Welcome to another class, my smart brains! Today, we will master participle phrases in English. Participle phrases confuse many students, and I don’t like that. So, we will master every aspect of participle phrases in this class.
Participle phrases are meant to decorate our sentences with information. But before we directly jump into them, we must know what participles are.
What is a participle in English?
A participle in English is a verb form that works as an adjective in a sentence. When we talk about participles, we often refer to these two types of participles:
- Present participle: it is a progressive form of a verb (V1+ing) that works as an adjective in a sentence. Ex – running train, crying man, winning team, etc.
- Past participle: it is a past participle form of a verb (V3) that works as an adjective in a sentence. Ex – demotivated man, fixed match, broken glass, etc.
Examples of participles in a sentence
- The crying man is my neighbor.
(modifying the noun man)
- He is a very demotivated person.
(modifying the noun person)
- I can’t catch a running train.
(modifying the noun train)
- It was a fixed match.
(modifying the noun match)
- When will you fix the broken window?
(modifying the noun window)
- The winning team will get 1 million dollars.
(modifying the noun team)
So, now we know what participles are in English. Let’s master what participle phrases are! Participle phrases are also known as participial phrases. So don’t get confused when you see participial phrases in place of participle phrases.
Note: in these examples, the noun getting modified is unlined.
What are participle phrases/participial phrases?
A participle phrase is a group of words that is headed by a participle (present, past, or perfect participle) and modifies a noun, like an adjective or an adjective phrase does. So, a participle phrase is nothing but a type of an adjective phrase. Don’t let the participle trick you; a participle looks like a verb but functions as an adjective. We saw that in the above examples.
This is important to note that participle phrases can modify verbs or complete sentences. We will study that going forward in this post.
Examples of participle phrases in English
Played more than a million times on YouTube, my latest song is doing amazing.
(Played more than a million times on YouTube is the past participle phrase, starting with the past participle played and describing the noun my latest song. Breaking it down further, we can say that it is a reduction of an adjective clause: my latest song, that is played more than a million times, is doing amazing.
Motivating the class and giving them clarity about life, Ashish broke down.
(The participle phrase is describing the subject Ashish with two events. Using a participle phrase allows you to describe a noun with more details and a clear description.)
The little girl diagnosed with cancer has written a book about her life.
(The participle phrase is referring to the noun girl and giving information about it, telling us which girl the speaker is talking about. It is helping us identify the girl.)
The girl dancing in the rain is the one I have a crush on.
(Dancing in the rain is the present participle phrase that’s modifying the noun girl and telling us which girl the speaker is referring to.)
People living in Delhi are always complaining about the work the government does.
(Living in Delhi is the participle phrase that’s identifying the meaning of the noun people. Not all the people in the world are always complaining; people living in Delhi are. The participle phrase helps us know who these people are.)
I went to Jon’s house at midnight, wanting to know why he beat my brother.
(Here, the participle phrase is working as the reason (adverb) of the main verb. I went there because I wanted to know why he beat my brother.)
Being fired from the job, he decided to leave the city.
Here, the participle phrase is referring to the subject and working as the reason of the main clause. Notice that the participle phrase is in the passive voice. The subject received the action (participle), not did it.)
How to form a participle phrase?
A participle phrase can be followed in the following ways:
- Participle + object of the participle
- Participle + object of the participle + modifiers
- Participle + modifiers
1. Participle + object of the participle
The guy beating the old man is crazy.
Participle phrase: beating the old man
Present participle: beating
The object of the participle: the old man
2. Participle + object of the participle + modifier/s
The guy beating the old man with no mercy is crazy.
Participle phrase: beating the old man with no mercy
Present participle: beating
The object of the participle: the old man
The modifying phrase (adverb phrase): with no mercy (telling how the action happened)
3. Participle + modifier/s
The girl dancing crazily in the rain is the one I have a crush on.
Participle phrase: dancing crazily in the rain
Present participle: dancing
Modifier 1 (adverb of manner): crazily
Modifier 2: in the rain (telling the place of the action)
Types of participle phrases
We have two types of participle phrases:
1. Present participle phrase
2. Past participle phrase
3. Perfect participle phrase
Let’s start with present participle phrases first.
Present participle phrases
Present participle phrases starts with a present participle, a verb ending with ‘ing‘, and work as an adjective or adverb. Let’s look at some examples!
Examples of present participle phrases:
The guy hiding behind the door is from a different class.
(Hiding behind the door is the present participle phrase, starting with the present participle hiding and modifying the noun guy, telling us which guy the speaker is referring to. The entire phrase is working as an adjective.)
Watching from the balcony, Jyoti enjoyed the game.
(The present participle phrase is coming at the beginning of a sentence, describing the subject Jyoti. When a participle phrase comes at the beginning of a sentence, it is separated from the rest of the sentence using a comma after them.
Joe Rogan, living the life of a martial artist, is the owner of JRE, the most popular podcast on the internet.
(The present participle phrase is offset using two commas in this example as it gives nonessential information about the noun it describes: Joe Rogan.)
Jon came to a new city, looking for a job.
(The participle phrase, here, is referring to the subject and working as an adverb, working as the reason of the main clause).
My father got emotional, looking at a child begging at a traffic light.
(The participle phrase is working as the reason why the main clause took place. My father got emotion because of looking at a child begging at a traffic light. Notice that the participle phrase has another participle phrase in itself (italicized).
Past participle phrases
Past participle phrases start with a past participle (V3) and work as an adjective or adverb. Let’s look at some examples!
Examples of past participle phrases:
Your friend died in a car accident came in my dream yesterday.
(The past participle phrase is describing the subject your friend and identifying it for us. Not any friend of yours came in my dream, the one who died in a car accident did. Since the past participle phrase is essential to identify the pronoun, it is not offset using commas.)
Your friend died in a car accident came in my dream yesterday.
(The past participle phrase is modifying the noun phrase my English learning application. When a participle phrase at the beginning of a sentence, we must use a comma after it.)
The insurance company will not pay for everything destroyed by the fire.
(The past participle phrase is modifying the pronoun everything, telling us what it includes. Since it is essential to identify the pronoun, it is not offset using a comma.)
The insurance company will not pay for everything destroyed by the fire.
(The past participle phrase is modifying the noun iPhone 11, but it is giving nonessential information about it, and that’s why it is separated from the rest of the sentence using a comma.)
Perfect participle phrase
A perfect participle phrase identifies the subject of a sentence and refers to an earlier time than that of the time of the main verb. The past participle usually works as the reason of the main clause.
Structure (active voice): Having + past participle (V3) + object/modifier (or both)
Structure (passive voice): Having + been + past participle (V3) + object/modifier (or both)
Examples:
Having heard the news of Jon’s accident, we decided to take the day off and see him.
(Here, the perfect participle phrase (in red) identifies the subject we, and tells us the reason why the action in the main clause took place. Notice that the action happened in the main clause happened the action in the perfect participle phrase.)
Having paid the fine already, I got my license back.
(The perfect participle phrase refers to the subject I and works as the reason of the main clause. I reason I got my license back since I had already paid the fee.)
Having been picked on multiple times, Max decided to learn self-defense.
(Here, the subject the perfect participle phrase refers to is not the doer of the phrase; the subject of the main clause receives the action in the perfect participle phrase. Max did not pick on anyone; he was picked on by someone.)
We went shopping having been given the day off.
(Here, the perfect participle phrase is sitting at the end of the sentence and modifies the main clause by telling us the reason for the main clause.)
Participle phrases and commas!
So we have used commas with some participle phrases, and with others, we have not. So, how do we know if we have to use commas with a participle phrase or not? Let’s understand this.
1. When a participle phrase comes at the beginning of a sentence, we must use a comma after it.
- Motivating the class and giving them clarity about life, Ashish broke down.
- Played more than a million times on YouTube, my latest song is doing amazing.
2. Generally, a participle phrase gives essential information and is not offset using commas when it comes after the noun or the pronoun it modifies. But when it gives nonessential information, use one or two commas depending upon its place in the sentence. Preparing you smart brains for every scenario! 😉
- Joe Rogan, living the life of a martial artist, is the owner of JRE, the most popular podcast on the internet.
- I am planning to buy iPhone 11, rated 4.9 by the experts.
Why do we start a sentence with a participle phrase?
Participle phrases are used at the beginning of a sentence to set the stage for the noun or the pronoun it modifies. They tell us something about the subject (noun or a pronoun) they modify even before it comes.
Played more than a million times on YouTube, my latest song is doing amazing.
Motivating the class and giving them clarity about life, Ashish broke down.
See, we set the stage for the nouns these participle phrases are modifying.
Don’t misplace your participle phrases! 🙁
You have understood what participle phrases are, and how to use them. Now, you need to be careful about where you place your participle phrase; placing it a little far away from the word it modifies can end up giving you a misplaced modifier. It’s like, in a dark room, you are making love to a girl that is someone else’s wife, thinking she is yours, and your girl is waiting for you in your room, unmodified. Interesting? Let’s look at some examples.
Downloaded by more than a million people, I felt great about my application.
(The participle phrase is sitting beside the subject I, appearing to be modifying it. Now, ask this question: can I be downloaded? No, right? So, this participle phrase is misplaced, but the sentence is still grammatically fine. It is just that it looks clumsy and ambiguous. People might consider this participle phrase to be modifying the subject I where it’s intended to modify the noun application.)
Broken into multiple pieces, Max took his phone to a mobile engineer.
(Again, the participle phrase seems to be modifying a wrong noun: Max.)
We are planning to start a business, motivated by Sadhguru.
(The participle phrase here seems to be modifying the noun business, which it’s sitting next to. Now, ask the same question: can a business be motivated? Is it a person? The participle phrase is intended to modify the subject we, but it seems to be modifying business.)
How to avoid misplacing your participle phrase?
The best way to do that is to place the participle phrases next to the word or words they modify. Let’s place them right.
- I felt great about my application, downloaded by more than a million people.
- Max took his phone, broken into multiple pieces, to a mobile engineer.
- Motivated by Sadhguru, we are planning to start a business.
Dangling modifiers using participle phrases.
Dangling modifiers are modifiers that don’t have anything to modify in a sentence. Participle phrases can be dangling modifiers when used unnecessarily. Let me show you some examples.
Listening to the songs, the place started shaking.
(Who was listening to the songs? The place? Do we have anything in the sentence that can listen to the songs? No, right? This is what a dangling modifier is; it dangles without its target.)
Felt offended, the movie was taken down.
(The sentence does not have a word the participle phrase can modify. A movie can’t be offended.)
How to correct a dangling modifier?
There are two ways to correct a dangling modifier:
- Remove the participle phrase.
- Add a noun or a pronoun that the participle phrase can possibly modify.
Listening to the songs, I felt the place started shaking.
Felt offended, the censor board took the movie down.
Now, we know what a participle phrase in English is. Feel free to share your question, doubt, or feedback in the comment section, and also, share the post with the people that need it.
For one-on-one classes, contact me at [email protected].
FAQs
What is a participle phrase in grammar?
A perfect participle phrase refers to an action that occurred before the action in the main clause. It identifies the subject of the main clause and acts as the reason why the main clause took place.
What is an example of a participle phrase?
1. Played more than a million times on Youtube, my latest song is doing amazing.
2. The girl dancing in the rain is the one I have a crush on.
3. Considered the best application for learning English, my English learning application just crossed 1 billion downloads.
How do you find the participle phrase in a sentence?
Here’s how you can find out a participle phrase:
1. It starts with a participle (present, past, or perfect) and is followed by its object or a modifier, or both.
2. It modifies a noun or a verb (generally a noun).
3. It comes before a noun (at the beginning of a sentence), right after a noun/pronoun, or at the end of a sentence.
What are the three participles?
There are three types of participles in English:
1. Present participle (It was an exciting match.)
2. past participle (You are a motivated person.)
3. Perfect participle (Having finished the meal, we went outside.)
What is the difference between gerund and participle phrases?
A gerund is a progressive form of a verb that works as a noun. On the other hand, participle phrases function as an adjective, sometimes as an adverb too.
What is the purpose of a participle phrase?
A participle phrase identifies the subject of a sentence and gives information about it. Apart from modifying a noun, a participle phrase also modifies the complete clause (main) and often works as the reason for the main clause.
1. Ashish, known for his witty humor, loves playing with kids. (modifying the subject ‘Ashish’)
2. Thinking about the future of his kids, Max started crying. (identifying the subject ‘Max’ and working as the reason for the main clause)
Can a participial phrase be used as an adverb?
Yes, a participial phrase can work as an adverb in a sentence. When it works as an adverb, it modifies the main clause and works as the cause of the main clause.
Ex – Looking at the picture of her dead mother, Jackie broke down in tears.
Here, the participial phrase (italicized) identifies the subject ‘Jackie’ and also works as the reason for the main clause. Jackie broke down because of looking at the picture of her mother. So, it is working as an adverb too.
How do you identify a participle phrase?
How to identify a participle phrase when we see one? Firstly, a participle phrase always starts with a participle (that could be a present participle (V1+ing), past participle (V3), or perfect participle (HAVING + V3)). Secondly, they are followed by the object of the participle (if the verb is transitive) or an adverb, and thirdly, they function as an adjective, generally.
A participle phrase usually remains close to the noun it modifies. If it is nonessential, it will be offset using commas.
What is the difference between a participle phrase and a gerund phrase?
A participle phrase works as an adjective or adverb and a gerund phrase works as a noun and comes in place of the subject, object, object of the preposition, and subject complement.
A participle phrase can start with a present participle, past participle, or perfect participle, but a gerund phrase always starts with a present participle.
What is a participle phrase example?
A participle phrase is an amalgamation of a participle (present, past, or perfect) and a word or words that give information about it (object/adverb). It works as an adjective or adverb.
Ex – Looking at the money he received, he started tearing up.
Ex – The book gifted to me yesterday got lost.
What do participle phrases start with?
All participle phrases always start with a participle (present participle (motivating the students), past participle (motivated by Jon), or perfect participle (having motivated the students)). The participle can be in the active or the passive voice.
Watch my Youtube video on the participial phrases:
Check out Yourdictionary and Grammarmonster for more examples (though unnecessary)!
Well, that’s all for today’s class
, smart brains. I am sure we have mastered participle phrases and will be able to use them whenever needed. I will see you in some other class. Feel free to empower others by sharing the lesson. Feel free to ask your doubts. And feel free to correct typos if you see them.
For one-on-one classes, contact me at [email protected].
