Dont let

Participial Phrases
give you the creeps.

Alex Bruno
College of Education
University of El Salvador

What are they?

A participle is a verb that is used as an adjective and
most often ends in -ing or ed. Because they function
as adjectives, participles modify nouns or pronouns.

There are two types of participles:

Present participles: end in -ing

Past participles: end in -ed , -en ,
-d ,
-t , or -n , as in the words asked ,
eaten , saved , dealt , and seen.

So
A participial phrase consists of a
participle plus modifier(s),
object(s), and/or complement(s).

Take a look at the example below:

Removing his coat, Jack rushed to the river.

The participial phrase functions as an adjective

modifying Jack.

Removing (participle)
his coat (direct object of action expressed in participle)

Another example:
Sarah noticed her cousin walking along the shoreline.

The participial phrase functions as an adjective

modifying cousin.

walking (participle)
along the shoreline (prepositional phrase)

Just another example:

Having been a gymnast, James knew the
importance of exercise.

The participial phrase functions as an adjective

modifying James.

Having been (participle)

a gymnast (subject complement for James)

Check it out
A participial phrase must be placed as
close to the noun it modifies as
possible, and the noun must be clearly
stated.

Sowhich example is correct?

Why?
Carrying a heavy pile of books , his foot caught
on a step.

Carrying a heavy pile of books , he caught his

foot on a step.

Punctuation
When a participial phrase begins a sentence, a
comma should be placed after the phrase.
Put commas in the two examples.

Arriving at the store

, I found that it was closed.
Washing and polishing the car
, Frank developed
sore muscles.

Punctuation cont.,
If the participial phrase comes in the middle of a
sentence, it should be separated with commas only
if the information is not essential to the meaning of
the sentence.

Sid, watching an old movie , drifted in and out of

sleep.

The church, destroyed by a fire , was never rebuilt.

Punctuation
cont.,
If the participial phrase is essential to the meaning
of the sentence, no commas should be used:

The student earning the highest grade point

average will receive a special award.

The guy wearing the chicken costume is my

cousin.

Summary
A participle is a verbal ending in -ing (present) or
-ed , -en , -d , -t , or -n (past) that functions as an
adjective, modifying a noun or pronoun. A participial
phrase consists of a participle plus modifier(s),
object(s), and/or complement(s). Participles and
participial phrases must be placed as close to the
nouns or pronouns they modify as possible, and
those nouns or pronouns must be clearly stated.

Summary cont.,
A participial phrase is set off with commas when it:

a)comes at the beginning of a sentence

b)not essential information
c)comes at the end of a sentence and is separated
from the word it modifies.

Why do we want to use

participial phrases?
To make our writing more
academic and to use a variety of
ways to structure sentences.

Extra Tips
Delete because and as from the participial
phrase.

Because/as Jason is very friendly, he was

shocked that the other students didnt like him.

Being very friendly, Jason was shocked that the

other students didnt like him.

Extra tips cont.,

After, while & when are optional. You can include
or delete them.

After he had passed the IELTS exam, he went to

study English abroad.

(After) passing the IELTS exam, he went to study

English abroad.

Extra tips cont.,

While he was preparing for the IELTS exam, he
lived with a host family.

(While) preparing for the IELTS exam, he lived

with a host family.

Extra tips cont.,

When he was asked about studying in England,
he was saddened by memories.

(When) asked about studying in England, he was

saddened by memories.

Have a nice evening!

Not so fast!

Just another summary!

There are two basic types

of participial phrases:

1. There is the present participial

phrase [which usually employs an
"-ing" form of a verb (like the
gerund) within it.]

[Beginning] Looking at the recent issue of

Cosmo, the man who always sits in the
back of the bus began to hum to himself a
song from a strip tease act.

[End] Dogs lick themselves all over,

thinking they are superior to men.

Usage: This form is usually used when the action within the
participial phrase is still ongoing.

2. There is the past participial

phrase [which usually employs an "ed" form of a verb (similar to the
participle) within it.]

[Beginning] Attached to a mother that

only a son could love, Jerry, the newborn,
suckling pig, felt a profound attraction to
ugliness come over him.

[End] The lonely caddy became flustered,

scared that his affections for the old man's
daughter would be noticed.

Usage: This form is usually used when the action within the
participial phrase is completed.

Dangling modifiers
There are instances when the participial
phrase seems to make sense although
the participial phrase does not
specifically name an action that the
subject of the sentence is performing.
This is called a dangling modifier.

Dangling modifiers
Incorrect:
Helping himself to the buffet, the things
that Todd quietly thought about food
were never to be discussed with anyone.

Here the participial phrase Helping himself to the

buffet is not something that the things (the subject of
the sentence) is doing.

Dangling modifiers
Correct:
Helping himself to the buffet, Todd
quietly thought things about food that
were never to be discussed with anyone.

Here the participial phrase Helping himself to the

buffet is not something that the things (the subject of
the sentence) is doing.

Exercises!

Exercise 1: Join the three sentences by

including a participial phrase.
A. Our waitress was costumed in a kimono.
B. She had painted her face white.
C. She had arranged her hair in an
upswept-lacquered beehive.

Version 1
Costumed in a kimono, our waitress
painted her face white and arranged her
hair in an upswept-lacquered beehive.
Version 2
Arranging her hair in an upsweptlacquered beehive, our waitress painted
her face white and costumed herself in a
kimono.

Have a nice evening!