Using a needle and syringe

Question

Direct subcutaneous insulin injection remains the most common form of delivery, using a needle and syringe.

I saw the above on the Diabetes training videos.
is "using a needle and syringe" a present participle functioning as an adjective modifying "delivery"?
thanks

BillJ · Accepted Answer

Jigneshbharatiis "using a needle and syringe" a present participle?

It's a gerund-participial clause headed by the gerund-participle verb "using".

Jigneshbharati
functioning as an adjective modifying "delivery"?

[1] Direct subcutaneous insulin injection remains the most common form of delivery, using a needle and syringe.

[2] Direct subcutaneous insulin injection using a needle and syringe remains the most common form of delivery

No, it's not an adjective and I don't think it's modifying "delivery". In [1] the presence of the comma after "delivery" seems odd, since it is not necessary if the clause is intended to modify "delivery". I'm inclined to think that it is intended to modify the subject Direct subcutaneous insulin injection. Evidence of this comes from the fact that the clause can be relocated to the post-head position as in [2] with no loss of grammaticality or (apparent) change of meaning.

Using a needle and syringe

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