a reading girl vs a girl reading

[Sweetpumpkin]

Hello,

When you describe a woman who is reading a book, you might say "A reading girl". However, sometimes, especially for a painting- you can see "A girl reading".

The former reading is modifying the girl and it is a present participle which acts as if it's an adejctive. The latter is.. "a girl who is reading" and we can delete 'who is' here. So the 'reading' is a pure present participle here. That is what I understand.

What I want to know is:

1) I've seen the construction like "a girl reading" only for the title of paintings. Does it have a kind of more formal nuiance than "a reading girl"?
2) I think the former - a reading girl - is more common. What do you think?
3) Is what I understand right?

Thanks,
sweetpumpkin

[James]

"a girl reading" suggests a girl who is now reading (not doing something else).
"a reading girl" suggests a girl who can be described in such a manner as a reading girl (not a writing girl, a painting girl, etc).

[Mister Micawber]

'A reading girl' is not the way we compose adjectives of current, temporary activity, SP. They postmodify, almost without exception:

Do you see the girl reading? I think she's cute.
The man wearing the hat is her brother.

Pre-modification is by adjectives of durable application:

Do you see the tall girl? I think she's cute.
The crippled man is her brother.
_________________
Native English teacher at Mister Micawber's

[James]

[Sweetpumpkin]

Oh, that's very interesting!!!!!! I didn't catch such features of pre or post modification. :) So for a painting, which portrait a girl grabbing a book, 'a girl reading' is more proper that 'a reading girl' because it catches a moment at which the girl is reading- we don't know she loves reading or not. Thank you for your attention. :)

[Bharatpitti]

"Reading girl" gives adjectival connotation. "Girl reading" gives impression of verb.

Other example can be

Beauty surpassing ,say, all the bounds. Surpassing Beauty.
Riding girl. Girl riding....
Running horse. Horse running.