Download Infinitive

Participial Phrases
Infinitive
“to” plus simple
present verb
form
Simple present Simple past
infinitive without simple present
“to”
plus “ed”
Present participle
form of “to be”:
am, is, are, was,
were, plus simple
tense plus “ing”
example, regular
verb “to rule”
example
irregular verb
“to go”
To choose
rule
ruled
is ruling
Past participle
form of “to have”
have, has , had,
plus simple past
(“ed” or “en”
ending)
have ruled
go
went
is going
have gone
choose
chose
is choosing
have chosen
In order for the verb form to be a participle, it must be sans (without) helping verb, or modal.
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Participles and participial phrases are present or past participles used
Remember, they are not the main verb in the sentence because:
as adjectives.
they do not have helping verbs.
Because they are part verb, however, they can take objects and modifiers. Single participles that modify are
called participles, while participles that take objects and have modifiers and modify are called participial
phrases.
For example:
The chosen few will go on the field trip.
 The verb in the sentence is will go.
 Chosen modifies the pronoun “few” and is therefore a participle.
The horse jumping the hedge at the back of the course caught its hoof and fell.
 The compound verb in the sentence is caught and fell.
 The participial phrase is jumping the hedge at the back of the course.
 Jumping takes the object hedge and is modified by the prepositional phrases at the back, of the course,
so the whole thing counts as the participial phrase.
Steps to combining sentences by forming a participial phrase:
Note: You may have to replace pronouns such as it or they with their antecedents, or words they replace, in
order to make the sentence make sense.
1. Music is an ancient word. It comes from the Greek mousikos.
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2.
Drop the subject music
Change is into its participle, being
Change it to its antecedent, music
Being an ancient word, music comes from the Greek mousikos.
OR
Music is an ancient word, coming from the Greek mousikos.
Mousikos was an adjective. It meant “concerned with the daughters of Zeus.”
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Drop the subject mousikos.
Change was into its participle,
being
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Change it to its antecedent mousikos.
Being an adjective, mousikos meant “concerned with the daughters of Zeus.”
OR
Mousikos was an adjective, meaning “concerned with the daughters of Zeus.”
3. The Muses of mythology ruled over the arts. They were the daughters of Zeus.
 Drop the complete subject The Muses of mythology.
 Change ruled into its participle, ruling.
 Change they to its antecedent The Muses of mythology.
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Ruling over the arts, the Muses of mythology were the daughters of Zeus.
OR
Being the daughters of Zeus, the Muses of mythology ruled over the arts.
Combine the following sentences by taking the verb in one, turning it into a participial phrase and combining it
with the other sentence. Choose the sentence and the verb that makes the most sense when combined as a
participle.
4. They visited artists at work. They inspired them to new heights.
 Visiting artists at work, the Muses inspired them to new heights.
 The Muses visited artists at work, inspiring them to new heights.
DLP
1. Music was originally used as an adjective. In English it gradually became a noun.
2. The noun music has a limited meaning. It signifies a work of art in sound.
3. That definition limits the richness of the word. It is disappointing.
4.
The word could be used in a broader sense. It could mean “ordered and enchanting,” or “music-like.”
5. The ending –ic is often used adjectivally. It doesn’t have to belong to a noun.
6. The orbits of the planets are ordered and serene. They might be called “mus-ic.”