Gerund or Present Participle ?

Question

Hi,Are the following V-ing phrases gerunds , present participle ( adjectives )or present continuous :1- Finding the car locked, the thief broke the window.2- Working in a school, I learn a lot.3- Driving safely, we reached our destination.4- Using a tin opener, we opened the tin.5- Doing my homework, I broke my pen.6- having a car, he often travels a lot.Thanks a lot.

Philip · Accepted Answer

The present continuous tense must have a form of the verb 'to be'.

Anonymous · Answer

So none of them is present continuous.

Mister Micawber · Answer

No. They all to be participial (non-finite) clauses serving as sentence adverbials.

Anonymous · Answer

So all of the V-ing forms above are present participle ( verbal adjectives ) ?

none of them is gerund ?

this is confusing

how can I tell the difference.

Thank you for your help.

CalifJim · Answer

AnonymousHow can I tell the difference?

Gerunds are used in the same places in a sentence where nouns are used, i.e., as subjects and objects.

Gerund constructions underlined.

Hunting foxes on this property is prohibited. Subject.
Henry likes playing baseball. Object (of a verb).
Lucy overcame her bad mood by eating chocolate. Object (of a preposition).

CJ

Anonymous · Answer

Sir: My books tell me that those participial phrases (clauses) modify the subject.

You say that they are sentence adverbials.

Are both interpretations "correct"?

THANK YOU

BillJ · Answer

James MMy books tell me that those participial phrases (clauses) modify the subject.You say that they are sentence adverbials.Are both interpretations "correct"?

No, adverbial participial clauses don't modify subjects. Adverbials, of any kind, primarily modify verbs, or verb phrases, but subjects are normally nouns or pronouns, as they are in the OP's examples.

The non-finite clauses in the OP's examples are all participial clauses. They are sometimes called sentence adverbials, but a better term is 'supplementary adverbial'. Unlike modifying adverbials, which are integrated into the structure of the clause, supplements are only loosely attached, like those in the OP's examples.

BillJ

Anonymous · Answer

Thank you very much, BillJ.
Two of my favorite high school-level books say that the participles in these sentences modify the subject:

Putting on his cap, Jim started down the stairs.

Catching sight of the advancing standard, the soldiers rallied to the charge.

Should I consider this as a simplification suitable for high school students and ordinary speakers such as I?

THANK YOU

Mister Micawber · Answer

I don't see how that could be a simplification. They are misunderstandings of the semantics of the sentences.

[While / as he was] putting on his cap, Jim started down the stairs.
[As a result of] catching sight of the advancing standard, the soldiers rallied to the charge.

Anonymous · Answer

Thank you very much, sir.

Gerund or Present Participle ?

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