For example:

It is a thing that works producing stuff.

This feels wrong to me, but I can’t quite put my finger on what exactly is wrong about it. It seems like it’s trying to be a participle phrase, but it’s not necessarily modifying the current state of “it”, and is, instead, describing what “it” is.

If it is, indeed, a participle phrase, then it should be able to be written as

Producing stuff, it is a thing that works.

But, to me, this doesn’t seem correct either, so it leads me to believe that the very structure of the sentence is incorrect.

    • @[email protected]OP
      link
      fedilink
      English
      1
      edit-2
      1 year ago

      I’d probably tighten the first one to “It is a thing that produces stuff.”

      That omits descriptive information though. The example includes the fact that the thing “works” which is how it “produces stuff”.

      Maybe it’s a dialect thing?

      It is certainly a grammatical issue.

      • @confluence
        link
        English
        21 year ago

        How about an infinitive? “It is a thing that works to produce stuff.”

        • @[email protected]OP
          link
          fedilink
          English
          1
          edit-2
          1 year ago

          Hm, while that does seem to fit, it feels as if its intent doesn’t necessarily align. To me, that is more of a description of it’s purpose rather than what it does.

          • @confluence
            link
            English
            21 year ago

            Ok, how about doubling up on the present participles? “The thing is working, producing stuff.”