ex) First, she wrote about her experience visiting a neighbor's farm
= First, she wrote about her experience which visited a neighbor's farm (??)
Based on the context, 'her experience' means 'visiting a neighbor's farm'
But, in terms of grammatical structure, the present participle phrase 'visiting a neighbor's farm' modifies the noun phrase 'her experience'
I want to know if it is possible for the present participle phrase to have the same meaning as the noun phrase modified by it
Hoonyex) First, she wrote about her experience visiting a neighbor's farm
This is a shorthand way of saying something like "her experience of/while visiting a neighbor's farm". It is not implied that the experience did the visiting.
HoonyFirst, she wrote about her experience which visited a neighbor's farm (??)
This isn't possible.
HoonyShe wrote about her experience visiting a neighbor's farm.
She wrote about her experience, which was that she visited a neighbor's farm.
~ She wrote about her experience; that is, she wrote about [her visit to / visiting] a neighbor's farm.
Hoonyshe wrote about her experience which visited a neighbor's farm
No. You can't paraphrase it like that.
HoonyBased on the context, 'her experience' means 'visiting a neighbor's farm'
Right.
HoonyBut, in terms of grammatical structure, the present participle phrase 'visiting a neighbor's farm' modifies the noun phrase 'her experience'
No. It does not modify anything. It explains what the experience was by adding more information to the sentence (in the form of a participle clause).
[ If it were modifying it would be saying that the experience visited the farm, and we know that experiences can't do that. the duck swimming in the pond works as modification, but not her experience visiting a farm. ]
HoonyI want to know if it is possible for the present participle phrase to have the same meaning as the noun phrase modified by it
Actually, because you're using some of the terminology incorrectly, I should let you know that you really don't want to know that.
Instead, you want to know if it's possible for a participle clause to explain in different words the noun that it follows, and the answer is 'yes'.
It seems to me, though, that "experience" is one of the few nouns that this pattern makes sense with.
I've posted a few screen shots below of my experience using that software earlier today. [My experience is that I used it earlier today.]
CJ
Thank you for comment
You mean that the preposition 'of' is omitted in the sentence ?
ex) her experience (of) visiting a neighbor's farm
It is interesting. I have never heard that a participle clause can supplement the meaning of the noun phrase without modifying
You mean a noun 'experience' can be followed by a participle phrase to supplement meaning of it?
For a long time, I have known that a participle phrase can only modify a noun phrase that it follows
I have one more question. What about this sentence?
ex) her experience (of) visiting a neighbor's farm
Can we guess that 'of' is omitted in the sentence ?
Yes.
No. They can have other uses.
If you use "of", you introduce a preposition, so then you have a preposition phrase. The grammar (syntax) can change without changing the meaning (semantics).
CJ
Not specifically, no. It is just a way of explaining the meaning. The meaning can be paraphrased in various ways.