Amy, (being) punished for talking in class, received a detention form.

[sitifan]

Amy, who was punished for talking in class, received a detention form.
= Amy, being punished for talking in class, received a detention form.
= Amy, punished for talking in class, received a detention form.
(by a Chinese teacher of English)
Are the above sentences acceptable to native speakers?

 

[Tarheel]

I prefer the second one. It makes it clear what her punishment is (detention). The first seems to hold open the possibility that it could be something else, although that's unlikely.

 

[sitifan]

I prefer the second one. It makes it clear what her punishment is (detention). The first seems to hold open the possibility that it could be something else, although that's unlikely.

Are the three sentences grammatically correct?

 

[Tarheel]

Are the three sentences grammatically correct?

I think they are all correct. However, in my first post I didn't mention the third one for a reason. After all, the detention and the punishment are supposed to be the same thing -- not two different things.

 

[emsr2d2]

What exactly is the English teacher trying to get their students to practise here? I find all three unnatural.

Amy received/got a detention form as a punishment for talking in class.

 

[Tarheel]

I would simply say she got detention.

Who is the form for?

 

[Tarheel]

@sitifan If I were you I wouldn't even worry about grammar. You are too advanced for that in my opinion. Instead, follow my example and ask yourself if the sentences say what you want them to say. (You should always follow my example. )

 

[sitifan]

What exactly is the English teacher trying to get their students to practise here?

The English teacher tried to get their students to practise participle clauses.
1) Because his dog was kept in the dog house, it barked when people passed by.
= Being kept in the dog house, his dog barked when people passed by.
= Kept in the dog house, his dog barked when people passed by.

2) Finally I was persuaded by my wife to buy a new car, and I went to the Toyota dealer in Burnaby to see and drive their demo cars.
= Finally being persuaded by my wife to buy a new car, I went to the Toyota dealer in Burnaby to see and drive their demo cars.
= Finally persuaded by my wife to buy a new car, I went to the Toyota dealer in Burnaby to see and drive their demo cars.

3) Amy, who was punished for talking in class, received a detention form.
= Amy, being punished for talking in class, received a detention form.
= Amy, punished for talking in class, received a detention form.

 

[Tarheel]

I might say:

The English teacher wanted to get their students to practice participle clauses.

I am not a classroom teacher. However, I have a question. Has she considered having the students devise their own sentences?

 

[sitifan]

I might say:

The English teacher wanted to get their students to practice participle clauses.

I am not a classroom teacher. However, I have a question. Has she considered having the students devise their own sentences?

No. Few, if any, Chinese teachers of English have.

 

[Tarheel]

@sitifan It might be worth trying. Overly focusing on grammar can, apparently, lead to unnatural sentences like those. Instead, just ask me how I would say it.

I don't know. I'm not in the habit of devising sentences for grammar exercises. (I'm trying to remember what I wanted to say. )

I'm not a classroom teacher. I do know that I don't even think about such things when I'm not on this forum. Also, with prose at least, I tend to be much more focused on what I want to say than how I want to say it.

Maybe it's ego, but I like to think that reading my stuff on this forum can be useful to ESL learners.