0
[email protected] Posted 6 years ago
Grammar

"Gerund“ or ”Participle"

The desire for fame has its roots in the experience of neglect. No one would want to be famous who hadn’t also, somewhere in the past, been made to feel extremely insignificant. We sense the need for a great deal of admiring attention when we have been painfully exposed to earlier deprivation. Perhaps one’s parents were hard to impress. They never noticed one much, as they were so busy with other things, focusing on other famous people, unable to have or express kind feelings, or just working too hard.

  1. I wonder if “focusing” is “Gerund“ or ”Participle“.
  2. If “unable” means “being unable”, I wonder “being unable” is “Gerund“ or ”Participle“.
  

Top answer

net I wonder if “focusing” is “Gerund“ or ”Participle“. It's part of a verb phrase, so it's a participle. they were 1) so busy with other things, 2) (they were) focusing on other famous people, 3) (they were) unable to have or express kind feelings, or 4) (they were) just working too hard.

Free · every Monday

Get the Weekly English Kit 📬

New words, one handy idiom, and a 2-minute quiz — delivered to your inbox to keep your streak alive.

1 Answers
0
[email protected]I wonder if “focusing” is “Gerund“ or ”Participle“.

It's part of a verb phrase, so it's a participle.

they were
1) so busy with other things,
2) (they were) focusing on other famous people,
3) (they were) unable to have or express kind feelin