Discussion Groups / English Usage / January 2009

Hi,

Do you consider the following sentence a mistake?

"The boy _bringing the milk_ has been ill."

I saw this in "Practical English Usage"(*1) by Michael Swan
first edition. Mr Swan wrote it's a typical mistake.

I think with the right context this sentence is correct,
but Mr. Swan did put the sentence and "Typical mistake"
in the subtitle, so it got me thinking (especially this
sentence is nowhere to be found in the second and third
edition of the book). Is it:

1. Mr. Swan only means that it is a mistake if you want
to describe a habitual behavior associated with the boy,
i.e. he delivers milk everyday as his job or something
similar, but you write it as he is bringing the milk
right now(as if it's a one-time thing)... ?

or

2. It's wrong. Never put "the boy", "bringing something"
and "has been ill" together. Period... ?

or

3. ... ?

-------------
When I first saw this sentence, I interpreted it as the
following:

1. The speaker knew this boy. He also knew that this boy
had been ill for some time -- Not bedridden kind of illness,
but still strong enough to deliver milk as his daily job.

2. Upon one of this boy's deliveries, the speaker spotted
him and said to another person that "the boy bringing the
milk has been ill". (Maybe there were some other boys doing
other choirs/tasks at the moment).

Am I far off?

Thanks,

-----------------------------------------
(*1)

"Practical English Usage"(*1) by Michael Swan
first edition

[quote]
participle clauses 454
...
...

participle clauses: adjective (details)
....
....
-------------------------------------------------
3 Typical mistake: *The boy _bringing the milk_ has been ill.
-------------------------------------------------

After a noun which refers to something 'definite' (a
particular person, thing, group, etc), a participle clause
usually has a progressive meaning.

  I like the girl _sitting on the right_. (Or: ... who is
  sitting ...)
  ...
  ...

To express a non-progressive meaning, use a relative clause.

  The boy _who brings the milk_ has been ill.
  The man _who threw the bomb_ was arrested. (Not: *... the
  man _throwing_ ...)

.....
.....
[end quote]