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Gerunds Pass Participles in Verbal Agreement

Writer's picture: Sonja McGiboneySonja McGiboney

If you think the title is funny, then you must remember something of sentence diagramming and the nightmares that ensue.

For me, it was self paced English in 7th grade. Why did they put me in that class? I don't remember. Did I do well on my own? No way in hell, I got a D. I would randomly place the slashes in the sentences and hope I guessed correctly. I shutter still at the fear it created.

Here I am, 57 years old, trying to write something, anything, that is entertaining or meaningful to family, friends and/or the world. But I am getting, or did I get, or have I gotten the words right?

I joined a very wonderful, nice, friendly, (was that too many adverbs, or adjectives, or whathaveyous?), critique group that has me wanting to take that class all over again. This time, I think I'd learn something. (Unless my wine addled brain has too many holes and the information leaks out as soon as it enters.)

I trolled the web looking for answers. I've never heard of Past Continuous Form, have you? Why can't I leave a participle to dangle? What if I want to leave a word on? I thought running was a verb, but it's a participle, I think. But isn't that a gerund "ing" on the end of it?

Definition: "participles are words derived from verbs that can function as adjectives or as parts of verb phrases to create verb tenses." Do verbs have issues with tension? Perhaps some verbs need a massage? I certainly do now.

The gist of all this silliness is that I appreciate the wisdom others impart to my attempts at writing in the English language. My hats off to all my new critique group friends.

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