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RandomGuy Posted 14 years ago
Grammar

Participle Prepositions

I've stumbled upon an interesting article on a web site that talked about words like assuming, considering, etc., labeling them "participle prepositions" on the basis that they were originally present participles but because of wide use have become acceptable as prepositions.

I could not find another source concerning this matter.
Considering that you’re here, maybe you can clear up something for me.


Although concerning in the first example is clearly a preposition, considering in the second seems to be a subordinating conjunction. May I please have your opinion? What would you call it?

Spar
  

Top answer

I would certainly call "considering" a preposition in your example. The structural difference between "considering" and "concerning" is that the latter takes an NP complement, whereas "considering" can also take a content clause, as can be seen in your examples. Subordinators ("that", "for", "to", "whether" and "if") are merely grammatical markers of subordination, whereas preps function as 'heads' of the expressions they introduce.

— BillJ

  • I would certainly call "considering" a preposition in your example.
  • The structural difference between "considering" and "concerning" is that the latter takes an NP complement, whereas "considering" can also take a content clause, as can be seen in your examples.
  • Subordinators ("that", "for", "to", "whether" and "if") are merely grammatical markers of subordination, whereas preps function as 'heads' of the expressions they introduce.
  • "Concerning" and "considering" are not markers of subordination; they have independent meanings - "considering" in your example can be roughly glossed as "in view of the fact".
  • Further, unlike subordinators, preps are not themselves part of the subordinate clause.
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3 Answers
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I would certainly call "considering" a preposition in your example.


The structural difference between "considering" and "concerning" is that the latter takes an NP complement, whereas "considering" can also take a content clause, as can be seen in your examples.


Subordinators ("that", "for", "to", "whether" and "if") are merely grammatical markers of subordination, wherea

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We're talking about "Considering that you’re here, maybe you can clear up something for me."

"Considering" is an inflected verb here, and "that you're here" is its grammatical object. "Considering that you're here" as a whole is a subordinate clause with regard to the main clause "Maybe you can clear up something for me." The subordinate clause functions like an adverb in the main
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Considering can act both as a preposition and conjunction. The example given here is a conjunction. In the sentence " She is very active, considering her age", considering is a preposition.
http://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/considering

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