Korean Job Discussion Forums

[raewon]

I have another grammar question I hope someone can help with.

Being busy, she is able to help me.
Being written by Paulo Coelho, the book is not popular.
Seeing the accident, I didn't help anyone.
Finishing his report, she wasn't allowed to play.

A worksheet claims that those are equal to the structure
"Though/Although" (Although busy, she is able to help me., etc.) The sentences sound incorrect to me.

Only one of my references (The Teacher's Grammar of English / Ron Cowan) seems to have anything substantial on this. It states that they are
free adjunts (supplementive clauses) and gives the following uses:

1) Concurrent action - Driving through the countryside, Alvin ~
2) Sequential action - Taking the bartender hostage, the gunman ~
3) Reason - Not wanting to draw attention to himself, Pierre ~
4) Instrumental relationship - Using a crowbar, Hal pried ~
5) Conditional relationship - Assuming that newspaper accounts are an
accurate reflection of public opinion, ~

I don't think "Though/Although" can be used in any of those cases. Do the four sentences in question really convey this meaning?

Thanks a lot.

[jizza]

Your post is incredibly confusing.

I think after reading it through a few times what you're asking is whether putting
"though/although"
in the front of those 4 sentences is equivalent in meaning.

My answer is: not necessarily. There are different uses as outlined by your grammar book. HOWEVER, the 4 sentences you wrote sound incomplete/wrong without "although". It's probable that those 4 sentences were designed as worksheet problems for ESL learners to put "Although" there.

[raewon]

Sorry for the poor wording of the question. Thanks for reading through that mess and being able to figure out what I was asking. Actually, I guess I really had two questions

1) whether or not the four sentences in question are grammatically correct as
they are

2) whether or not it is possible for those sentences to carry the same meaning as when they are worded "Though/Although busy, ~".

Thanks.

[PastorYoon]

"Teacher, finish! Teacher, finish!"

"I'm Finnish!"

[koreatimes]

I think it boils down to a syllable rule. If you are going to be "lazy" about it and not mention a person or thing (Although he/it is old), then why not further simplify and just say "though"?

We are more likely to use the words that have the least syllables. Do you say often or frequently more ____? I would use "often".

I don't see how "although" is wrong if "though" is right.

[adzee1]

"Although busy, she was able to help me "

This is perfectly acceptable to be used as subordinating clause just in the way you could say...

Although it was raining, I left without an umbrella
Although I didnt like her, I went to her party anyway

You could also use - even though / despite the fact / though

Its just a way of expressing why something happened when perhaps there is a reason why it should not have happened if that makes sense...

[some waygug-in]

Your first example sounds wrong to my ear.

I would never say, nor have I heard anyone say;


"although being busy, she was able to help me."

Grammatically it sounds correct, but it's not something a native speaker would say.


We would say, "although she was busy, she was able to help me."


The second two seem OK, but sound strange out of any kind of context.


The last example is a mess.

Finishing his report, she wasn't allowed to play.

Why is "his" in the first part and "she" in the second?

Without more of a context this sentence makes no sense.

[denverdeath]

[jizza]

Well according to SAT writing conventions you should never use "being something" because the "being" is redundant.

"Busy, she helped me anyway".

You can always leave "being" out, so most writers do and that's why it sounds awkward to our ears.

[koreatimes]

[jizza]

This isn't one book, it's the test itself.

Go through SAT writing sentence completion questions and "being <adjective>" will always be one of the wrong answers, by virtue of sounding awkward or because the "being" is redundant.

[denverdeath]

[koreatimes]

[some waygug-in]

Being a moron, I can't answer your questions.

If I add although/though, it would seem to have the opposite meaning.

It would make more sense to say,

Although being a moron, I can answer your questions.

But who knows? I'm just a moron.

[adzee1]