A present participle as a complement modifing a verb

Question

I'd like to know a present participle as a complement could modify a verb without comma in any case as in the following examples.

I had lunch reading a book.
I am willing to go to uncle's taking brothers.
I'm coming running.

In advance, Thank you for your help.

Grammarfreak · Accepted Answer

I had lunch reading a book.
I am willing to go to uncle's taking brothers.
I'm coming running.

I am afraid they are not correct as posted with or without commas. I am curious. In # 1 if you think "reading " (a present participle as a complement, as you called it) can modify a verb, what will that be? The only verb is "had". right? But I've never heard of this grammar in my life. Sorry, I saw all 3 participles being used in quite a strange way.

Park sang joon · Answer

I don't know difference with my examples and the below sentences.

He will attend grad school starting in Sept.
He intends to begin graduate school starting in Sept.
The immediate goal of the European "peace" movement is to reverse a 1979 NATO decision to deploy a new generation of U.S.-built nuclear missiles starting in late 1983.

Could you please tell me the difference of the two?

Park sang joon · Answer

I want you to think of me as a novice at English.

Grammarfreak · Answer

In this notification pattern ( usually with ENDING / STARTING), the participle forms the participle phrase typically including the date. Take this for example:

Some Food Assistance Funds Will Be Cut Starting Nov. 1

www.ctnewsjunkie.com/.../food_assistence_funds_will_be_cut_nov._1/

In certain context, the participle phrase containing the date is purposely put at the beginning:www.united.com/.../11MAY14_United_announces_chan...United Airlines

Starting March 1, 2015, the award miles earned on most tickets for United and United. Express flights will be based on ticket price, that is, base ..

Your previous sentences were ungrammatical and the participle was used incorrectly.

I had lunch reading a book.
I am willing to go to uncle's taking brothers.
I'm coming running. -

The new ones' meaning is understood, but they don't need the phrase and they can be improved:

He will attend grad school starting in Sept. ---> He will go back to grad school in Sept.
He intends to begin graduate school starting in Sept. ------> He plans to start grad school in Sept.

Gathering your sentences, I guess I begin to see your confusion with participles. I am going to do the best I can explaining the difference, but my ability to explain is no here near CJ's level.

They heard someone screaming for help.
I saw Susan leaving her house this morning.
A lightening bolt struck the house, leaving a hole on the rook and damaging the chimney
All the phrases in blue are the typical participle variety. They behaves adverbially offering additional information to the main clause. They can be removed and the main clause still remain its grammatical integrity.

Hope this post is a step forward for you....

AlpheccaStars · Answer

park sang joonHe will attend grad school starting in Sept. He intends to begin graduate school starting in Sept.

"Starting in September" modifies "school" It means that the school starts (is starting) in September.

I had lunch reading a book.
"Reading a book" does not modify "lunch". Lunch does not read.

You can change it to a prepositional phrase, by adding an appropriate preposition.
I had lunch while reading a book.

park sang joonThe immediate goal of the European "peace" movement is to reverse a 1979 NATO decision to deploy a new generation of U.S.-built nuclear missiles starting in late 1983.

Here, "starting in 1983" is adverbial. It tells when the deployment is starting.

AlpheccaStars · Answer

park sang joonI am willing to go to uncle's taking brothers.

The natural way to say this is
I am willing to go to uncle's and bring my brothers (with me).

park sang joonI'm coming running.

This one is natural:

He came running.
She comes running.
I will come running.

Running is an adverb (method), How he or she came or comes.
It is not as natural to use the progressive tenses with a present participle. The simple tenses are OK.

Grammarfreak · Answer

AlpheccaStarsI had lunch while reading a book.

My thought exactly!

Park sang joon · Answer

Thank you both.
I integrated your opinions and my opinion; see the below ideas and would do you confirm my ideas?

the possible case:
1)The present participle is used as role of an adverb: when, where, whereby.
ex)
The immediate goal of the European "peace" movement is to reverse a 1979 NATO decision to deploy a new generation of U.S.-built nuclear missiles starting in late 1983.
2)The action or thought of the present participle is excuted with the action of the verb at the same time.
ex)
I was sitting reading a book.
The ship went by trailing ribbons of smoke.
I walked down the corridor playing with a yo-yo.
I went home intending to relax
I ran to the lift hoping I was not too late.

the impossible case:
3)The present participle indicate the state of the subject and doesn't apply to the case '2)'
I left work taking my briefcase.
I am willing to go to uncle's taking brothers with me.

Then, I don't know why these two sentences aren't proper.
I had lunch reading a book.
I'm coming running.

AlpheccaStars · Answer

park sang joonI left work taking my briefcase (with me).

That is fine.

park sang joonI am willing to go to uncle's taking brothers with me.

The problem with that is the syntactical ambiguity.
The subject of a gerund is possessive case, eg.

Does your uncle's smoking bother you?

So people will think "uncle's taking..." and your uncle isn't taking anything..

If you put in a comma and the proper determiners, the ambiguity is removed:

I am willing to go to my uncle's, taking my brothers with me.

But most native speakers would not say it this way. The transportation of your brothers is an important part of the idea, so it deserves a coordinating conjunction.
I am willing to go to my uncle's and take my brothers with me.

AlpheccaStars · Answer

park sang joonI had lunch reading a book.

It seems weird since "had lunch" is a completed action, and "reading a book" is a continuous action.
The two actions do not go with each other in a natural way.

These are much more natural:

I was eating lunch (and) reading a book. (Two simultaneous actions)
or
Reading a book, I ate lunch slowly. (The phrase at the beginning clarifies the meaning. Also, the addition of "slowly" extends the action of the verb.)

A present participle as a complement modifing a verb

Top answer

Get the Weekly English Kit 📬

Related Questions