Grammar point

[mrthlinh]

As reading articles, I encountered a strange grammar structure. They wrote that "Many train surfer die each year doing their deadly sport" and "Jim loves siting on a couch eating popcorn". I understand their meanings but not clear about the grammar point, why they used ING-formed verb here.

[Ilki]

As reading articles ("As I was reading articles" is okay), I encountered a strange grammar structure.

Many train surfer trainsurfers die each year doing their deadly sport.
Jim loves siting sitting on a couch eating popcorn"

The first participle-clause modifies "die"; the second "sitting".

but not clear about the grammar point, why they used ING-formed verb here.

We can use a whole clause - be it tensed or tenseless (your examples) - to modify verbs. The upside of tenseless clauses is that they are more compact, and the downside is that they are often open to more than one interpretation. In your first sentence, for example, the -ing clause can be interpreted as a clause of reason as well as a clause of time.

[TheParser]

[QUOTE=mrthlinh;835469] They wrote that "Many train surfer die each year doing their deadly sport" and "Jim loves siting on a couch eating popcorn".



NOT A TEACHER


(1) May I add a few words to the first poster's great answer.

(2) Some books say that your sentences are really:

Many train surfers die each year [while they are] doing their deadly sport.

Jim loves sitting on a couch [while he is] eating popcorn.

(a) As you can see, those adverbial clauses modify the verb -- as the

first poster told you.