> 呆れたように言う彼女を横になったまま見上げつつ、俺は持っていた本を机の上に置いた

My question is about the usage of why is いう used in this relative clause and
not another form.

  * 俺は持っていた本を机の上に置いた-I placed the book I was holding on the desk

  * 彼女を横になったまま見上げつつ- This says he does the above while lying down and looking up at her.

  * 呆れたように言う- This modifies her but the question is how. Does this sentence narrate himself as doing all this as she speaks(if so, why る-form), or what else could it mean?
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2015-01-28T20:17:52.523
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relative-clauses
Question about order of events in relative clauses. 呆れたように言う彼女を横になったまま見上げつつ、俺は持っていた本を机の上に置いた
> 呆れたように言う彼女を横になったまま見上げつつ、俺は持っていた本を机の上に置いた

I think it breaks apart like so:

> 呆れたように (as if she were amazed)

言う彼女 (the girl in question) を横になったまま見上げつつ (looked up while lying down), (while
as for me) 俺は, (the book I was holding I placed on [top of] the desk)
持っていた本を机の上に置いた

## the takeaway:

言う彼女 is a noun. "the spoken-of girl" or "the previously mentioned girl" or
"the girl in question"
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2015-03-10T02:34:40.460
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Let's take another example.

  1. while looking up the moon that orbits the earth
  2. while looking up the moon that is orbiting the earth

I believe you would find the first one more natural. (I'm not a native speaker
of English, though) Then, it's because you know it didn't only move when you
happened to see it.

Likewise, in the case of 呆れたように言う彼女を横になったまま見上げつつ, the speaker was not aware of
her speaking for a certain period of time (hence not "言っている" or "言った"）, but he
rather felt as if she would resume whining if she ~~want~~ wants. ~~(The "if
she want" part is important. If the speaker found it consistent, it falls into
the realm of …ている.)~~ (Edit; Awareness of a certain period of time is
important after all.)

Edit; one reason is simply because shorter forms are preferred in a modifying
clause.
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2015-03-10T22:00:31.423
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A:呆れたように言う彼女

B:横になったまま見上げつつ

C:持っていた本を机の上に置いた

A is his description about her move.

B is his action #1

C is his action #2

呆れたように言う。 According to his observation, her speaking tone has incredible or
all negative.

I don't understand meaning of る-form in your question.
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2015-03-11T00:14:10.790
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answer