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- Nov 14, 2011
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Hi all,
I want to ask if sentences like the 3 examples below are grammatical/acceptable usage. The point at issue is sentences with no verb other than a present participle.
Example 1:
Example 2:
Example 3:
..........
I hesitate to say Examples 1 and 2 are present participle phrases because my understanding is that PPPs modify nouns that have their own verbs in the main clause of a sentence. That doesn't appear to be the case in 1 and 2.
I am unsure about Example 3, which does look a bit more like a present participle phrase, modifying "people" in the clause that also has a verb. But I'm really not sure.
Fwiw, I understand we can reconstruct any of these into normal SVO form. "People were wandering around..." etc.
Thanks.
I want to ask if sentences like the 3 examples below are grammatical/acceptable usage. The point at issue is sentences with no verb other than a present participle.
Example 1:
Here, it appears there's no verb acting on the "people" and "waiters" in third sentence, other than the participles. The only verbs in passage relate to me (looking) and the room (was), not the people or waiters.I entered the room. It was big and bright. People wandering around, waiters carrying trays of drinks.
Example 2:
This strikes me as slightly different because the verb "was crowded" in first sentence sort of carries forward: the verb is sort of implicitly working on the participle sentences (unlike Example 1 where the verbs are acting on me and the room, not the people.)The place was crowded with people. Rushing about in a panic. Running to catch trains. Standing on the platform.
Example 3:
Same sentence as Eg. 2, only this time with a comma/semi-colon rather than a full stop between the verby part of the sentence and the participle parts. This kinda connects the verb in main clause more clearly to part 2 of sentence.The place was crowded with people; rushing about in a panic, running to catch trains, standing on the platform
..........
I hesitate to say Examples 1 and 2 are present participle phrases because my understanding is that PPPs modify nouns that have their own verbs in the main clause of a sentence. That doesn't appear to be the case in 1 and 2.
I am unsure about Example 3, which does look a bit more like a present participle phrase, modifying "people" in the clause that also has a verb. But I'm really not sure.
Fwiw, I understand we can reconstruct any of these into normal SVO form. "People were wandering around..." etc.
Thanks.