I- What are the Participles and Participial Phrases?
Participle is a verb form that functions as the adjective only. There are 2 principle kinds of participle: Present Participle (V+ing) and Past Participle (V3).
Example:
– The baby crying was abandoned in the forest.
=> “crying” is the present participle. It functions as adjective modifying the noun “baby”.
– The baby abandoned is crying loudly.
=> “abandoned” is the past participle. It functions as adjective modifying the noun “baby”.
* The participle also can be placed in the front of the noun it modifies and it is called “Participle adjective”. From the examples above:
– The crying baby was abandoned in the forest.
– The abandoned baby is crying.
Participial phrase is the combination between the participle and its modifiers and complements.
Example:
– The baby crying loudly in the garden was abandoned in the forest.
=> “crying loudly in the garden” is the participial phrase (present participial phrase).
“crying” is the participle | “loudly in the garden” is the modifier
– The baby abandoned in the forest is crying loudly.
=> “abandoned in the forest” is the participial phrase (past participial phrase).
“abandoned” is the participle | “in the forest” is the modifier.
II. How to form the Participles and Participial Phrase correctly?
1. Why forming participles?
We use participles to combine two sentences which have noun/pronoun referring to the same person/thing. It is formally used in the academic writing.
Example:
– James was killed by an unknown murderer.
– James is a millionaire in this area.
=> In these two sentences, “James” is used repeatedly. Therefore, we can join them into only one sentence by using participle.
=> James, killed by an unknown murderer, is a millionaire in this area.
– Mina won a gold medal in the Olympic Games this year.
– She got US $10,000 from the government.
=> In these two sentences, “Mina” and “She” are the same. Therefore, we can join them into only one sentence by using participle.
=> Mina, wining a gold medal in the Olympic Games this year, got US $10,000 from the government.
1. Present Participial Phrase or Past Participial Phrase?
These are the important notes on how to choose the correct type of participle to use in the sentence:
a. Do not worry about tense when using participle.
b. Consider which sentence happened first.
c. Is the sentence to be formed as participle active or passive?
i. Active = Present Participle (V + ing).
ii. Passive = Past Participle. (V3)
d. Try to place the participle as near as possible to the noun it modifies.
Example:
(1) My sister saw a big tiger in this forest.
(2) She began to run as fast as she could.
a. Do not worry that it is past tense or not.
b. The first sentence happened first, so we will make it into participial phrase.
c. The first sentence is active sentence, so we use present participial phrase.
d. The participial phrase modifies “My sister”, so it should be placed near “My sister”
=> My sister seeing a big tiger in this forest began to run as fast as she could.
(1) A diamond has been found recently.
(2) It was stolen last month.
a. The two sentences have different tenses, but don’t worry.
b. The second sentence happened first, so we will make it into participial phrase.
c. It is passive sentence, so we use past participial phrase.
d. t modifies “diamond”, so it should be placed near “diamond”
=> A diamond stolen last month has been found recently.
* If the participle is negative, place “not” in front of the participle.
Example:
– Thida, not attending her class for four sessions, was punished by her teacher.
* However, sometimes “not” can be placed after participle when it is followed by the infinitive.
Example:
– Her sweetheart, not wanting to make her cry, agreed his invitation.
– Her sweetheart, wanting not to make her cry, agreed his invitation.
III. Other forms of participles/participial phrase
* The other forms of present and past participles are often seen. Please see this table below:
|
The original sentence
|
Participle/Participial phrase
|
|
Active
|
Present Participle (V + ing)
|
|
Passive
|
Past Participle (V3)
|
|
* Active (perfect tense)
|
Perfect Participle (Having + V3)
|
|
* Passive (perfect tense)
|
Perfect Participle (Having been + V3)
|
|
* Passive (continuous tense)
|
Present Participle (Being + V3)
|
Example:
– The man repaired the car. (Active) => repairing the car
– The car was repaired by the man. (Passive) => repaired by the man
– The man has repaired the car. (Active in perfect tense) => Having repaired the car
– The car has been repaired by the man. (Passive in perfect tense) => Having been repaired by the man
– The radios are being imported. (Passive in continuous tense) => Being imported
* The uses of Perfect Participles
We use Perfect Participles with the action that has been completed.
Example:
– John, having sold his villa, has no place to stay.
=> It means that now he has sold his villa already.
– The car, having been stolen, is US $1,000,000.
=> It means that now the car has been stolen already.
We use Perfect Participles when the activity is long compared to the activity in the main clause.
Example:
– Mary, having running for two hours, is very tired.
=> It means that the activity of running is long compared to the activity of tiredness.
– This guide, having imprisoned for ten years, is now released.
=> It means that the activity of staying in the prison is long compared to the activity in the main clause.
* In more formal English or literary writing, the participle has its own subject.
Example:
– The weather being fine, I went out.
=> “being fine” has its own subject “the weather”.
=> “being fine” is called “Absolute phrase” and “the weather” is called “Nominative absolute”.
* In some cases, the participle has no specific subject of reference.
Example:
– Evaluating his English proficiency, Kakada was allowed to take the course.
=> We don’t know who evaluated Kakada’s English proficiency, so this participial phrase has no specific subject. This kind of participle is called “Impersonal absolute”.
IV. Participle with adverbial meaning
In some cases, participle has the adverbial meaning. It is placed at the beginning of the sentence. It gives the information about time, reason, or result.
Example:
– Receiving the phone call, he started to cry.
=> You can ask this question: “When did he start to cry?” Your answer is “when he received the phone call”. Hence, this participle gives the information about time; it conveys the adverbial meaning of time.
– Losing his property in gambling, he decided to commit suicide.
=> You can ask this question: “Why did he commit suicide?” Your answer is “Because he lost his property in gambling”. Hence, this participle gives the information about reason; it conveys the adverbial meaning of reason.
– Stolen from the library, the book is very expensive.
=> It means that because the book is very expensive, that is why it was stolen. It conveys the adverbial meaning of result.
Grammar Writing Revision 