0
Greatmilinko8451 Posted 19 years ago
Grammar
comma or no comma and why?
Both clowns stand[,] facing the door.
Is facing a preposition?
Is facing a preposition?
Top answer
Hi, Both clowns stand[,] facing the door. Is facing a preposition? No.
- Hi, Both clowns stand[,] facing the door.
- Is facing a preposition?
- No.
- It's a present participle.
- The comma is optional.
Get the Weekly English Kit 📬
New words, one handy idiom, and a 2-minute quiz — delivered to your inbox to keep your streak alive.
4 Answers
0
Hi,
Both clowns stand[,] facing the door.
Is facing a preposition? No. It's a present participle.
The comma is optional. With it, the main meaning, the main idea, is that the clowns are standing, eg not sitting.
Without the comma, the phrase becomes part of the main idea, ie that the clowns are standing a
Both clowns stand[,] facing the door.
Is facing a preposition? No. It's a present participle.
The comma is optional. With it, the main meaning, the main idea, is that the clowns are standing, eg not sitting.
Without the comma, the phrase becomes part of the main idea, ie that the clowns are standing a
00
No comma.
facing the door acts as an adverb of manner. It tells how the clowns stand. You wouldn't use a comma for any other adverb.
The clowns stood straight.
The clowns stood quietly.
The clowns stood facing the door.
facing is a participle. It is the present participle of the verb face. The clowns were facing the doo
facing the door acts as an adverb of manner. It tells how the clowns stand. You wouldn't use a comma for any other adverb.
The clowns stood straight.
The clowns stood quietly.
The clowns stood facing the door.
facing is a participle. It is the present participle of the verb face. The clowns were facing the doo
00
Hi CJ,
Both clowns stand facing the door.
It certainly seems adverbial without the comma.
However, with the comma it seems to me that it separates the phrase from the verb enough that it could also be interpreted as adjectival, describing the clowns.
Rather like the more awkward word order of Facing the door, both clowns stand
Both clowns stand facing the door.
It certainly seems adverbial without the comma.
However, with the comma it seems to me that it separates the phrase from the verb enough that it could also be interpreted as adjectival, describing the clowns.
Rather like the more awkward word order of Facing the door, both clowns stand
00
True. But with a comma it seems to me to be a stage instruction.
(At this point in the action) both clowns stand (up), facing the door.
And I didn't think the poster was interested in this interpretation -- but then again, who knows?
At any rate, for better or worse, I only discussed one interpretation. Given the number of words I expended on that alone, I
(At this point in the action) both clowns stand (up), facing the door.
And I didn't think the poster was interested in this interpretation -- but then again, who knows?
At any rate, for better or worse, I only discussed one interpretation. Given the number of words I expended on that alone, I
0
Related Questions