I am back gardening/ I am gardening back

Question

I'm finished with the book, so I am back gardening.I'm finished with the book, so I am gardening back.I'd like to know if I can say either #1 or #2.Thank you in advance for your help.I am back gardening

CalifJim · Accepted Answer

park sang joonI'd like to know if I can say either #1 or #2.

#1 is closer to the correct version.

I'm finished with the book, so I am back to gardening.

CJ

Park sang joon · Answer

Thank you so much, Mr.Jim, for another very helpful answer from you.

Ron is the agent of pro tennis player Peter and have gone, reappearing before Peter.
Ron: You want me to be completely honest with you? Agents are not miracle workers. We can't sell a product that doesn't exist. But here you are existing again, so I'm back selling again.
<From the movie "Wimbledon">

Then I'd like to know in this example if "to" is implied before "selling."

CalifJim · Answer

park sang joonI'd like to know in this example if "to" is implied before "selling."

Yes, "to" is implied. In my opinion the "to" is omitted only in casual speech. You can easily see that this is casual speech by the omission of "Do" at the beginning of the first sentence: (Do) you want me to be ...?

CJ

Park sang joon · Answer

Thank you, Mr.Jim, for your continuing support.

I'm so sorry for my belated question.

I'm finished with the book, so I am back to gardening.

I'd like to know here if "am" means "have come."
And to write down on my note pad, I'd like to get two examples equal to the sentence above in the structure, if may.

CalifJim · Answer

park sang joonI'm finished with the book, so I am back to gardening.I'd like to know here if "am" means "have come."

I suppose you could say that.

You seem to want a meaning for every word of any multi-word expression, but such substitutions are completely arbitrary.

You can say that I
1) am
2) back
to gardening

parses out to 1) have come 2) back
or to 1) have 2) returned

In reality, "am" doesn't mean "have come", and "am" doesn't mean "have", and "back" doesn't mean"returned". These are just paraphrases that can be distributed in arbitrary ways across the words of the original idiom. It's more important to understand how to use the idiom correctly than to be able to paraphrase the idiom word by word.

park sang joonI'd like to get two examples equal to the sentence above in the structure

I've just come back from my vacation, so I am back to work next Monday. (You don't have to have an -ing.)
The men were back to sorting the trash from the recycling containers as soon as they had collected it.

It's curious that you want examples of a construction that is so unusual in English—so uncommon that I found it hard to think of any.

CJ

Park sang joon · Answer

I'm so sorry for my belated question.

I'm finished with the book, so I am back gardening.
I'd like to know by any chance if "I am back gardening" can mean "I am going to return to gardening" too.

CalifJim · Answer

park sang joonI'd like to know by any chance if "I am back gardening" can mean "I am going to return to gardening" too.

No, because "going to" indicates the future. "I am back (to)" indicates that the return has already occurred.

I am back (to) gardening ~ I have (already) returned to gardening.

CJ

Park sang joon · Answer

Thank you, Mr. Jim, for your so very kind answer.

Your example?I've just come back from my vacation, so I am back to work next Monday.
No, because "going to" indicates the future. "I am back (to)" indicates that the return has already occurred.

Then, I was wondering why your example indicates the future schedule.

CalifJim · Answer

park sang joonThank you, Mr. Jim, for your so very kind answer.Your example?I've just come back from my vacation, so I am back to work next Monday.No, because "going to" indicates the future. "I am back (to)" indicates that the return has already occurred.Then, I was wondering why your example indicates the future schedule.

This shows that we always need context. We were talking about I'm finished with the book, so I am back (to) gardening. In this sentence, "back to gardening" is unlikely to refer to the future. You could add "tomorrow" to make that clear, however, if you wanted a future meaning.

As it turns out, I had already forgotten about my previous example and assumed you were referring to the most recent example about gardening. Therefore, I have to change my answer and say that I've just come back from my vacation, so I am back to work next Monday paraphrases to I've just come back from my vacation, so I [will / am going to] be back to work next Monday. Note how the addition of "next Monday" gives us the clue that this is about the future. Without "next Monday" it's just I've just come back from my vacation, so [I'm back at work / I've (already) come back to work].

CJ

I am back gardening/ I am gardening back

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