Question

He hurt his foot. He stopped. (Choose the correct combination)

• A. He hurt his foot and stopped
• B. Stopped because he had hurt his foot
• C. Hurting his foot, he stopped
• D. Stopped as he hurt his foot

Hint:

Use a present participle (verb + ing) to join two closely connected actions, especially when one causes the other.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

Step 1: Understanding sentence combination.
We have two short sentences expressing cause and effect. “He hurt his foot” is the cause, and “He stopped” is the effect. To combine them smoothly, we can use a participial phrase.
Step 2: Use of present participle.
When two actions happen close together and one causes the other, the first can be expressed using a present participle (verb + ing). Here, “Hurting his foot” expresses the reason why he stopped.
Step 3: Analyze the options.
- (a) He hurt his foot and stopped: Grammatically correct but does not show cause clearly.
- (b) Stopped because he had hurt his foot: Awkward construction, incomplete clause.
- (c) Hurting his foot, he stopped: Correct participial phrase showing cause and effect clearly.
- (d) Stopped as he hurt his foot: Incorrect structure, missing main clause.
Step 4: Constructing the correct sentence.
“Hurting his foot, he stopped.”
Step 5: Conclusion.
Thus, the best combination showing cause and effect is (c) Hurting his foot, he stopped.