Again, verbing.

Question

hi, folks:A answers the phone, B walks away, A complains, B says:Why do you answer the phone knowing it'll make me walk away?I understand the meaning, but i dont understand it grammatically.  My understanding is that, knowing it happens before answering the phone. And most of verb+ing here means two thing happen at the same time.or it should be: why do you answer the phone when knowing it'll make me walk away?Am I right?thanks,Ench.

CalifJim · Accepted Answer

EnchantedWhy do you answer the phone knowing it'll make me walk away?

This means
Why do you answer the phone when you know that it'll make me walk away?
CJ

Avangi · Answer

Enchanted but i dont understand it grammatically.

The participial phrase is a modifier. You can argue whether it's adverbial (modifying the action) or adjectival (modifying the actor); but either way your final analysis is correct, since A does it when/while knowing. That is, you could say, "A, while knowing, does it," or you could say, "A does it while knowing." A. Stars recently made a case for all participial phrases being adjectival only, supporting it with several references.
The rest of the grammar of the participial phrase is that being derived from a verb, (to know) it can take an object, which in this case is a clause, "It will make me walk away."

Since the sentence implies that this is habitual behavior, you could reason that A knew what the result would be before he made his move to answer. But in terms of the grammar, the knowing and the answering were concurrent. The use of present tense also reinforces the "habitual" notion. Simple past would have worked in the sequence you describe. (Why did you answer, knowing - - - .) Present tense implies, "Why do you continue to do it?"

- A.

Again, verbing.

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