Adverbial ing phrase

Question

You want to start with an oven that's preheated at a high temperature to seal the meat thus preventing a loss of juices while at the same time caramelizing the surface.

1) Underlined participle phrase: What question does this adverbial participle answer?

2) Does the same ing phrase modify 'to seal the meat'?

Thanks

Anonymous · Accepted Answer

Last October, there was a very good thread on participial phrases such as yours. Hopefully, some veteran members will supply the links.

Basically speaking, it seemed to some posters that your sentence is really two sentences. That is, "thus preventing a loss of juices" modifies nothing.

That is, you could write: You want to start an oven that's preheated at a high temperature to seal the meat. This will prevent a loss of juices while at the same time caramelizing the surface.

As you know, some native speakers/writers don't even bother to introduce the participial phrase with the word "thus."

Some people interpret your sentence as essentially meaning: You want to start an oven that's preheated at a high temperature to seal the meat, a fact/event/action that will prevent a loss of juices while at the same time caramelizing the surface.

CalifJim · Answer

You want to start with an oven that's preheated at a high temperature to seal the meat thus preventing a loss of juices while at the same time caramelizing the surface.

1) Underlined participle phrase: What question does this adverbial participle answer? Why? (For what purpose?) Why seal the meat? To prevent a loss of juices.

2) Does the same ing phrase modify 'to seal the meat'? I wouldn't exactly say it's modifying it, but it is associated with it. It expands on the idea.

CJ

Adverbial ing phrase

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