you are listening to Ray Charles, reading Leo Tolstoy

[GeneD]

Listening to, say, Ray Charles's music and singing, would it be correct to say that you are listening to Ray Charles? What about reading Leo Tolstoy? Do you express such ideas this way?

 

[GoesStation]

Yes.

Note that you are listening to Ray Charles, reading Leo Tolstoy means Ray Charles is reading Tolstoy aloud and you're listening to him.

 

[GeneD]

If you mean the title, I didn't mean it to be a sentence. BTW, if I had realised that it could be read in the sense you pointed out, I would have probably left it as it was :-D (in the title, I mean); it's just more interesting. ;-)

 

[Raymott]

The comma makes a difference as to who is reading Tolstoy.

 

[GeneD]

Could you explain the difference, please? I'm not sure I understand your point.

 

[Raymott]

1. You are
[listening to Ray Charles], [reading Leo Tolstoy].

You are listening to Ray Charles while you are reading Tolstoy.
While reading Tolstoy, you are listening to Ray Charles.

2. You are listening to Ray Charles, singing a song. = You are listening to Ray Charles and singing a song.

3. You are listening to [Ray Charles reading Leo Tolstoy].

You are listening to Ray Charles while he is reading Tolstoy.

4. You are listening to Ray Charles singing a song. = You are listening to Ray Charles as he is singing a song. = You are listening to Ray Charles singing.

 

[emsr2d2]

If you were simply giving us two versions of the same construction in your title, you could have written it like these:

You are listening to Ray Charles/You are reading Leo Tolstoy
You are listening to Ray Charles/reading Leo Tolstoy

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

Yes.

Note that you are listening to Ray Charles, reading Leo Tolstoy means Ray Charles is reading Tolstoy aloud and you're listening to him.

I'd read it that way if we got rid of the comma.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

Listening to, say, Ray Charles's music and singing, would it be correct to say that you are listening to Ray Charles?

Yes.

What about reading Leo Tolstoy? Do you express such ideas this way?

Yes.

They're slightly idiomatic, aren't they? You have them exactly right: I'm listening to Ray Charles. I'm reading Leo Tolsoy.