Using “using”
What’s wrong with these sentences?
- I saw the hikers using binoculars.
- She rescued the little girl using a lasso.
- He controlled the robot using a joystick.
- The crew filmed the officers using drones.
The sentences are structurally ambiguous. Who is doing the “using” in each?
With no punctuation to indicate otherwise, the noun closer to the verb is considered the performer of the action. In our examples, the objects of the sentences—the hikers, the little girl, the robot, and the officers, respectively—perform the action of “using” by default.
But is that the intended meaning of each sentence? How can you refine the sentences, so the intentions are clear?
If the subject of the sentence is doing the “using,” you have several options:
- Using binoculars, I saw the hikers.
I used binoculars to see the hikers.
I saw the hikers by using binoculars.
I saw the hikers when using binoculars.
- Using a lasso, she rescued the little girl.
She used a lasso to rescue the little girl.
She rescued the little girl by using a lasso.
She rescued the little girl when using a lasso.
- Using a joystick, he controlled the robot.
He used a joystick to control the robot.
He controlled the robot by using a joystick.
He controlled the robot when using a joystick.
- Using drones, the crew filmed the officers.
The crew used drones to film the officers.
The crew filmed the officers by using drones.
The crew filmed the officers when using drones.
Each option carries a different nuance and may describe a particular situation better or worse than the others.
If the object of the sentence is, in fact, doing the “using,” then add a relative clause to eliminate confusion. There are two options here. The relative clause may be restrictive, with no comma, or nonrestrictive, with a comma. Let’s use the sentence about the hikers as an example:
When the sentence has no comma (restrictive), the binoculars are essential to the identity of the hikers. The lack of a comma restricts the hikers who were seen to those using binoculars. When the sentence has a comma (nonrestrictive), the use of binoculars is merely an added detail, nonessential to the main point of the sentence.
- I saw the hikers who were using binoculars.
I saw the hikers, who were using binoculars.
- She rescued the little girl who was using a lasso.
She rescued the little girl, who was using a lasso.
- He controlled the robot that was using a joystick.
He controlled the robot, which was using a joystick.
- The crew filmed the officers who were using drones.
The crew filmed the officers, who were using drones.
Bottom line: if you’re using “using,” consider the ways that the sentence can be interpreted and what you’re really trying to say; then rephrase the sentence, if necessary, to eliminate any ambiguity.
