[Grammar] He brushed past, toppling her from her stool

[kadioguy]

Example sentence:

He brushed past, toppling her from her stool.

1. Is the meaning of the sentence the same as:

He brushed past, and toppled her from her stool.

2. Why does the verb toppling use -ing form?

3. Do the two verbs brushed and toppling happen at the same time? or first brushed and then toppling?

Thanks!

 

[kadioguy]

3. Inevitably, most of the toppling takes place after the brushing set it off.

He brushed past, toppling her from her stool.

I don't know how I can judge the happened sequence of verbs brushed and toppling in this sentence.

Could I judge the happened sequence of them by the order where they are in the sentence? i.e. the verb brushed is in the first place, so it happened first, and the verb toppling is in the second place, so it happened second.

Or should I judge them by imagining that they happened in reality?

Thanks!

 

[GoesStation]

I see the brush and the toppling as simultaneous, just as the actions would be if he brushed her with a wet paintbrush, ruining her blouse.

 

[kadioguy]

I see the brush and the toppling as simultaneous, just as the actions would be if he brushed her with a wet paintbrush, ruining her blouse.

Does the verb brush mean to touch sb/sth lightly while moving close to them/it or to put sth, for example oil, milk or egg, on sth using a brush?

 

[GoesStation]

Does the verb brush mean to touch sb/sth lightly while moving close to them/it or to put sth, for example oil, milk or egg, on sth using a brush?

It's the first definition in my post. The second definition applies when you do something intentionally. It would be odd, though not unheard of, to intentionally ruin someone's clothing by applying paint to it.

 

[kadioguy]

It's the first definition in my post. The second definition applies when you do something intentionally. It would be odd, though not unheard of, to intentionally ruin someone's clothing by applying paint to it.

Now I knew that if he brushed her with a wet paintbrush, ruining her blouse is an example of the explanation I see the brush and the toppling as simultaneous, but it doesn't mean that you mean the verb brush is to put sth, for example oil, milk or egg, on sth using a brush.