Given his age

[Maybo]

I'm trying to understand the meaning of "given" when it is placed at the beginning of a sentence.

"Given" in the following sentence mean "considering". Am I right?

Given his age, he's a remarkably fast runner. (Dictionary)


Can I use "given" the following way?

"Given ten assignments today, I was shocked." In that sentence, does "Given ten assignments today" mean "I was given ten assignments today"?

 

[stanislaw.masny]

"Given" in the following sentence mean "considering". Am I right?

Yes. Not a teacher.

 

[Tarheel]

Perhaps:

I was surprised to get so many assignments at once.

 

[Maybo]

"Given ten assignments today, I was shocked." In that sentence, does "Given ten assignments today" mean "I was given ten assignments today"?

Do people use "given" that way?

 

[5jj]

No.

 

[tedmc]

Do people use "given" that way?

Your sentence would be okay with "being" or "having been" in front.
"Given" used this way means "presented with something", which is different in meaning with you sentence with "Given his age".

 

[Phaedrus]

Can I use "given" the following way?

"Given ten assignments today, I was shocked."

No, that doesn't work (well). But we do use somewhat similar sentences with conditional meaning:

Given the chance, I would take it.
Given ten assignments in one class meeting, almost any student would be shocked.

 

[Tarheel]

Do people use "given" that way?

There's a reason I suggested something else.

(You'll get used to it. ☺)

 

[Tdol]

I was shocked to get/when I got ten assignments today sounds more natural to me.

 

[Tarheel]

I was surprised that I got ten assignments. I was shocked that I was the only one to get so many assignments.