Literary notes about using (AI summary)
The word “using” serves as a remarkably versatile linguistic tool in literature, functioning both as a present participle that indicates method and as a gerund that can act like a noun. In many texts it conveys the idea of employing a particular tool or means—whether it is a physical instrument as in “using our knives” to gather dry chips from a log ([1]) or a less tangible resource as in “Using the Web” to transform professional lives ([2]). Authors also exploit the term to denote a specific manner or style of operation, as seen when feminine adjectives are adopted “in agreement with feminine nouns” ([3]) or when a pet name is deliberately chosen, “using a pet name” to convey endearment ([4]). Additionally, “using” appears in instructional and technical contexts, guiding actions in everything from laying out ruled paper ([5]) to setting proper communication protocols ([6]). This wide span of usages—from the literal application of physical objects to abstract methods of communication—demonstrates the adaptability of “using” as a narrative and expository device across diverse fields and historical periods.
- We groped into a hollow where we got some dead wood, and by using our knives got some dry chips from the inside of a log.
— from Boy Scouts Handbook by Boy Scouts of America - Using the Web has totally changed the way I work.
— from Entretiens / Interviews / Entrevistas by Marie Lebert - We have been freely using feminine adjectives, like bona , in agreement with feminine nouns of the first declension and declined like them.
— from The Declaration of Independence of the United States of America by Thomas Jefferson - “Where are you, Cad?” he said, using a pet name he had given her.
— from Sister Carrie: A Novel by Theodore Dreiser - On succeeding pages, if using ruled paper, begin on the first line.
— from The Elements of Style by William Strunk - The recipient requires that Procomm be set for 8-bits word length, no parity, 1 stop bit, when using this protocol, but you have it set differently.
— from The Online World by Odd De Presno
