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Taka Posted 21 years ago
Grammar
-ing
The sentence:
About the 'reporting' above, is it adverbial modifying 'act'? Or, is it a participle modifying the noun in front--'observers'--as, say, 'walking' in 'a man walking in the park'?
I think it's adverbial, but a student of mine insists it's a participle. He says he's learned '-ing' in 'noun+ -ing' construction is a participle. And that's the only reason why he thinks that way.
If you were I, how would you talk him into believing that it is not?
Or, am I wrong in the first place??
Journalists can act as 'observers' reporting only what they see as the objective facts.
About the 'reporting' above, is it adverbial modifying 'act'? Or, is it a participle modifying the noun in front--'observers'--as, say, 'walking' in 'a man walking in the park'?
I think it's adverbial, but a student of mine insists it's a participle. He says he's learned '-ing' in 'noun+ -ing' construction is a participle. And that's the only reason why he thinks that way.
If you were I, how would you talk him into believing that it is not?
Or, am I wrong in the first place??
Top answer
) comma between 'observers' and 'reporting'. If there were a comma, the nonfinite clause would be your adverbial, modifying 'act'; without the comma, it is a nonfinite clause acting as a modifier of 'observers'. There is also the option of considering the clause as a modifier of the whole sentence.
- ) comma between 'observers' and 'reporting'.
- If there were a comma, the nonfinite clause would be your adverbial, modifying 'act'; without the comma, it is a nonfinite clause acting as a modifier of 'observers'.
- There is also the option of considering the clause as a modifier of the whole sentence.
- Have I confused and frustrated you?
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13 Answers
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I believe that the secret lies in the (omitted?) comma between 'observers' and 'reporting'. If there were a comma, the nonfinite clause would be your adverbial, modifying 'act'; without the comma, it is a nonfinite clause acting as a modifier of 'observers'.
There is also the option of considering the clause as a modifier of the whole sentence.
Have I confused and frustra
There is also the option of considering the clause as a modifier of the whole sentence.
Have I confused and frustra
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Hi, MM. You said:
But, at the same time, you said:
I believe that the secret lies in the (omitted?) comma between 'observers' and 'reporting'.
But, at the same time, you said:
If there were a comma, the nonfinite clause would be your adverbial, modifying 'act'; without the comma, it is a nonfinite clause acting as a modifier of 'observers'.
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Actually, Taka, I like my third interpretation best-- I think it is a sentence adverbial; that is, 'reporting only what they see as the objective facts' is best considered as modifying the whole idea of 'journalists can act as observers'. It is obvious from your quandary-- and my own-- that the idea doesn't solely modify either 'observers' nor 'act', but rather describes their activities. So w
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OK, let me ask this way.
What makes you think 'reporting' does NOT modify 'observers', which basically seems to be on the same lines of thinking as mine?
What makes you think 'reporting' does NOT modify 'observers', which basically seems to be on the same lines of thinking as mine?
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If it must modify one of them, I think it must be 'observers', since there is no comma-- therefore it is restrictive of 'observers'.
If it had the comma, it would modify 'act'.
But I think I am repeating myself. Can I go to bed now? It is after midnight. We can discuss this further tomorrow.
If it had the comma, it would modify 'act'.
But I think I am repeating myself. Can I go to bed now? It is after midnight. We can discuss this further tomorrow.
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Journalists can act as 'observers' reporting only what they see as the objective facts.
I agree. It's a participle modifying 'observers'.
By the way, 'as' seems to be the culprit here.
If we assume 'as' heads the verb's object, then 'reporting' sits correctly as a participle (1.), and if we assume 'as' is part of the verb itself, then the p
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Thanks, folks.
Well, according to your analysis, now it seems it's grammatically safer to say that it'a participle modifying 'observers'.
I don't know why but personally I still see an 'invisible' comma in between 'observers' amd 'reporting', though.
Well, according to your analysis, now it seems it's grammatically safer to say that it'a participle modifying 'observers'.
I don't know why but personally I still see an 'invisible' comma in between 'observers' amd 'reporting', though.
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You may be seeing double then, Taka. Better get some sleep yourself!
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I see the invisible comma, too. It's the ambiguity expressed by "as" that's doing it, though.
Sleep well.
Sleep well.
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