please help regarding the use of participals as modifiers

[sourav106]

[Deleted by Stacey because no source was cited. Please don't forget to cite sources guys - this may have been a legitimate question to post but now I have to delete it because the poster didn't cite the source... :( Now this whole post is less useful for everyone.]

The answer to this is (C) , here protecting is used as a participal which modidfies the preceding phrase.
I am a bit confused as to how can we use participles as modifiers(whether they modify only nouns...or if they modify phrases or clauses how does that happen) please help

[DHOOMKETU]

I find these sort of questions very confusing, can anyone shed some light please.

[nagm]

First identify that modifer is modifying only the word preceding it or the whole clause/sentence.
+ING is generally modifies the whole clause/sentence. This is evident from the meaning of the sentence.

[rfernandez]

sourav106, what is the source of this question? We need to know that before addressing the question. Please refer to the sticky for details.

Regarding present participles, they can assume a number of modifying roles. I'll illustrate through examples:

My favorite painting of his is the one that depicts a setting sun over the ocean.
Here the single word "setting" is acting as an adjective, modifying sun. It touches the modified noun.

The runway was crowded with models wearing the designer's latest creations.
Here the phrase "wearing the designer's latest creations" modifies models. Notice again that it touches the modified noun. This is a requirement of noun modifiers.

Dodging numerous passengers along the way, the news reporter raced to the gate just in time.
Another noun modifier, this time placed before the modified noun "the news reporter."

He aced the exam, missing only one question out of eighty.
Notice that in this case, "missing..." is not a noun modifier. If it were, it would have to modify "exam," but that doesn't make any sense. Instead, what we have here is an adverbial modifier, modifying the verb "aced." The modifier serves to explain how he aced the exam.

The police found the murder weapon, making the prosecutor's job easier.
This is a different case altogether. Again, it's clearly not a noun modifier, as "the murder weapon" (which the modifier touches) did not make the prosecutor's job easier. So that means that it must be an adverbial modifier. But it's not modifying the verb "found." We know this because "making the prosecutor's job easier" does not describe how the police found the murder weapon. So what does it modify? It's the entire clause "The police found the murder weapon." In other words, it is the FACT that the police found the murder weapon that made the prosecutor's job easier.

Hope this helps,

Rey

[Aragorn]

Brilliant explanation Rey! Fantabulous! I was stuck on that issue too!
Thanks.

[StaceyKoprince]

Please, please remember to cite sources, guys! It's a lot of work for us to check and delete when people don't - which means less time spent answering properly sourced questions! - and the archive of posts is made less useful when we have to delete unsourced questions or questions from banned sources. Thanks!