Present participles functioning as adjunct
1. The woman improved her health running five miles a day.
1a. The woman, running five miles a day, improved her health.
1b. Running five miles a day, the woman improved her health.
1c. The woman improved her health by running five miles a day.
Hello dear teachers:
How would you analyse the "grammatical function" of the present participle phrases/clauses in the above sentences, please? According to my understanding, they all, except the one used in the last sentence, function as "adjuncts" there. In last sentence, the present participle functions as the object of the preposition "by". Am I right about what I have said?
Top answer
Yes, "running five miles a day" is an adjunct in all your examples except the last, where it is complement to the preposition "by". Note, though, that the PP "by running five miles a day" is a means adjunct. Note also that only 1c is the natural way of expressing the benefit of running five miles a day.
- Yes, "running five miles a day" is an adjunct in all your examples except the last, where it is complement to the preposition "by".
- Note, though, that the PP "by running five miles a day" is a means adjunct.
- Note also that only 1c is the natural way of expressing the benefit of running five miles a day.
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Yes, "running five miles a day" is an adjunct in all your examples except the last, where it is complement to the preposition "by".
Note, though, that the PP "by running five miles a day" is a means adjunct.
Note also that only 1c is the natural way of expressing the benefit of running five miles a day.
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