Starting a sentence with an -ing verb

Kathl33n

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For example: "Staring at the ignition, I started up my car."

What is the rule on this, and can someone point me to it? I've always been told by crit partners not to use an -ing verb at the beginning of a sentence, but I'm having trouble explaining it to someone else (as to why not to do it).

Her work is in past tense, but she is using -ing words to start sentences, just like the one above.

Any links are appreciated.

Thanks so much.
 

thothguard51

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It's a gerund, a verb acting like a noun.

Look up the rules on gerunds and then remember, not all rules are set in stone...
 

Evan Henry

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There's nothing grammatically wrong with it, but it's easy to overdo and often sounds awkward if used too much. In writing, too much of anything is bad.
 

thothguard51

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I might also add that some new writers will use this form of gerund to make a sentence active. Not always...

Example,

He looked down the well shaft and was greeted by darkness.

Vs...

Looking down the well shaft, darkness greeted him.

But gerunds can cause tense issues if one is not careful...
 

morngnstar

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Nothing wrong with your sentence, although it might be better to just say it directly: "I stared at the ignition, and started my car." I'm not really sure why we need to know you're staring at the ignition, anyway.

That structure implies that the actions are simultaneous and the subject is the same, so it's misused if those things are not true. E.g.

Picking up a pencil, he wrote a poem.
Staring at the sky, a meteor appeared.
 

Marlys

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Also, make sure that the subject of your gerund phrase is the subject of the sentence, or you'll end up with a misplaced modifier. The OP's original example is fine in this respect:

Staring at the ignition, I started my car. Yup. The same agent is both staring and starting.

A couple of others posted later in the thread are not fine:

Staring at the sky, a meteor appeared. Nope. As written, the meteor is staring at the sky.

Looking down the well shaft, darkness greeted him. Also nope. The darkness is not looking down the well.

I'm wondering if it was the potential for misplaced modifiers that made your crit group wary of gerund phrases in general?
 

blacbird

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It's a gerund, a verb acting like a noun.

Look up the rules on gerunds and then remember, not all rules are set in stone...

The example is not a gerund. It's a participle, and that initial part of the sentence is a participial phrase. One of the problems that can and often do arise with participial phrases is that they imply either continuity or simultaneity of action, but get misused in situations where a sequence of individual actions is intended.

For the word "staring" to be used as a gerund, you need a sentence like "Staring is an impolite thing to do." The noun form is followed with a verb. The given example doesn't do this.

caw
 

Chase

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Kath, both of your links refer to something which is not a rule of grammar. They voice pet peeves, negative opinions.

Good writers always have and always will employ gerund and participial phrases to begin sentences. To remove them completely from a toolbox is to unnecessarily deprive writers and readers of at least one form of sentence variety.

Appropriate and limited use are key.

Having said that, I was a longtime English teacher and kept a list of the funnier misplaced modifiers in essays. The best coming to mind:

"Taking off from the Chinook airfield, the sun rose redly in the east." :Sun: Talk about your hot airplanes! :D
 

Unimportant

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For example: "Staring at the ignition, I started up my car."

What is the rule on this, and can someone point me to it? I've always been told by crit partners not to use an -ing verb at the beginning of a sentence, but I'm having trouble explaining it to someone else (as to why not to do it).

Her work is in past tense, but she is using -ing words to start sentences, just like the one above.

Any links are appreciated.

Thanks so much.
Of course you can do it. But it's one of those things that is commonly done wrong (much like its vs it's) so it gets a lot of flak.

First, the "verbing, subject verbed" construction means that both verb/actions are occuring simultaneously. Too often, writers screw that up, because they mean the actions to be sequential (e.g., "Putting on my shoes, I ran down the stairs").

Second, the 'verbing' is a dependent clause that applies tothe subject directly after the comma. Too often, writers screw that up (not just with a 'verbing' dependent clause, but any clause; e.g., "Screaming and hurling crockery, I heard the neighbours having an almighty domestic").
 

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Of course you can do it. But it's one of those things that is commonly done wrong (much like its vs it's) so it gets a lot of flak.

First, the "verbing, subject verbed" construction means that both verb/actions are occuring simultaneously. Too often, writers screw that up, because they mean the actions to be sequential (e.g., "Putting on my shoes, I ran down the stairs").

Second, the 'verbing' is a dependent clause that applies tothe subject directly after the comma. Too often, writers screw that up (not just with a 'verbing' dependent clause, but any clause; e.g., "Screaming and hurling crockery, I heard the neighbours having an almighty domestic").

This. 100%.
 

BethS

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For example: "Staring at the ignition, I started up my car."

What is the rule on this, and can someone point me to it? I've always been told by crit partners not to use an -ing verb at the beginning of a sentence, but I'm having trouble explaining it to someone else (as to why not to do it).

The problem with it is that it can lead to 1) misplaced modifiers (Swimming out from the shore, the water grew cold and rough); or 2) logical impossibilities (Opening the gate, I knocked on the door.); or 3) The writer is trying to put one of a series of sequential actions into the opening modifier, and ends up with a mess. (Instead of this: "I pulled on my suit, ran for the shore, and splashed through the waves"; it's this: "Pulling on my suit, I ran for the shore and splashed through the waves." And note that that is also an example of #2.

If you open with a modifying phrase, make sure it really does support and modify the main sentence.
 

BethS

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Usher

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For example: "Staring at the ignition, I started up my car."
.

I tend to work it can I write:

I stared at the ignition and started the car

Or would

I stared at the ignition and THEN started the car.

If you can do both actions together then the --ing is appropriate. If you can't then it isn't.

However, using any form of a sentence too often gets repetitive and messes with the flow of the writing.
 

Kylabelle

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Writing well is rarely a matter of following rules.

:D
 

ironmikezero

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Staring at the ignition and starting the car is a fun exercise in telekinesis.

I would be impressed.

Breaking the rules can be fun, too... but it doesn't always impress.
 
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KTC

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It's a gerund, a verb acting like a noun.

Look up the rules on gerunds and then remember, not all rules are set in stone...

Pretty much what I would have said. I familiarize myself with the rules and then decide on a case by case basis whether or not I want to flaunt them or not. It's up to you. I would say there are no absolutes. Either WORKS or DOESN'T WORK.