[Grammar] What does the v-ing in these sentences mean?

[englishseeker91]

I've seen lots of things like these...

1. Joey sat on the ground, playing with a small toy car = Joey sat on the ground playing with a small toy car ???

2. 'In here,' said Miss Duncaster, opening a door.

3. Joey was working hard, his hands busily pulling and pushing pieces of wire which were not in the right places.

What are they called in English?

 

[Roman55]

These are examples of the present participle.

 

[Rover_KE]

Welcome to the forum, englishseeker91.

Click here to read more about present participles.

 

[englishseeker91]

I can't find it in 2 books (Grammar In Use Essential & Intermediate). I want to understand their meaning!

 

[Tdol]

What does the v-ing in these sentences mean?

This is not the question you want to ask. Your question is about the grammar, so you could ask what part of speech they are or what is their grammatical form, etc.

 

[TheParser]

1. Joey sat on the ground, playing with a small toy car = Joey sat on the ground playing with a small toy car ???

NOT A TEACHER



Hello, Englishseeker:

Are you asking whether your sentence requires a comma?

If you are, here is some information that may interest you as much as it interested me.


*****

1. "Little Jack Horner sat in a corner, eating his Christmas pie."

a. The comma is necessary.
b. Compare: "Eating his Christmas pie, Little Jack Horner sat in a corner."
c. The participial phrase is extra information, and not necessary from a grammatical point of view

2 "He sat there staring at me." / "Luther sat translating one of the Psalms."

a. There should be no comma.
b. The use of the verb "sat" is different from its use in sentence No. 1.
c. In sentences 2 and 3, the verb "sat" requires a completing element (such as "staring at me").

If you accept the accuracy of this information, then, YES, a comma is necessary in your sentence.


My information comes mainly from House and Harman, Descriptive English Grammar (copyright 1931, 1950), pages 304 - 305.

 

[Matthew Wai]

1. "Little Jack Horner sat in a corner, eating his Christmas pie."

There is no comma in 'The children sat cross-legged on the floor playing a game'—quoted from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sit