To identify the functions of the participles in the given sentence, let's break it down step by step:
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Identify the Participles: The participle in the sentence is "Finding." Participles can be present or past and can function in several roles, such as adjectives, nouns, or part of verb phrases.
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Determine the Role of the Participle: In this case, "Finding" is a present participle. To understand its role, we consider the phrase it belongs to: "Finding a gardening class in a city."
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Analyze the Phrase: The phrase "Finding a gardening class in a city" functions as a noun phrase. It acts as the subject of the verb "was" in the main clause: "Finding a gardening class in a city was one of Janessa’s unexpected exploits."
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Conclusion on Its Function: Therefore, in this sentence, "Finding" acts as a noun (gerund use) because it is the subject of the main clause.
Reasoning Process
- Step 1: Identify all the participles in the sentence.
- Step 2: Examine the structure of the sentence to see how the participle fits into the overall grammar.
- Step 3: Analyze the phrase associated with the participle to determine what grammatical role it plays (subject, object, or adjective).
- Step 4: Conclude that the participle in this context serves a noun function, specifically as the subject of the main clause.
This method allows clear understanding of the participle's function by breaking down the sentence structure step by step.