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Re: participle phrase

"I called her, saying I was sorry."

The underlined clause is an adjunct in clause structure and therefore adverbial (not adjectival), but it is a depictive adjunct giving descriptive information about the subject "I". Note that it is interpreted with progressive aspectuality: "I was saying sorry".

PaulM

Re: participle phrase

Thank you so much!!!

Since it modifies the subject "I", why isn't the clause an adjectival?

Re: participle phrase

HH Chen
Thank you so much!!!

Since it modifies the subject "I", why isn't the clause an adjectival?


Because it doesn't actually modify the subject "I", but simply gives some information about it; there is a difference. Adjuncts (adverbials) modify verbs, not nouns. But note, though, that participial clauses can modify nouns:

(1) "The person calling me was very rude".

(2) "The person who was calling me was very rude".

In those examples, the underlined clauses are modifying the noun "person". Such clauses function rather like adjectives, but they are best called modifiers.


PaulM

Re: participle phrase

Thank you, Paul!