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02:40 Dec 15, 2011
This question was closed without grading. Reason: Other
English to English translations [PRO] Linguistics
English term or phrase:gerund usage
Hi,
I need some help with the sentence below.
XX offers training to you to help you implement the best business practice, giving you assurance.
Here what does "giving" refer to? Best business practice or training, or as a result of the training, you get assurance?
Thank you, all of you! Your comments have been very insightful. You sometimes begin suspecting yourself once a text is poorly written. You have saved me from a lot of trouble.
If clients understood the work involved in untangling this sort of thing, perhaps they would also understand the rates a good editor must charge to massage a document into shape. (I say perhaps . . .)
As you say, 'assurance' isn't usually used like this in EN, except in the term 'life assurance', otherwise it is usually qualified in some other way — or of course, the writer may really have meant 'reassurance'. In any case, 'giving' sits awkwardly with either noun.
It all depends, of course, if this is simply an example made up by Asker, in which case, it would be a good idea for Asker to suggest another example, or preferably choose a real-life one.
Well put! I note that the two "answers" proposed, that fail to recognise that the sentence is poorly written, come from non-native speakers of English. Also, "giving you assurance" begs the question 'of what?'
The EN phrase you are using to illustrate your question is unfortunately poorly written, and seems not to have been written by a native English-speaker; this is certainly not likely to help your understanding!
Also, please note that this is not a gerund at all, it is in fact a present participle; this is always confusing in EN, first of all to identify whether one is dealing with a present participale, gerund, or gerundive!
Although logic might imply otherwise, the only real way I can see to analyse this is to regard it as if '[the whole of the first part of the phrase]" is what gives "[the end part]" — and since the primary verb is 'offer', this would imply that it is the fact of offering.. that gives...
I would, however, contest that this may well not be what the writer really intended to say, which is just one of the reasons why this might be said to be poorly written...
Automatic update in 00:
Answers
1 hr confidence:
adverbal participe
Explanation: Normally used with a preposition: '... by giving you...'.
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 1 hr (2011-12-15 04:28:11 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
Sorry, didn't type properly - "adverbial participle"
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 1 hr (2011-12-15 04:34:43 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
Assurance of moral and professional support, they answer your professional questions as well as they give you their good advise at the start.
Alexandra Taggart Russian Federation Local time: 05:19 Native speaker of: English, Russian
Explanation: Your original question was, essentially, what is the subject of the verb giving in this sentence?
I agree with everyone else, it's badly written. You are not asked to rewrite though, are you? :)
The point of the sentence is that the training helps you implement best business practices, and these practices will then give you confidence in your day-to-day business.
That's how I read it, anyhow :)
NancyLynn Canada Local time: 21:19 Works in field Native speaker of: English PRO pts in category: 26
The translation workplace 
peer agreement (net): +1
