meaning of "working"

[pinkie9]

Hello.

The following is "Shipment procedures for frozen muscle biopsies".
I don't understand the meaning of "working". Could anyone help me please?

(omitted)

8. Open the freezer, quickly take out the cryovial(s) and working on top of the dry ice in the transport box:
· Place the cryovial(s) in the plastic bag
· Expel air from the bag
· ...

(omitted)

 

[Rover_KE]

It means 'perform the following operations on top of the dry ice'.

Rover

 

[pinkie9]

Thank you, Rover KE. But I don't still understand well yet.
Is this "working" a gerund and does it mean "to work"?

 

[engee30]

Thank you, Rover KE. But I don't still understand well yet.
Is this "working" a gerund and does it mean "to work"?

♥♦♣♠ NOT A TEACHER ♥♦♣♠
It's not the gerund, it's the -ing form.

 

[5jj]

♥♦♣♠ NOT A TEACHER ♥♦♣♠
It's not the gerund, it's the -ing form.

Well, the gerund is an -ing-form.

In pinkie9's sentence it is a present participle. The sentence would have been easier to understand with a comma between and and working.

 

[engee30]

Well, the gerund is an -ing-form.

In pinkie9's sentence it is a present participle. The sentence would have been easier to understand with a comma between and and working.

:up: You've got me there, fivejedjon. I was actually thinking of the present participle, introducing the -ing clause.

 

[pinkie9]

Thank you.
If something is omitted in the sentence, could anyone please write the whole sentence without omission?

 

[Khosro]

Well, the gerund is an -ing-form.

In pinkie9's sentence it is a present participle. The sentence would have been easier to understand with a comma between and and working.

If it is a present participle then shouldn't there be a "to be" verb? has it been omited?

 

[5jj]

If it is a present participle then shouldn't there be a "to be" verb?

Only when it is used with BE to form the progressive (or continuous) tenses/aspects:

I am/was/have been working.

Among other things, the present participle can be used:

As an adjective: I was struck by a falling tile;

Adverbially: He came into the room smiling, and left crying;

As part of a participle clause:

Seeing her arrive, I informed the chairman .

 

[Rover_KE]

Thank you.
If something is omitted in the sentence, could anyone please write the whole sentence without omission?

Do you want to know what working means in the context of that sentence, or what its grammatical function might be?

If the former, I told you in post 2.

Rover

 

[Dryice]

Hi Pinkie9

It means; before you put it in the box on dryice, you have to do the following work;

· Place the cryovial(s) in the plastic bag
· Expel air from the bag
· Fold bag in half
· Seal bag using self adhesive strips
· NOTE: To prevent defrosting/thawing of the muscle biopsy sample, complete all of the parts of Step #8 within 5 seconds

So these 5 things you still have to complete, are called "the working ".
Work still need to be done.

Hope this makes it understandable.

Ciao,
Dryice

 

[pinkie9]

Thank you everyone, but I don't still understand.

Do you want to know what working means in the context of that sentence, or what its grammatical function might be?

If the former, I told you in post 2.

Rover

In order to understand what working means in the context of that sentence, I'd like to know what its grammatical function might be.

You wrote 'It means 'perform the following operations on top of the dry ice', but it seems that the work of class is different between 'working' and 'peform'. That's why I'm confused. What is the word of class of "working" in this case?

So these 5 things you still have to complete, are called "the working ".

If so, "the working" looks like a noun. Are you saying it's a noun?

 

[birdeen's call]

Pinkie,

The grammatical function of the whole phrase "working on top of the dry ice in the transport box" is adverbial.

 

[Raymott]

"Open the freezer, quickly take out the cryovial(s) and working on top of the dry ice in the transport box:
· Place the cryovial(s) in the plastic bag
· Expel air from the bag"

Simpler examples:
Lie on your back on the floor and, [while you are] breathing deeply,:
- feel your muscles relax
- let go of your thoughts ...

Place the cat on a solid surface and, [while you are] holding it firmly,:
- extend the cat's head with your left hand
- lower the cats chin with your right hand
- pop the tablet into the cat's mouth as deeply as possible.

It's a present participle with the bracketed words (or something like them) ellipsed.
It's also an adverbial phrase, as BC said.

 

[pinkie9]

So...

Open the freezer, quickly take out the cryovial(s), and (while you are) working on top of the dry ice in the transport box:
· Place the cryovial(s) in the plastic bag
· Expel air from the bag ...
I think I finally understood. Thank you, everyone.
Raymott's examples were very easy to understand although I appreciate every response. :-D