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Anonymous Posted 19 years ago
Grammar

Using Gerund ????

I turned on the computer to check, look up some things. Then chatting incidentally to an French.

In other words : I turned on the computer to check, look up some things. Then I chatted incidentally to an French.

I'd prefer to use the gerund like the first sentence, is it correct ? Or else, how to fix it with gerund ?

Thanks for your help.
  

Top answer

Anon, I'm sorry, but you have several problems here. I turned on the computer to check, look up some things. Then chatting incidentally to an French.

— BarbaraPA

  • Anon, I'm sorry, but you have several problems here.
  • I turned on the computer to check, look up some things.
  • Then chatting incidentally to an French.
  • I turned on the computer to check [to check what?
  • you need an object.
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12 Answers
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Anon, I'm sorry, but you have several problems here.

I turned on the computer to check, look up some things. Then chatting incidentally to an French.

I turned on the computer to check [to check what? you need an object. to check the weather, etc.], looked some things up, and then chatted
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AnonymousI turned on the computer to check, look up some things. Then chatting incidentally to an French.

‘… *an French’ or ‘… a French’?
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Thanks for your replies;

Then chatting incidentally with a French.

I'd like to use gerund in that sentence (with no subject). How do I use ?
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Buddhaheart
AnonymousI turned on the computer to check, look up some things. Then chatting incidentally to an French.
‘… *an French’ or ‘… a French’?
Yes, the article should be 'a', and the word 'French' is an adjective which needs to modify a noun such as '
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AnonymousThanks for your replies;

Then chatting incidentally with a French.

I'd like to use gerund in that sentence (with no subject). How do I use ?

Your sentence is not a complete sentence. It is a sentence fragment.
This would be a complete sentence, for example:

Chattin
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According to the sentence then chatting with a French people,

I 'd like express the sentence with a noun phrase. How to do that ?

Thanks
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Newbie, I'm sorry, but I just don't understand what you are trying to say.
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The exact sentence I mean is : I chatted with a French people.

I, however, don't want to use any subject in that sentence, so can I say like this :

To chat with a French people

or Chatting with a French people
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First, let's clear this up: with a French person or with a person from France or with someone from France. Not a French people.

Second, a sentence needs to have a subject. You can't have a sentence without one. However, you can't have a sentence without a verb either. Chatting with a French person is just a noun phrase; it can be the subject, but it's no
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Yeah, I finally got it. Thank you.

Nevertheless, I remember I saw a sentence that there is only the infinitif like this :

To make it clearer, I will carry out an experiment.

Could you please explain about this ?
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