The Present Participial Phrase: Definition: A sentence part that begins with a word that ends in ing Notes:

: The participle is a verb, but not the main verb in the sentence. The participial phrase tells what a noun is doing. The participial phrase is able to change position to the front of the sentence, the subject-verb split, or the end of a sentence. The participial phrase must be placed carefully to avoid confusion. If the participial phrase is removed the sentence must still make sense. Must have a period or comma before AND after the participial phrase Examples: Trying to earn an "A", Tom checked the rubric to revise and improve his paper. The poor old man rested on the bench, snoozing. The Olympic jumper, flying through the air on the wings of a dream, thrust the weight of his whole body forward. The clown, appearing bright and cheerful, smiled and did his act with unusual certainty for someone who had just killed a man. Belle, not knowing what else to do, mixed some medicine. Ways to review: 1. Read a book and find the participial phrases. 2. Write sentences with participial phrases. 3. Try to speak and put a participial phrase in each sentence. 4. Pick one sentence with a participial phrase. Keep trying to change the participial phrase to make the sentence funny, or gross, or beautiful, or bizarre, or wise 5. Pick a simple sentence. Add a participial phrase, and an appositive phrase, and a prepositional phrase to it.

Participle Phrases: Practice 1

Draw lines to match the participle phrases to the sentences they modify. At the bottom of the page, rewrite any two of the sentences, inserting the matching participle phrases. Sentences: 1. Suddenly the shark soared up out of the water in a fountain of spray. 2. The children came charging back into their homeroom. 3. The ponies rolled in the wiry grass. 4. The fly in the spider web was beating its wings furiously. 5. I closed my eyes again. f. shouting and screaming 6. I dream Im flying over a sandy beach in the early morning.
1. Participle phrases:

a. trying to break loose and free itself b. letting out great whinnies of happiness c. turning as it fell d. touching the leaves of the trees as I fly by e. thinking maybe I was dreaming

2.

Participle Phrases: Practice 2 A participle phrase answers one of these questions What is he doing? What is she doing? What are they doing? (people) What is it doing? (place or thing)

The first word in a participle phrase always ends in ing

Participle phrases are ALWAYS separated from the sentence by commas. Highlight the participle phrases in the following sentences.

Model: Sophie, sitting on the Big Friendly Giants hand, peeped out of the cave.

1. Arriving at the used-up haystack, the boy leaned against the barbed wire fence.

2. The snow swirled, blurring his vision.

3. A cloud shadow, drifting the breadth of Trial Valley, spread across the inscrutable faces of Old Joshua.

4. Lying back in the soft hay, I folded my hands behind my head, closed my eyes, and let my mind wander back over the two long years.

5. Billy ate it offhand, sideways, reading a comic book.

6. Returning to the lab to put a bucket of water on the stove for dish

washing, she noticed that Mitch was not at the computer, although it was turned on.

Participle Phrases: Practice 3 A participle phrase answers one of these questions What is he doing? What is she doing? What are they doing? (people) What is it doing? (place or thing)

The first word in a participle phrase always ends in ing

Participle phrases are ALWAYS separated from the sentence by commas.

Highlight the participle phrases in the following sentences.

Example: James stood alone, wondering what to do. Answer: James stood alone, wondering what to do.

1. There is Sadako, standing on top of a granite mountain of paradise.

2. Holding him by the ears, the Trunchbull lowered him back into his chair beside the desk.

3. He was standing very still, holding it tightly with both hands while the crowd pushed and shouted all around him.

4. That afternoon, a big man came and pried off the drain cover, grunting as he worked.

5. She lay very still with her eyes closed, letting herself awaken slowly.

6. Standing in the clear sunshine, the prince breathed in the sweet, fresh air.

Participle Phrases: Practice 4 A participle phrase answers one of these questions What is he doing? What is she doing? What are they doing? (people) What is it doing? (place or thing)

The first word in a participle phrase always ends in ing

Participle phrases are ALWAYS separated from the sentence by commas.

Highlight the participle phrases in the following sentences. Example: The doe paused at the edge of the field, sniffing the air currents. Answer: The doe paused at the edge of the field, sniffing the air currents.

1. Charles Wallace braced, trying to tighten the grip of his legs about the unicorns broad neck.

2. The children, stamping their bare feet on the floor to shake the sand off, crowded in.

3. Now when a buyer came to look at the colts, Maureen did not run to her room as she used to do, pressing her face in the feather bed to stifle her sobs.

4. The White Witch, ordering Edmund to go with her, rose and went out.

5. Matilda, nestling in her usual chair, was watching this performance over the rim of her book with some interest.

6. Faster and faster the Polar Express ran along, rolling over peaks and through valleys like a car on a roller coaster.

Participle Phrases: Practice 5 Be creative Finish the participle phrases by filling in the blanks.

1. As they swung on the turn, the sled went over, spilling ____________________ ___________________________________.

2. Dad, sitting ____________________________, leaned forward so he could see.

3. Coming _________________________________, she could hear them talking in the room below, and she paused a moment to eavesdrop on their conversation.

4. The wind blew in fierce gusts as we left the village, stinging _______________ ___________________________________. 5. The next day after school, Jess went down and got the lumber he needed, carrying __________________________________________________________.

6. The sound came from the end of one corridor, and I fumbled along, peering ___ _____________________________________________________________

__.

7. She just sat and stared out of the window, thinking _____________________.

8. Sitting ________________________, I could see that the covers of the books were badly worn.

Participle Phrases: Practice 6 Youve been given three sentences. Combine them into one sentence that matches the model. Only use the underlined words. Write your sentence on the lines provided. Highlight the participle phrase in the sentence you write.

Model: He stood very straight and proud and unconcerned, / holding the cape easily/ in his two hands. a. She waited very small and quiet and timid. b. She was twisting the scarf nervously. c. The scarf was on her lap.

a. He flew very high and straight and true. b. He was moving swiftly. c. He was moving over the stark landscape.

Model: Squinting up at the sky, / Sara began to kick her foot back and forth / in the deep grass. a. He was standing there on the court. b. Burt started to dribble the ball up and down. c. He dribbled it on the foul line.