Just have a look at these two sentences, please!

[roseriver1012]

1) _____for the chance to go to university, the young man devoted himself to study.
A. Desperate B. Being desperate
2) Being ill for a few days, she doesn't feel like eating anything.



For the first sentence, I think A is appropriate, using an adj. phrase to show the state of "the young man". But then I came across the second one, which uses "doing" phrase to show the state of "she". Can it be "Ill for a few days, ..." or "Being desperate for the chance..."? How would you explain the two sentences? Thanks for help!

 

[I.M. Knott]

1) _____for the chance to go to university, the young man devoted himself to study.
A. Desperate B. Being desperate
2) Being ill for a few days, she doesn't feel like eating anything.

1. Either A or B is marginally grammatical, but not recommended.
2. Needs changes. One possibility is this: Having been ill for the last few days, she doesn't feel like eating anything.
Another possibility: Being ill for a few days has made her reluctant to eat anything.
Best wishes...

 

[probus]

You are right that B is clearly best in 2. "Ill for a few days, ..." sounds a little unnatural to me.

Perhaps the problem is sequence of tenses. Here are some examples:

Having been ill for a few days, she doesn't feel like eating.
Having been ill for a few days, she hadn't felt like eating.

In 1, on the other hand, there is very little to choose between "Desperate..." and "Being desperate...".

I have a slight preference for omitting "being" in this case.

 

[roseriver1012]

Well, to tell the truth, I become more puzzled.

 

[probus]

OK roseriver, I understand that my first reply was inadequate. Let me have another try.

Desperate for the chance to go to university, the young man devoted himself to study.
Being desperate for the chance to go to university, the young man devoted himself to study.

Both are fine. In my opinion the former is slightly more natural.

Having been ill for a few days, she doesn't feel like eating.

This is also grammatically correct. My trouble was that I found it hard to imagine a context in which one might say it. I take back my comment about sequence of tenses. I would use a construction like: she is a strong candidate for president, having been treasurer for several years. But I still cannot imagine circumstances in which I could say:

Having been ill for a few days, she doesn't feel like eating.

 

[Raymott]

I think roseriver wants to know why the "Being desperate ..." sentence is OK, but the "Being ill ..." sentence is not; or perhaps why "Desperate for the chance to go to university ..." is OK, but "Ill for a few days ..." is not.
Or perhaps that's me projecting. I agree with probus's answer as far as it goes.