Growing up my dad always encouraged me.

[kadioguy]

(On the TV program Let's Talk in English) (in jungle chitchat)

Monkey: I like Father's Day.
Man: Me too. Fathers are very important.
Monkey: Yeah, they are. Kids are happier and do better when they do things with their fathers.
Man: Yeah. That's one reason why I'm so successful.
Monkey: Because you have a good father?
Man: Yes, my dad spent a lot of time with me.
Monkey: Mine too! We had fun playing together in the jungle.
Man: That's nice. Growing up, my dad always encouraged me.
Monkey: Mine too ....
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I don't understand the structure of the text in blue. Why is "Growing up" at the beginning of the sentence? I would say, "When I was growing up my dad always encouraged me". What do you think?

 

[Sahil Dhankhar]

I am not a teacher. I am not a native speaker as well.

I think participle forms of verbs, in the present case a present participle, may be used similarly to an adjective.
So, growing up- While I was growing up
Similarly, Having grown up- After I had grown up

But the thing is that, here the sentence in blue may be a case of grammatical error called "dangling participle", as it is assumed that the subject in a given sentence should also be assumed as the subject of the participle. But in this case, "my dad" if taken as subject will not be right.

Some other examples of dangling participles-
Being a destitute, I helped John financially. this sentence mean- (I) being a destitute, I helped John financially. And as it is evident that John was a destitute and "I" was not, so the participle should have John as a subject. Therefore the correct sentence will be- John being a destitute, I helped him financially.

But the following sentence is correct-
Being ill, I could not come to work.

 

[kadioguy]

So, this use is grammatically wrong. But when we are speaking, we can hardly say every sentence grammatically correct.

Am I right?

 

[Tdol]

I would say, "When I was growing up my dad always encouraged me". What do you think?

This is the most logical interpretation. Spoken language is littered with things that would be regarded as errors in writing. If you try to apply the rules of writing, when people have more time to consider things, to speech, you will find many errors. Try starting by thinking what the speaker wanted to say- that will help.

 

[kadioguy]

This is the most logical interpretation. Spoken language is littered with things that would be regarded as errors in writing. If you try to apply the rules of writing, when people have more time to consider things, to speech, you will find many errors. Try starting by thinking what the speaker wanted to say- that will help.

Can I think the sentences in blue as the following?

If you try to apply the rules of writing to speech (when you have more time to do that), you will find many errors.

 

[Tdol]

I meant that if you applied the rules of writing to what other people say, you will find errors. You could, doubtless, do the same to your own speech, or anyone's. :up:

 

[kadioguy]

I meant that if you applied the rules of writing to what other people say, you will find errors. You could, doubtless, do the same to your own speech, or anyone's. :up:

Pardon me, but I don't understand the tenses in your sentence. Why are they not in agreement? I would say:

I meant that if you applied the rules of writing to what other people said, you would find errors.

Could you tell me your thought?