Giving, Given, Teeming (ii)

What, then, does giving mean when it occurs in such a context? Take the following expression: “Giving details…” This expression, as an opening part of a sentence, means: “When he/she was/is giving details…” or “As he/she was/is giving details…”  or “While he/she was/is giving details…” It is important that at the end of that phrase/ expression, the first piece of information that must be given is the identity of the person that is giving details. Any other piece of information will be misleading.

Now let’s build that phrase into a sentence: “Giving details of his involvement in the crime, the suspect claimed some policemen were assisting the gang to procure guns.” Please note that the phrase begins with the word giving (which is in fact the keyword) and ends with the word crime. Immediately after the word crime, the identity of the person giving the details is provided. The identity is: the suspect. This is another way of putting it: “When the suspect was giving details…”  Actually, the word giving in the hypothetical sentence is a participle (an –ing participle) and the phrase in which it occurs is called a participial phrase/expression. If a word or phrase other than that which identifies the person giving details is offered after the participial phrase, we would have a case of dangling/unrelated/hanging participle.

We may now revisit the hypothetical sentence and allow a word or phrase other than that which identifies the person giving details to come immediately after the participial phrase: “Giving details of his involvement in the crime, the court adjourned till the end of December.” This is an example of hanging participle. Who was giving details of his involvement in the crime? The court? Not at all. For that reason, it is a faulty construction.

Actually, any other present participle can illustrate the use of participial phrases/expressions.

Read the following sentences:

1) Speaking on the occasion of the inauguration of the panel, the president urged Nigerians to submit memoranda that would assist the panel to do its work. (Note: Who was speaking? The president)

2) Presenting his controversial book yesterday in Abuja, the former president made denigrating comments about some prominent Nigerians. (Note: Who was presenting his book? The former president)

3) Describing the allegation as false, the Governor presented what he called the correct position. (Note: Who was describing the allegation as false? The Governor)

4) Declaring his intention to join the opposition party, the former Minister complained about lack of internal democracy in his party. (Note: Who was declaring his intention to join the opposition party? The former Minister)

5) Focusing on the social, economic and political sectors of Nigeria, the foreignjournalist criticized the leaders for lack of vision and commitment. (Note: Who was focusing on the social, economic and political sectors of Nigeria? The foreign journalist)

6) Delivering a keynote address at a conference organized by activist journalists, the scholar said that inadequate attention being paid to the acquisition of knowledge was the major problem retarding the growth and development of the country. (Note: Who was delivering a keynote address? The scholar)

7) Insinuating that the chairman was a member of a secret society, a member suggested that he (the chairman) should be probed. (Note: Who was insinuating that the chairman was a member of a secret society? A member)

8) Saying that his client was innocent, the lawyer urged the court to discharge and acquit him. (Note: Who was saying that his client was innocent? The lawyer) 9) Driving at a dangerously high speed, James applied the brakes suddenly when he sighted the cattle. (Note: Who was driving at a dangerously high speed? James) 10) Moving in the direction of the river, the tourists took a tortuously long route to the village. (Note: Who were moving in the direction of the river? The tourists.)

Now, we move to another matter. A lot has been said on this page about the great lexical, semantic and grammatical significance that may be associated with a seeming inconsequential spelling difference between two words. Rather than being minimized, the significance may even be heightened by a striking pronunciation similarity between such items. Against this background, we observe the error in the choice of the word teaming in the phrase “teaming supporters.” Searching for a word that would convey an idea of a huge number of supporters, the writer reached into his rich lexical repertoire and fetched the word team which he converted to a present (- ing) participle of adjectival character.

And why not? Does the noun team not refer to a group of people, and by extension a large number of them? This is erroneous thinking, pure and simple. Deceived by over familiarity with the word team but obviously faint if not zero familiarity with teem, the writer found himself fusing the two words in an unwitting display of ignorance. It is obvious that rather than taking authority over words, manipulating them to communicate meaning and pleasure, the writer has been manipulated by them.

To understand the nature of the error and facilitate its correction, we need to have a clear understanding of each of the words as well as its usage. We start with the word team (note the spelling). A team is a group of people working together, having a common purpose or goal. The word can be used both as a noun and as a verb:

(1) To make for effective supervision, the people were divided into three teams, each with its own leader.

(2) A team of experts has been assembled to study the problem and make recommendations.

(3) Dr. John is industrious, purposeful and pushy, but has not been greatly successful because he cannot work with a team. In short, he lacks team spirit.

(4) The football team suffered serial defeats because the members do not appreciate the advantage of teamwork.

(5) Nigerian businessmen are infamous for not being team players.

In the sentences above, we have used the word team mainly as a noun, but in some places as modifier. Next, we use it as a verb:

(1) If you had teamed up with your neighbour, you would have succeeded in drawing government’s attention to the social problem in your neighbourhood.

(2) He had teamed up with American experts in the first stage of the project.

(3) If you are egoistic and unsociable, you may not want to team with other people.

(4) The research project is such that requires experts in the humanities to team up with their counterparts in the sciences.

(5) When researchers in industries team up with academics, the result can be monumental.

Next, we demonstrate the usage of the word teem:

(1) The lake is dark, deep and still, teeming with all sorts of dangerous animals, especially crocodiles.

(2) His heads always teeming with new but weird ideas, the professor pours out torrents of words.

(3) We were kept indoors for close to five hours as it was teeming down – an unprecedented rain in the middle of dry season.

(4) The Doctor disclosed that the boy’s alimentary system was teeming with worms, which was why he was always complaining of stomach upset.

(5) At night, the streets are said to be teeming with men of dubious character.

From the sentences above, it should be clear that for a place to be teeming up with something it is full of that thing. It is important to note the difference in the spelling of teem and team. It is also important to note that the word teem usually occurs in the present participle (or –ing) form: teeming mosquitoes, teeming with sick children, teeming unemployed people. At any rate, the word teeming replaces teaming in the structure under examination.

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