Scott,
The comma certainly makes all the difference in your first and third sentences, which are certainly not synonymous:
To me the following groupings are more or less synonymous (a with b and c, d with e and f):
Dick Veit
From: Assembly for the Teaching of English Grammar [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Scott Woods
Sent: Sunday, December 14, 2008
2:35 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Clause or Phrase
Are these pairs basically synonymous to you and are they punctuated correctly?
The boy was very happy that his mother did not see him being such a pig. The boy was very happy that his mother did not see him eating so greedily. The boy was very happy that his mother did not see him, being such a pig. The boy was very happy that his mother did not see him, being such a duplicitous boy. The boy was very happy that his mother did not see his being such a pig. The boy was very happy that his mother did not see his bad behavior.
Scott Woods |
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