[Grammar] Look at the boy playing with a dog.

[kadioguy]

Look at the boy playing with a dog.
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I think there are two ways to understand the -ing form in the sentence:

a. Look at the boy('s) playing with a dog.
b. Look at the boy, who is playing with a dog.

Are both of them acceptable? What do you think?

 

[kadioguy]

I prefer b) if you remove the comma after 'boy'.

Thank you, but I would think the comma should not be removed. Let's look at another example:

Look at Father playing with a dog.

c. Look at the Father('s) playing with a dog.
d. Look at the Father, who is playing with a dog.

I would think we cannot remove the comma after 'Father' in (d).

 

[Matthew Wai]

If there is only one boy, the comma should be there.

 

[Matthew Wai]

If there is only one boy, I would say "Look at the boy. He is playing with a dog."

 

[kadioguy]

How long of a pause do you think the comma represents? Why don't you try again?

Orally, I think you are right that the comma is hard to be there.
Grammatically, I prefer that the comma should not be removed.

 

[kadioguy]

If there is only one boy, I would say "Look at the boy. He is playing with a dog."

I wouldn't. I would say:

"Watch the boy playing with the dog" or "Look at the boy playing with the dog." Does it matter if I say:

"Look at the boys playing with the dog"?

Punctuation is used for the benefit of the reader, i.e. to avoid confusion in the reader's mind ---- and that's all it's used for. There is no need for a comma here. It's rather understandable, isn't it?

If there is only one boy, I admit that it is practically difficult to have a comma to make a pause to say Look at the boy, who is playing with a dog.

But grammatically, I think there should be a comma there.

 

[kadioguy]

The firm with the 's is extremely unlikely.

Pardon me, but I don't understand what you said.

What does 'firm' here mean? I don't think it means 'a business or company'.

 

[Matthew Wai]

"Firm" = "form".

 

[kadioguy]

"Firm" = "form".

You are Piscean's bosom friend.:-D

But I don't know why the form with the 's is extremely unlikely.

 

[Matthew Wai]

1. Look at the boy playing with a dog.
2. Look at the boy's playing with a dog.

The text in red is the focus .