in gerund use is failure to use the possessive pronoun in a sentence that includes a gerund. If I tripped on the stairs, the only thing that can come after "tripping down the stairs" is "I." For example, "Tripping on the stairs, the tea set slipped from my hands." Who tripped on the stairs: the tea set or the speaker? Such "dangling" participles can be avoided by making sure that whatever comes immediately after the participial phrase is the noun being modified. Common Problems with Participles and GerundsĪ dangling participle is a participial phrase, usually though not necessarily at the beginning of a sentence, that is not attached to the noun it's supposed to modify. In the sentence "I love reading," the "ing" verbal is the direct object of the sentence, again doing the job of a noun. In the sentence "Swimming is my favorite sport," the "ing" verbal is the subject. A gerund is a verbal ending in "ing" that functions as a noun. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |