Sentence Correction

I'm coming across the options in Sentence correction where after a first clause there is a comma and then the clause starting with ing form of verb.In my observation most of the time that option was eliminated because of the ing form of verb. So can someone tell me where it is OK to use a clause starting with ing form of verb.

I'm talking about this form of sentences:-

"The Olympic Games helped to keep peace among the pugnacious states of the Greek world, proclaiming a sacred truce during the festival's month."

Not like this one:-

"Playing is fun".

Any help is appreciated.

hemant_rajput wrote:I'm coming across the options in Sentence correction where after a first clause there is a comma and then the clause starting with ing form of verb.In my observation most of the time that option was eliminated because of the ing form of verb. So can someone tell me where it is OK to use a clause starting with ing form of verb.

I'm talking about this form of sentences:-

"The Olympic Games helped to keep peace among the pugnacious states of the Greek world, proclaiming a sacred truce during the festival's month."

Not like this one:-

"Playing is fun".

Any help is appreciated.

Below is the one of the scenarios which you would most often see on GMAT questions. In 99% of such scenarios, -ing form of the verb is used.

Wherever there is a cause and effect relationship in the two clauses in a sentence.. The First clause being the cause for the second.

For instance :- in the above example :- The Olympic Games helped to keep peace ( Cause) and which lead to the proclaimation of a sacred truce ( effect)

The use of Ing form is wrong over here

hemant_rajput wrote:The use of Ing form is wrong over here

Oops my bad...here it is wrong because the meaning of the sentence is illogical..not because of grammatical reasons.

The Olympic Games cannot proclaim ( announce) anything.

Can you explain about the proper usage of Ing form and why the usage is wrong over here

hemant_rajput wrote:I'm coming across the options in Sentence correction where after a first clause there is a comma and then the clause starting with ing form of verb.In my observation most of the time that option was eliminated because of the ing form of verb. So can someone tell me where it is OK to use a clause starting with ing form of verb.

I'm talking about this form of sentences:-

"The Olympic Games helped to keep peace among the pugnacious states of the Greek world, proclaiming a sacred truce during the festival's month."

Not like this one:-

"Playing is fun".

Any help is appreciated.

Look at this sentence:
The actor spent less than an hour looking over his lines, playing Hamlet for the third time that year.

Here, the phrase beginning with "playing..." modifies the entire preceding clause and applies to the subject of that clause. i.e. the actor.

We can use such participial modifiers in 2 circumstances:
1. The "ing" action is simultaneous with, and subordinate to, the main action
The old woman picked up her load once again, sighing deeply

2. The "ing" action is a direct and immediate consequence of the main action.
Amit ate salads all day, losing 5 kilos.

Hi,

Can you please explain this wrt to the original sentence

"The Olympic Games helped to keep peace among the pugnacious states of the Greek world, proclaiming a sacred truce during the festival's month."

Thanks in advance

aaggar7 wrote:Hi,

Can you please explain this wrt to the original sentence

"The Olympic Games helped to keep peace among the pugnacious states of the Greek world, proclaiming a sacred truce during the festival's month."

Thanks in advance

Okay - let us ask ourselves who is proclaiming the sacred truce? The Games or the Greek states?
Obviously not the Games.

In the above sentence, the phrase 'proclaiming a sacred truce...' applies to the subject of the preceding clause. i.e. the Olympic Games. This is incorrect, and therefore, the sentence is incorrect. The correct answer choice for this question says:

"The Olympic Games helped to keep peace among the pugnacious states of the Greek world, for a sacred truce was proclaimed during the month of the festival."

Here, 'for' is used in place of because. By using the passive phrase 'truce was proclaimed', the original referencing error has been rectified. I hope this is clear now.