Re: Grammar of "using"

[Michael LaTorra <mikel -at- HUEY -dot- ACCUGRAPH -dot- COM>]

John, from the example you gave (see COPY below), I believe that
your final guess is correct: "using" in this instance is a gerund
preceded by an understood (preposition) "by".  However, a good
case can also be made for "using" being part of a prepositional
phrase with that understood "by".

Think of it this way. If you moved the phrase that begins with
"using" to the front of the sentence, the meaning would be the same.
Substituting "with" for "using", which you also suggested, works, too.
In both cases -- gerund or prepositional -- the object of the phrase
is Graphic Calculator, not "You" or "graph".


Live long & prosper,
Mike LaTorra

Documentation Supervisor
Accugraph Inc.
mikel -at- accugraph -dot- com
......................................................................
The opinions expressed are my own, and not necessarily those of my
company -- but they probably should be.
......................................................................

========================= COPY ===========================================
Here's a construction with "using" that's absolutely standard techdoc. No
editor I know would touch it:

 "You can graph an expression in a document using the Graphic Calculator."

But how would I explain it grammatically? Has "using" become a preposition,
meaning something like "with"? Is it a participal used adjectivally to modify
the pronoun "You"? A participal used adverbally to modify the verb "graph"? A
gerund preceded by an understood "by"?

I know, I know, who cares about grammar? But will somebody humor me on this?

--
____________________________________________
 John Taylor          | Voice: 510.339.9795
 jaytay -at- ix -dot- netcom -dot- com | Fax:   510.339.6578
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