<p>Why is "Gothic architecture is a style of architecture, in particular associating with Cathedrals and other churchs." wrong? But "Gothic architecture is a style of architecture, associated particularly with cathedrals and other churches." right?</p>
<p>it probably has to with a modifying issue</p>
<p>I never remembered all those grammar rules, but does the sentence “Gothic architecture is a style of architecture, associating with Cathedrals and other churches” sound right to you? If you take out “in particular”, it becomes more obvious that "associating should be “associated”.</p>
<p>Does the ‘style’ do the ‘associating’? Or does some person or some group of people associate the style (one thing) with cathedrals (something else)? Using the present participle suggests the style is doing the associating, and that it is doing it now. (Darn style is always hanging around with cathedrals.)</p>
<p>Truer to the meaning of the sentence is the past participle in a passive voice suggesting some unspecified person or group have over time associated the style with cathedrals.</p>