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Here are some sentences with "Being surrounded":

  1. I love trees. Like many of us, being surrounded by trees makes me happy.

The source #1

  1. Rachel Boston Quotes "Being surrounded by love and people that care about your heart is the dream. That's what I would like on my last day."

The source #2

What I haven't understood is whether "being surrounded" is the example of "being+past participle" or being+adjective? If it's 'being+adjective, I have heard that "being+adjective" shows the reason for the the action of main clause, Is it true in above sentences? Next, does "being surrounded" refers to "have been surrounded by trees/people/love? And what's the work of "being" with "surrounded" in above sentences?

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  • Well, what do you think it means? Have you checked any online dictionaries, like this one? It seems the definition should explain what it means in the two sentences you ask about.
    – Andrew
    Oct 19, 2016 at 5:37
  • @Andrew I have already checked its meaning and know the meaning of surrunded.But What I don't know is the use of being with 'surrounded'.I think those examples containe being+surrounded
    – yubraj
    Oct 19, 2016 at 5:52
  • @Android is it also a structure of "being+past participle or being+adjective? What's the meaning of "being+surrounded" ?
    – yubraj
    Oct 19, 2016 at 5:54
  • "Being" is the gerund form of "to be". A gerund is the -ing form of a verb used as a noun. It's not specific to "surrounded" -- you can used it with almost any situation where you can use "to be". "Being in the middle of the ocean", "Being afraid", "Being too young to drive" etc.
    – Andrew
    Oct 19, 2016 at 5:55
  • Actually I tried to answer this more thoroughly in your question about "being helped". It's more or less the same grammar structure.
    – Andrew
    Oct 19, 2016 at 5:58

2 Answers 2

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In both your examples, being surrounded is formed by being+adjective --> very similar to "being clear".

Now, "by the trees" is something that adds meaning to "surrounded" --> Very similar to "about my job" something that adds meaning to "being clear". And makes me happy tells the reader what effect this being has.

"Being" is another way of writing "to be". We call it the 'gerund'.

You could write this also as:

I like to be surrounded by trees.

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  • How 'being surrunded" is different from the meaning of 'have been surrunded" ?
    – yubraj
    Oct 20, 2016 at 10:28
  • @Vivek-ganesh How 'being surrunded" is different from the meaning of 'have been surrunded" ? As I've asked in my question, please address my all questions
    – yubraj
    Oct 20, 2016 at 10:33
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In the examples you've given, being surrounded by trees means the condition where I am surrounded by trees. The phrase being surrounded by trees makes me happy says that the state or condition is what makes you happy.

As others have said, 'being surrounded' is a gerund. It describes a state and is used like a noun. Because it is more like a noun that a verb, it does not refer to a particular time. It is not the same as have been surrounded because that phrase puts the condition into a particular time - it's a condition that occurred (or at least started) in the past.

I have heard that "being+adjective" shows the reason for the action of main clause, Is it true in above sentences?

No, it is not true in these sentences. An example where it is true is the sentence Being surrounded by trees, I smelled the fresh air. In this case, "being surrounded by trees" is why you chose to smell the fresh air. You could also say "Because I was surrounded by trees, I smelled the fresh air."

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