ESL Basic English Grammar Questions and Help

Re: gerund or past participle

User_gary — Sun, 01 Apr 2007 01:42:36 GMT

Yes you are right. It is adjectival participle. I think it is also Verbal participle

Because I think it is a main verb in the clause (Who was carrying a basket of flowers.) --- Past progressive sentence (carrying is main verb)

Am I right?

Re: gerund or past participle

Inchoateknowledge — Sat, 31 Mar 2007 07:01:53 GMT

User_gary wrote:

I saw a girl carrying a basket of flowes.

Here the word `carrying' is past participle or gerund?

present/past participle is a non-finite verb form, irrespective of function.

carrying -- present participle

carried -- past participle

I saw a girl ~~who was~~ carrying a basket of flowers -- carrying modifies a girl, a noun: adjectival function, participle

Re: gerund or past participle

Anonymous — Wed, 28 Mar 2007 15:23:27 GMT

It is 'present participle'.

Gerund is used like a 'noun'.

Re: gerund or past participle

Cool Breeze — Tue, 06 Mar 2007 15:18:37 GMT

User_gary wrote:
Since present participle is adjective,

I think it modifies the noun (girl).

Am I right?

There are different ways to look at this. I regard carrying as a present participle used as a relative clause equivalent in your sentence.
In other words, it could read: I saw a girl who/that was carrying flowers. The subject (who or that) and was have been omitted. In some contexts the sentence could actually be even: I saw a girl who/that carried flowers.
CB

Re: gerund or past participle

pieanne — Tue, 06 Mar 2007 15:15:07 GMT

Cool Breeze wrote:
Good timing, pieanne!
CB

Cheers!

Re: gerund or past participle

pieanne — Tue, 06 Mar 2007 15:14:22 GMT

It's "I saw a girl (who was) carrying ..."

Re: gerund or past participle

User_gary — Tue, 06 Mar 2007 15:12:00 GMT

Cool Breeze wrote:

"I saw a girl carrying a basket of flowers."

Carrying is a present participle in your sentence.
CB

Thank you.

Since present participle is adjective,

I think it modifies the noun (girl).

Am I right?

Re: gerund or past participle

Cool Breeze — Tue, 06 Mar 2007 15:04:12 GMT

Good timing, pieanne!
CB

Re: gerund or past participle

Cool Breeze — Tue, 06 Mar 2007 15:03:21 GMT

"I saw a girl carrying a basket of flowers."

Carrying is a present participle in your sentence.
CB

Re: gerund or past participle

pieanne — Tue, 06 Mar 2007 15:00:49 GMT

I don't think it's either.

I'd say it's a present participle

gerund or past participle

User_gary — Tue, 06 Mar 2007 08:05:19 GMT

I saw a girl carrying a basket of flowes.

Here the word `carrying' is past participle or gerund?

I think Gerund.

Am I right? Please tell me.