Download Participle Basics

Participle Basics
There are two kinds of participles, present and past. You will recognize them because they look like parts of
verbs. In fact, these words are sometimes called “verbals” because of their close relationship to verbs. However,
they are not verbs. They act more like adjectives or adjective clauses.
Present participles add vibrancy and animation to your sentences – they give readers a sense of action or
movement.
Present participles are created by putting an “-ing” suffix after a verb. There are a few spelling rules
for this type of word. If you’re concerned about spelling, let me know and I can provide you with
supporting documents.
Examples: the dancing clown, the barking dog, the laughing girl (these actions are happening now)
Past participles often help readers understand time relationships or cause and effect relationships.
Past Participles usually look like a past tense form of a verb (verb + “-ed” suffix). There are
some spelling rules for this form, and there are a lot of irregular verbs that don’t follow the “-ed”
rule at all. Again, if you’re concerned about this, let me know and I can help you.
Examples: the tired mother, the excited student, the broken window (something has happened to these
nouns that caused them to be this way)
Participial phrases are groups of words connected to one of these participles. They are not clauses, but they do
need to be connected to an independent clause in order to be grammatical. A participial phrase without an
independent (main) clause is a fragment. Participial phrases can move within a sentence, depending on
what they modify. There are rules you need to follow, however, despite this apparent freedom!
Specifically, the participial phrase needs to be as close as possible to the noun it modifies – and that noun
needs to be obvious.
Punctuation: Use a comma if the participial phrase begins a sentence (similar to a prepositional phrase). If the
participial phrase comes within the sentence, apply the rules as you would for an adjective clause (if it’s
necessary for identification, no commas; if it’s “extra” information, use the commas). If the participial
phrase comes at the end of the sentence but does not modify the noun directly before it, use the comma.
Examples:

Writing the handout for the students, the teacher tried to think of examples.

The teacher writing the handout for the students tried to think of examples. The other teacher drank his
coffee and read papers.

The phone interrupted the teacher writing the handout for the students.

Realizing that time was short, the student finished the exam.

The student, realizing that time was short, finished the exam.

Excited by the noise, the dog ran to the door.

The dog ran to the door, excited by the noise.
Where are the participial phrases? Which nouns do they modify?
Common mistake: the dangling participle!
o
Wanting to get a good grade, the essay was revised by the student.
o
Looking in the bookstore, his backpack fell off the shelf.
o
Frightened by the thunder, lightning didn’t bother the dog.
o
Skiing down the hill, the tree caused the athlete to swerve quickly.
Exercise
Directions: Read the sentences. Decide if they are correct or incorrect. If they are incorrect, revise them. If they
are correct, write “C” on the line, underline the participial phrase, and draw a line to the noun it modifies.
_____ 1. The interested students, wondering what was going on, gathered at the window and looked
outside.
_____ 2. Copying handouts for class, the paper jammed in the machine.
_____ 3. The baristas at the Espresso Lounge stimulated from too much caffeine talked very quickly.
_____ 4. Having drunk her coffee, the teacher bounded to class.
_____ 5. The teacher having forgotten her coffee walked slowly to the classroom.
_____ 6. My friend is the woman teaching the 8:00 class.
_____ 7. The teacher carefully watched the students, concerned that they might have questions.
_____ 8. The finish line appeared, exhausted from the race, and the runners were relieved.