[Grammar] With "being" Vs without "being",Help?

[chester_nee]

I'm still confused about the usage of BEING. From my point of view, the following sentences without BEING are grammatically correct. How about the ones with BEING? They're also right? I'm not sure about that. if they do, are they interchangeable or what's the difference between the paired sentences with and without BEING?

any of your suggestions would be appreciated.


for instance,
1 BEING united, we stand; BEING divided, we fall.
united, we stand; divided, we fall.

2 He turned to me, his eyes BEING sleepy.
He turned to me, his eyes sleepy.

3 School BEING over, we all went home.
School over, we all went home.

4 BEING written in simple English, the book is suitable for beginners
written in simple English, the book is suitable for beginners

 

[White Hat]

Experience shows that they are very similar, yet as concerns

BEING united, we stand; BEING divided, we fall.
united, we stand; divided, we fall.

united we stand = we stand united (no comma)

but

being united, we stand is a bit different.

It could mean that while/when someone is uniting us, we stand, and otherwise we sit.

Let's see what native speakers have to say on this.

 

[TheParser]

3 School BEING over, we all went home.
School over, we all went home.


REMINDER: NOT A TEACHER


(1) If you will go to the search box at this website and type "absolute phrases,"

you will find many helpful threads.

(2) I found something in English Review Grammar that may interest you:

Dinner being over, we assembled in the parlor.

The author, Walter Kay Smart, says: "Occasionally the participle is omitted in the

absolute phrase, when it can be easily supplied by the reader" :

Dinner over, we assembled in the parlor.

P.S. Of course, you understand that absolutes are elegant ways of writing. People

usually do not use absolutes in conversation. You would sound very strange if you

spoke this way.

 

[rajan]

Dear Parser,

Please correct me if i am wrong. My views are

Absolute clause is an adverbial clause which has its own subject and this subject should be without finite verb, sometime even participle (here - being) is also removed. keeping this in mind, my thinking is that out of the above sentences, sentence number 2 and 3 are only absolute clause. Rest of two clauses (1 & 4) are participle clause which is functioning as an adverbial clause.

3 School BEING over, we all went home.
School over, we all went home.


REMINDER: NOT A TEACHER


(1) If you will go to the search box at this website and type "absolute phrases,"

you will find many helpful threads.

(2) I found something in English Review Grammar that may interest you:

Dinner being over, we assembled in the parlor.

The author, Walter Kay Smart, says: "Occasionally the participle is omitted in the

absolute phrase, when it can be easily supplied by the reader" :

Dinner over, we assembled in the parlor.

P.S. Of course, you understand that absolutes are elegant ways of writing. People

usually do not use absolutes in conversation. You would sound very strange if you

spoke this way.

 

[TheParser]

Dear Parser,

Please correct me if i am wrong. My views are

Absolute clause is an adverbial clause which has its own subject and this subject should be without finite verb, sometime even participle (here - being) is also removed. keeping this in mind, my thinking is that out of the above sentences, sentence number 2 and 3 are only absolute clause. Rest of two clauses (1 & 4) are participle clause which is functioning as an adverbial clause.


REMINDER: NOT A TEACHER


(1) As usual, you have asked an excellent question.

(2) And as usual, I do not want to give any wrong answers.

(3) I hope that some of the great teachers give you an answer. If they

do not, please start a new thread and ask your excellent question again.

 

[TheParser]

(3) I hope that some of the great teachers give you an answer.


REMINDER: NOT A TEACHER


(1) As I type this, no teacher has answered.

(2) I did some research, and I am happy to share some thoughts (not

definite answers).

(a) I believe that you are 100% correct: an absolute construction has a

subject; a participial clause/phrase does not have a subject (because it is the same

as the subject of the main clause).

(b) I agree with you: Sentences 1 and 4 are participial phrases; sentences 2 and 3 are

absolute phrases.

(c) I note that you refer to participial phrases as "adverbial." I think that all books


agree that participial phrases are always adjectival and often adverbial, too.

(i) Here's a sentence from Professor Quirk's famous book:

Being a farmer, he is suspicious of governmental interference.

I think that all books would say that the participial phrase modifies "he." That is, he

is a farmer. But they would agree with you that it also has an adverbial role.

That is, it means something like As/since/because he is a farmer, he ....

 

[rajan]

Thanks

(3) I hope that some of the great teachers give you an answer.


REMINDER: NOT A TEACHER


(1) As I type this, no teacher has answered.

(2) I did some research, and I am happy to share some thoughts (not

definite answers).

(a) I believe that you are 100% correct: an absolute construction has a

subject; a participial clause/phrase does not have a subject (because it is the same

as the subject of the main clause).

(b) I agree with you: Sentences 1 and 4 are participial phrases; sentences 2 and 3 are

absolute phrases.

(c) I note that you refer to participial phrases as "adverbial." I think that all books


agree that participial phrases are always adjectival and often adverbial, too.

(i) Here's a sentence from Professor Quirk's famous book:

Being a farmer, he is suspicious of governmental interference.

I think that all books would say that the participial phrase modifies "he." That is, he

is a farmer. But they would agree with you that it also has an adverbial role.

That is, it means something like As/since/because he is a farmer, he ....