Present  Participle

Indicates  an  action  that  happens  simultaneously  with  the  action  in  the  main  clause.

I  saw  Jack  while  he  was  parking  in  front  of  his  house.I  saw  Jack  (while)  parking  in  front  of  his  house.

Indicates  an  action  that  happens  just  before  the  action  in  the  main  clause.

After  /  when  he  entered  the  room,  he  caught  us  sleeping.Entering  the  room,  he  caught  us  sleeping.

Note:

The  subject  of  the  participle  clause  and  the  main  clause  cannot  be  different.

After  /  when  he  entered  the  room,  everybody  stood  up.

Gives  information  about  "time,  reason  and  results".

Note:

Participle  clause  doesn't  indicate  a  specific  tense;  instead,  we  should  look  at  the  main  clause  to  understand  it.

Driving  on  the  highway,  one  must  be  careful.(present)Driving  on  the  highway,  he  had  an  accident.  (past)Driving  on  the  highway,  you  will  see  a  big  sign.  (future)

Time

Opening  the  door,  she  saw  me.  (when  she  opened  the  door  ...)

Note:

Instead  of  using  the  verb  alone,  we  can  also  use  the  prepositions  "on  and  upon"  in  the  same  way.

On  /  upon  opening  the  door,  she  saw  me.

Reason  &  Result

participle clauses

1

Having  lots  of  work  to  do,  Tom  didn't  want  to  come  with  us.  (because  he  had  lots  of  work  to  do...Being  rare,  diamonds  are  very  precious.  (because  diamonds  are  rare...)

Note:  in  negative  form,  we  use  "not"  in  the  beginning.

Not  wanting  to  tell  the  truth,  the  young  boy  made  up  an  excuse.

Past  Participle

Contrary  to  popular  misuse,  a  past  participle  doesn't  have  a  past  meaning;  but  instead,  it  has  a  similar  usage  to  present  participle  but  in  passive  form.

The  little  girl  was  taken  to  the  nearest  hospital  after  she  was  attacked  by  a  dog.Attacked  by  a  dog,  the  little  girl  was  taken  to  the  nearest  hospital.

The  museum,  which  was  built  in  1953,  needs  renovation.Built  in  1953,  the  museum  needs  renovation.

The  new  night  club,  which  is  located  on  the  beach  side,  attracts  the  attention  of  all  ages.Located  on  the  beach  side,  the  new  night  club  attracts  the  attention  of  all  ages.

Perfect  Participle

Indicates  an  action  that  happens  long  before  the  action  in  the  main  clause.

After  he  had  spent  ten  years  in  Italy,  he  could  speak  Italian  fluently.Having  spent  ten  years  in  Italy,  he  could  speak  Italian  fluently.

Because  Tom  had  attended  this  course  before,  he  knew  what  to  expect.Having  attended  this  course  before,  Tom  knew  what  to  expect.

Note:  to  get  passive  form  in  perfect  participle,  we  add  "been"  after  "having".

Because  he  had  been  fired,  he  didn't  attend  the  meeting.Having  been  fired,  he  didn't  attend  the  meeting.

Because  he  hadn't  been  invited  to  the  wedding,  he  didn't  come.Not  having  been  invited  to  the  wedding,  he  didn't  come.

participle clauses

2

Participle clauses(1)  Match  a  beginning  from  the  le4  with  an  ending  from  the  right  to  make  a  sentence.  

Knowing you don't like seafood I'd have no hesitation recommending her for the job.

Angered by his hurtful remarks I can't really give you an opinion.

Working all hours of the day and night I've cooked some chicken too.

Having seen her work

singing loudly.

Seeing you haven't got much time she slammed down the phone.

She was sitting on a stool we'd better go through the figures straight away.

Not having read the book myself he rarely has time for parties or that kind of thing.

They were walking down the street he looked into her eyes and said, 'I love you.'

Picking up his briefcase and coat smoking a cigarette.

Taking her in his strong arms he left the room.

participle clauses

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(2)  Now  rewrite  the  sentences  in  simple  English  (i  e  without  par?ciple  clauses)  star?ng  with  the  words  below  so  that  the  meaning  is  the  same.

I've  cooked  some  chicken  because...  

He  picked  up  his  briefcase  and  coat...  

They  were  walking  down  the  street...  

I  haven't  read  the  book  myself...  

He  works  all  hours  of  day  and  night...  

She  was  si>ng  on  a  stool  and...  

He  took  her  in  his  strong  arms...  

She  was  angered  by  his  hur?ul  remarks...  

I  see  you  haven't  got  much  @me...  

(3)  Try  and  write  sentences  with  par?ciple  clauses  that  have  the  same  meanings  as  the  fol-­‐lowing:  

I  looked  straight  at  her  and  said,  'Frankly  my  dear,  I  don't  give  a  damn.'  

I  didn't  want  a  row  so  I  apologized  immediately.  

I've  never  met  her  so  I  can't  tell  you  what  she's  like.  

I've  worked  here  for  ten  years,  so  I  can  tell  you  it's  a  terrible  place  to  work.  

They  were  standing  by  the  side  of  the  swimming  pool  and  they  were  throwing  water  at  each  other.  

I'm  not  the  sort  of  person  who  enjoys  large  gatherings  so  I  declined  the  invita@on  to  the  party.  

I  meet  all  na@onali@es  in  my  daily  work  so  I  know  quite  a  few  words  of  other  languages.  

I've  seen  his  report  so  I  can  give  you  an  idea  of  the  situa@on  there.  

I've  never  been  to  Sydney  so  I  can  hardly  recommend  a  hotel  there.  

participle clauses

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Answers

Matching

Knowing  you  don't  like  seafood,  I've  cooked  some  chicken  too.

Angered  by  his  hur?ul  remarks,  she  slammed  down  the  phone.  

Working  all  hours  of  the  day  and  night,  he  rarely  has  @me  for  par@es  or  that  kind  of  thing.

Having  seen  her  work,  I'd  have  no  hesita@on  recommending  her  for  the  job.  

Seeing  you  haven't  got  much  @me,  we'd  beIer  go  through  the  figures  straight  away.  

She  was  si>ng  on  a  stool,  smoking  a  cigareIe.

Not  having  read  the  book  myself,  I  can't  really  give  you  an  opinion.

They  were  walking  down  the  street,  singing  loudly.

Picking  up  his  briefcase  and  coat,  he  leM  the  room.

Taking  her  in  his  strong  arms,  he  looked  into  her  eyes  and  said,  'I  love  you.'

 

I've  cooked  some  chicken  because...I  know  you  don't  like  seafood.

He  picked  up  his  briefcase  and  coat...and  le3  the  room.

They  were  walking  down  the  street...and  they  were  singing  loudly.  

I  haven't  read  the  book  myself...so  I  can't  really  give  you  an  opinion.  

He  works  all  hours  of  day  and  night...so  he  rarely  has  ;me  for  par;es  or  that  sort  of  thing.

She  was  si>ng  on  a  stool  and...she  was  smoking  a  cigare<e.  

He  took  her  in  his  strong  arms...looked  into  her  eyes  and  said,  'I  love  you'.  

She  was  angered  by  his  hur?ul  remarks...so  she  slammed  down  the  phone.  

I  see  you  haven't  got  much  @me...so  we'd  be<er  go  through  the  figures  straight  away.  

participle clauses

5

(3)  Try  and  write  sentences  with  par?ciple  clauses  that  have  the  same  meanings  as  the  fol-­‐lowing:  

I  looked  straight  at  her  and  said,  'Frankly  my  dear,  I  don't  give  a  damn.'  Looking  straight  at  her  he  said,  'Frankly  my  dear,  I  don't  give  a  damn.'  

I  didn't  want  a  row  so  I  apologized  immediately.  Not  wan;ng  a  row,  I  apologized  immediately.

I've  never  met  her  so  I  can't  tell  you  what  she's  like.  Not  having  met  her,  I  can't  tell  you  what  she's  like.

I've  worked  here  for  ten  years,  so  I  can  tell  you  it's  a  terrible  place  to  work.  Having  worked  here  for  ten  years,  I  can  tell  you  it's  a  terrible  place  to  work.  

They  were  standing  by  the  side  of  the  swimming  pool  and  they  were  throwing  water  at  each  other.  They  were  standing  by  the  side  of  the  swimming  pool  throwing  water  at  each  other.  

I'm  not  the  sort  of  person  who  enjoys  large  gatherings  so  I  declined  the  invita@on  to  the  party.  Not  being  the  sort  of  person  who  enjoys  large  gatherings,  I  declined  the  invita;on  to  the  par-­‐ty.

I  meet  all  na@onali@es  in  my  daily  work  so  I  know  quite  a  few  words  of  other  languages.  Mee;ng  all  na;onali;es  in  my  daily  work,  I  know  quite  a  few  words  of  other  languages.  

I've  seen  his  report  so  I  can  give  you  an  idea  of  the  situa@on  there.  Having  seen  his  report,  I  can  give  you  an  idea  of  the  situa;on  there.  

I've  never  been  to  Sydney  so  I  can  hardly  recommend  a  hotel  there.  Not  having  been  to  Sydney,  I  can  hardly  recommend  a  hotel  there.  

participle clauses

6

Gap-­‐fill  exercise

Tony  needed  money.  __________________(blow)    his  last  thousand  dollars  at  the  races  the  night  before,    he  was  completely  broke.  There  was  only  one  thing  for  it  –  crime.    ________(know)  that  a  large  house  not  far  from  his  was  empty,  he  __________________(decided)  to  try  and  break  in  the  following  evening.

_________________(leave)  his  house  just  after  dark,  he_______________(make)  his  way  to  the  street  where  the  empty  house  stood.  _____________(arrive)  outside  the  house  just  be-­‐fore  midnight,he  _____________(decide)  to  wait  and  check  the  owners  __________________(not  /  return).  ______________(pretend)  to  make  a  call  on  his  mobile  phone,  he  ___________________(pace)  up  and  down,  _________________(watch)  the  hou-­‐se  carefully.

When  he  was  quite  sure  nobody  was  at  home,  he_____________(look)  carefully  around  to  make  sure  no  one  was  watching,  and  got  ready  to  go  in.  

____________(know)  there  was  a  high  wall  around  the  house,  he______________(bring)  a  long  rope  with  a  spike  on  the  end.  ________________(throw)  the  rope  over  the  wall,    he____________(climb)  up  and  ______________(drop)    into  the  garden.

_______________(pick)  himself  up  quickly,  he  _______________(creep)  across  the  dark  lawn  to  the  front  of  the  house.  ____________  (stand)  in  front  of  the  entrance,  he  quickly  lo-­‐cated  the  burglar  alarm  fixed  high  on  the  wall  near  the  door.    ___________________(once  /  work)    for  a  security  company,  he  _________________(know)  exactly  how  these  alarms  worked.    ________________(take)  a  screwdriver  from  his  bag,    he  ______________(shin)  up  the  wall  and  expertly  disabled  the  alarm.

Delighted  that  everything  was  going  to  plan,  he  ____________(grin),  _____________(take)  out  a  glass  cutter  and    carefully  ____________(make)  a  hole  in  a  nearby  window.  __________(reach)  through  carefully,  he  found  the  window  catch,____________(unfasten)    it  and  _______________  (push)  open  the  window,  _______________(think)  how  easy  it  all  was.

Aware  that  any  light  in  the  house  might  attract  unwelcome  attention,  he  carefully  _________(draw)  the  curtains  before  ________(switch)  on  his  torch.  A  noise  to  the  left  of  the  room  made  him  jump.  _____________(swing)    round,  he  ____________(see)  a  woman  in  a  long  white  dress_________(sit)  in  an  armchair  ____________(hold)  a  drink.  ________(smi-­‐le)  at  Tony,  she  _____________(raise)  her  glass  and  _________(say),  'Ah  Tony,  we  _________________(wait)  for  you.'

participle clauses

7

Answers

Tony  needed  money.  Having  blown  his  last  thousand  dollars  at  the  races  the  night  before,  he  was  completely  broke.  There  was  only  one  thing  for  it  –  crime.  Knowing  that  a  large  house  not  far  from  his  was  empty  while  the  owners  were  on  holiday  he  decided  to  try  and  break  in  the  following  evening.  

Leaving  his  house  just  after  dark,  he  made  his  way  to  the  street  where  the  empty  house  stood.  Arriving  outside  the  house  just  before  midnight,  he  decided  to  wait  and  check  the  owners  hadn't  returned.  Pretending  to  make  a  call  on  his  mobile  phone,  he  paced  up  and  down,  watching  the  house  carefully.  

When  he  was  quite  sure  nobody  was  at  home,  he  looked  carefully  around  to  make  sure  no  one  was  watching,  and  got  ready  to  go  in.  Knowing  there  was  a  high  wall  around  the  house,  he  had  brought  a  long  rope  with  a  spike  on  the  end.  Throwing  the  rope  over  the  wall,  he  climbed  up  and  dropped  into  the  garden.  

Picking  himself  up  quickly,  he  crept  across  the  dark  lawn  to  the  front  of  the  house.  Standing  in  front  of  the  entrance,  he  quickly  located  the  burglar  alarm  fixed  high  on  the  wall  near  the  door.  Taking  a  screwdriver  from  his  bag,  he  shinned  up  the  wall  and  expertly  disabled  the  alarm.  

Delighted  that  everything  was  going  to  plan,  he  grinned,  took  out  a  glass  cutter  and  careful-­‐ly  made  a  hole  in  a  nearby  window.  Reaching  through  carefully,  he  found  the  window  catch,unfastened  it  and  pushed  open  the  window,  thinking  how  easy  it  all  was.  

Aware  that  any  light  in  the  house  might  attract  unwelcome  attention,  he  carefully  drew  the  curtains  before  switching  on  his  torch.  A  noise  to  the  left  of  the  room  made  him  jump.  Swin-­‐ging  round,  he  saw  a  woman  in  a  long  white  dress  sitting  in  an  armchair  holding  a  drink.  Smi-­‐ling  at  Tony,  she  raised  her  glass  and  said,  'Ah  Tony,  we've  been  waiting  for  you.'  

participle clauses

8