Who is the person that uses the software in "The user conference had a videographer who filmed the participants as they spoke about their experience using the software."?

Question

Hello,I would like to ask you another question.I wonder who does "using the software" in the following sentence. "The user conference had a videographer who filmed the participants as they spoke about their experience using the software."That sentence is from an ESL podcast document but, I think "of" has to be put in between "their experience" and "using the software.".Thank you for the teaching.

Fivejedjon · Accepted Answer

Smart Humanism I think "of" has to be put in between "their experience" and "using the software.".

That would certainly make the meaning much clearer.

AlpheccaStars · Answer

I think it's clear as written.

the participants as they (the participants) spoke about their (the participants) experience using the software.

Smart Humanism · Answer

fivejedjon and AlpheccaStars,
Thank you for the answers.

But, grammatically does the sentences make sense?
As I wrote that "of" seems needed, I think that sentence without "of" is wrong grammatically.
Can you explain a bit about it?

Thank you.

AlpheccaStars · Answer

Smart HumanismBut, grammatically does the sentences make sense?

Yes. Participle phrases (clauses) are commonly used as post-modifiers.

1. Mom picked up the baby (who was) lying in the crib.

"Lying in the crib" defines which baby.

2. The elephant (that is) sleeping in my bed is snoring loudly.

"sleeping in my bed" defines which elephant.

3. They described their experience (which was working with the software.)

"working with the software" defines the specific experience that they are talking about.
In the full clause, I would add a comma after experience.

Smart Humanism · Answer

AlpheccaStars Smart HumanismBut, grammatically does the sentences make sense?Yes. Participle phrases (clauses) are commonly used as post-modifiers.1. Mom picked up the baby (who was) lying in the crib."Lying in the crib" defines which baby.2. The elephant (that is) sleeping in my bed is snoring loudly. "sleeping in my bed" defines which elephant.3. They described their experience (which was working with the software.)"working with the software" defines the specific experience that they are talking about. In the full clause, I would add a comma after experience.

AlpheccaStars, thank you for the kind and brilliant reply again.

But in a tuition I attended before, I was taught that when it comes to Participle Phrases particularly in those cases the Participle Phrases have to have the noun they modify as their subject in meaning.

"The user conference had a videographer who filmed the participants as they spoke about their experience using the software."

But in the above sentence, the subject of meaning who actually did "using the software" was the participants, not "their experience".
I think you are right and I respect you.

But, I cannot get over with the idea that if "using the software" should be Participle Phrases, then "their experience" should be the one who/which did "using the software".

Sorry to bother you, but can I ask you to give me an explanation a bit about it?

AlpheccaStars · Answer

Smart HumanismBut, I cannot get over with the idea that if "using the software" should be Participle Phrases, then "their experience" should be the one who/which did "using the software".

If a lexical parsing computer program would analyze the sentence, it might get the subject wrong. But you, as an intelligent human being can immediately see the fallacy. You know that people use programs, and it's silly to posit that experiences do.

The variability of language, and the need for human understanding is why implementing automated translators and artificial intelligent systems is so fraught with difficulties. Human brains are immense neural nets that have a vast amount of heuristics, memory and knowledge that keeps on growing.

Smart Humanism · Answer

AlpheccaStars Smart HumanismBut, I cannot get over with the idea that if "using the software" should be Participle Phrases, then "their experience" should be the one who/which did "using the software".If a lexical parsing computer program would analyze the sentence, it might get the subject wrong. But you, as an intelligent human being can immediately see the fallacy. You know that people use programs, and it's silly to posit that experiences do.The variability of language, and the need for human understanding is why implementing automated translators and artificial intelligent systems is so fraught with difficulties. Human brains are immense neural nets that have a vast amount of heuristics, memory and knowledge that keeps on growing.

Thank you so much for your wonderful teaching.
The paragraph you wrote looks so gorgeous.
I will look the words up in the dictionary to fully appreciate your writing.
Thank you again.

Who is the person that uses the software in "The user conference had a videographer who filmed the participants as they spoke about their experience using the software."?

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