Questions & Answers about Ona radi telefonirajući s klijentima.
How do we form the word telefonirajući in this sentence?
It is the present verbal adverb, which you form by taking the 3rd person plural present tense of the verb telefonirati (they telephone: telefoniraju) and adding the suffix -ći. This translates to 'while talking on the phone'.
Could we just say Ona radi i telefonira instead?
Yes, but using telefonirajući emphasizes that the two actions are happening at the exact same time as a single continuous process. Remember that you can only use this -ći form when both actions are being done by the exact same subject (in this case, ona).
Does the ending of telefonirajući change if the subject is plural, like oni (they)?
No, present verbal adverbs are completely unchangeable. No matter who the subject is, what their gender is, or how many people there are, the word stays exactly telefonirajući.
Why do we need the preposition s before klijentima? Doesn't the instrumental case already mean 'with'?
You must use the preposition s (or sa) when the instrumental case is used to mean 'in the company of' or 'together with' people. If you drop the s, the instrumental case usually describes a tool being used, which would awkwardly suggest she is using the clients as a tool to do her work!