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heilaryan
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Why is Doer important for ing/ed modifiers Updated on: 19 Jul 2023, 06:02
Originally posted by heilaryan on 19 Jul 2023, 05:24.
Last edited by heilaryan on 19 Jul 2023, 06:02, edited 1 time in total.
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I am a little confused as to why the doer of the action is necessary to be present in the sentence when an -ing or an -ed modifier is modifying an action/verb.

example: Why is the below sentence incorrect (because the doer of the action represented by the modifier is missing -- but why the doer is important?? Will it distort the meaning if we omit the doer)

The problem was identified, using the latest technology.



Also related to this doubt, please also clarify what is being modified in the below sentence - the action(identified) or the noun(engineer)

The problem was identified by the engineer, using latest technology.

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heilaryan
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Why is Doer important for ing/ed modifiers 19 Jul 2023, 05:26
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I am a little confused as to why the doer of the action is necessary to be present in the sentence when an -ing or an -ed modifier is modifying an action/verb.

example: Why is the below sentence incorrect (because the doer of the action represented by the modifier is missing -- but why the doer is important?? Will it distort the meaning if we omit the doer)

The problem was identified, using the latest technology.



Also related to this doubt, please also clarify what is being modified in the below sentence - the action(identified) or the noun(engineer)

The problem was identified by the engineer, using latest technology.
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Why is Doer important for ing/ed modifiers 20 Jul 2023, 03:25
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Hi,
Its a hefty concept to discuss in short. You can get detailed information in below post by egmat. Have a look.
https://e-gmat.com/blogs/usage-verb-ing-modifiers-part-1/
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heilaryan
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Why is Doer important for ing/ed modifiers 20 Jul 2023, 10:57
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JamesBrooklyn
In English grammar, the presence or absence of the doer (the one performing the action) in a sentence with an "-ing" or an "-ed" modifier can influence the clarity and understanding of the sentence. Let's take a look at your examples to understand this better:

The problem was identified, using the latest technology.
The problem was identified by the engineer, using the latest technology.

In the first sentence, "using the latest technology" is an "-ing" modifier, and it modifies the action "identified." However, the doer of the action is not explicitly mentioned in the sentence. While the sentence is grammatically correct, it lacks clarity. Without knowing who or what is performing the action, the sentence may sound vague and leave the reader wondering who identified the problem.

In the second sentence, "by the engineer" is an "-ed" modifier, specifying the doer of the action "identified." Here, the sentence provides clarity by mentioning that the engineer is the one who identified the problem, and they did so using the latest technology.

So, to answer your question, including the doer in a sentence with an "-ing" or an "-ed" modifier can make the sentence more precise and informative. It helps avoid ambiguity and ensures that the reader understands who performed the action.
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Hi JamesBrooklyn

mentioning the doer(subject) adds more clarity, however in passive construction we often see the doer(subject) missing from the sentence. consider this -> The Colleseum was built in 100AD. This is a simple sentence however this provides the information about the time the Colleseum was built while not mentioning who built it. I suppose the information is not so relevant for this sentence as such, however why does this information regarding the subject becomes relevant when we introduce a modifier in the sentence same sentence such as this one -> The Colleseum was built in 100AD, using medieval tools. All the sources I've found till now say that this sentence is incorrect and that the subject must be present for the modifier to correctly modify the verb "was built". :)

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