Confusion with participles

[ssairam96]

In the sentence "The baby is sleeping" is 'sleeping' functioning as an action verb or is 'sleeping' a participle functioning as an adjective like "The baby is naughty" where naughty is an adjective?

Please help!!

 

[RonBee]

In the sentence "The baby is sleeping" the word "sleeping" is the main verb and the word "is" is a helping (or auxiliary) verb.

 

[mmasny]

It's not an adjective here, it's a verb.
edit: sorry for doubling

 

[RonBee]

It would be an adjective in this sentence:
.

He tried not to disturb the sleeping baby.
​

 

[ssairam96]

Thanks Ron........but my confusion prevails

How is this explained:

The girl is naughty..........'is' is a linking verb here, right?

The girl is reading...........'is' is a helping verb here.

How can we explain this distinction?

Thanx in advance.

 

[RonBee]

Thanks Ron........but my confusion prevails

How is this explained:

The girl is naughty..........'is' is a linking verb here, right?

The girl is reading...........'is' is a helping verb here.

How can we explain this distinction?

Yes, and yes. The word "naughty" is an adjective, not a verb. The word "reading" is, of course, a verb.

 

[ssairam96]

So why can't 'reading' be considered here as the present participle working as an adjective?:?:

 

[mmasny]

It is a present participle. Continuous and progressive aspects - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
I am not a teacher.

 

[indonesia]

It's probably best to try and not get bogged down with all these grammatical names and asking yourself is X functioning as this, or is it functioning as that.
Saying that though, here is my input on the matter:

Reading books is fun. (reading is describing the noun books, so i think it's an adjective)

I am reading. (suggests that I'm doing the action 'now', so we call it the main verb in a continuous sentence)

My favourite hobby is reading. (Here, I'm just stating 'reading' is my favourite hobby, I'm not actually reading at this present moment, so I believe it's classed a gerund?)

 

[mmasny]

Reading books is fun. (reading is describing the noun books, so i think it's an adjective)

I can't agree with this. The sentence says something about reading. Reading is the subject of it. It's a gerund - the name of the activity that the verb 'read' describes. Note that e.g. in Italian, gerundio is a different thing. This word is a mess, they should ban it.

 

[gabber]

ssairam96,
"be" as a linking verb (also called a copula) connects a sentence subject with a noun, adjective, or adverb:
She is a doctor.
She is intelligent.
She is outside.
The other English linking verbs, with various functions, are: appear; become; feel; get; go; grow; look; prove; seem; smell; sound; taste; turn.

The verb be [is] of your "the baby is sleeping" is the auxiliary verb for the present progressive aspect, and "sleeping" is the present progressive participle of the verb "sleep."

"be" is the passive auxiliary: "The thief was captured in Toronto."

"be" also is a full intransitive verb meaning "to have being; exist": "there is something wrong";
or "to take place;happen": "there's been an accident."

"be" acts as its own auxiliary in that it can carry the negtive particle, and invert with the sentence subject in a question: "he's not here"; is "she coming?"

And "be" has eight forms: be; being; been; am; is; are; was; were. It's the hardest word to deal with in the English language, so don't be discouraged. You may not be able to talk about it comfortably, but you use it very well.

 

[ssairam96]

Thanks Gabber!

Can you shed some light on this as well please:

a. The window was broken

b. The window is closed

In the above sentences 'broken' and 'closed' function as verbs (past participles of break and close) or are they adjectives (verbals acting as adjectives)?

 

[ssairam96]

SOS!!

Sorry for being impatient.......but can someone please help here???:roll:

 

[2006]

Thanks Gabber!

Can you shed some light on this as well please:

a. The window was broken In this passive sentence, "broken" is a verb.

b. The window is closed "closed" is an adjective.

In the above sentences do 'broken' and 'closed' function as verbs (past participles of break and close) or are they adjectives (verbals acting as adjectives)?

2006

 

[indonesia]

I can't agree with this. The sentence says something about reading. Reading is the subject of it. It's a gerund - the name of the activity that the verb 'read' describes. Note that e.g. in Italian, gerundio is a different thing. This word is a mess, they should ban it.

I thank you for your correction mmasny, but I'm a little confused as to why 'reading' cannot be an adjective describing/modifying the word books in the sentence?

 

[mmasny]

I think reading is what your sentence is about, right? You coud say reading is fun. Books modify reading (you could read magazines). Reading is the subject here. Think of what it would mean if we treated reading as an adjective. Reading as an adjectival participle means "that read". Then - Books, that read, are fun. I certainly think they would be, but standard books do not read. They can be read.

 

[Raymott]

a. The window was broken

b. The window is closed

In the above sentences 'broken' and 'closed' function as verbs (past participles of break and close) or are they adjectives (verbals acting as adjectives)?

They can mean either. You can only tell what is meant from the context.

 

[2006]

a. The window was broken
Theoretically that "broken" could be an adjective, as in 'The window was broken. But it's not broken amy more.' But I think that's very unlikely.
A window frame can be fixed. But if one is referring to shattered glass, that can't be fixed. (at least as far as I know)

b. The window is closed
I can't think of a context in which "closed" would be a verb.

 

[corum]

They can mean either. You can only tell what is meant from the context.

Absolutely.

 

[corum]

I thank you for your correction mmasny, but I'm a little confused as to why 'reading' cannot be an adjective describing/modifying the word books in the sentence?

Actually, the subject in your sentence is the non-finite gerund clause, 'Reading books'. 'books' functions as the direct object of the gerund, 'reading'.

Reading books is fun.

With 'Reading' as an adjective, the sentence would mean this:

Books' reading (books can't read) is a funny phenomenon.

Reading books is fun.

If you mean the activity of reading is entertaining, 'reading' can't be an adjective for the following reasons:

1. If 'Reading' is an adjective, you can remove it from the sentence so that the sentence remains grammatical.

Books is fun. :cross:

2. You can substitute another attributive adjective for 'reading':

Yellow books is fun. :cross:

There is no number concord between the verb and the subject.

'Reading' can't be an adjective in your sentence.