[Grammar] "be busy collecting sth" a gerund or a participle phrase?

[lagoo]

Hi, I came across the sentence below:

“The teacher is busy collecting the students’ exam papers.”

Is the form “collecting sth.”a gerund or a present participle phrase?
I wonder if there is a preposition omitted before “collecting”.

 

[Matthew Wai]

'Collecting' is a present participle modifying 'teacher', so a preposition is not needed before it.

 

[emsr2d2]

It's common usage - to be busy doing something.

I am busy cooking dinner.
He's busy collecting wild herbs.
She's busy doing her homework.

Sometimes, the verb+ing can be replaced by the word "with" but it doesn't always work.

I am busy with dinner. :tick: (Most people would assume you're cooking it, not eating it.)
She's busy with her homework. :tick: (The meaning would be clear.)
He's busy with wild herbs. :cross: (There are multiple things he could be doing with wild herbs so the specific verb is required.)

 

[lagoo]

It's common usage - to be busy doing something.

Could I say that I am sorry having made you unhappy?
Although it's common usage, I still wanna know if this kind of V-ing form after an adjective is a gerund or a participle.

 

[Matthew Wai]

Could I say that I am sorry having made you unhappy?

I think 'for' is needed after 'sorry'.

Although it's common usage, I still wanna know if this kind of V-ing form after an adjective is a gerund or a participle.

A participle, as in 'I am happy learning English'.

 

[GoesStation]

Could I say [strike]that[/strike] "I am sorry having made you unhappy"?
Although it's common usage, I still [strike]wanna[/strike] want to know if this kind of V-ing form after an adjective is a gerund or a participle.

The sentence in quotes is not possible. You can correct it by replacing the participle with a to- infinitive.

Please don't write wanna.​ It looks like baby talk.

 

[tzfujimino]

Huddleston and Pullum.

(However, I'm not familiar with 'AArts'.)

(Edit)
It must have something to do with 'Bas Aarts'.
http://www.ucl.ac.uk/english/people/bas-aarts