Including further description to a noun, a participial phrase is an effective way to elucidate particulars with out interrupting the remainder of a sentence. However how do you utilize them, and what are the foundations? We clarify all the pieces you should know under and embody some participial phrase examples so you may see how they work.
What’s a participial phrase?
A participial phrase is a kind of modifier that makes use of the participle type of a verb to explain a noun. It’s simpler to grasp if you happen to see it, so check out this participial phrase instance:
Grown within the Amazon rainforest, uña de gato is legendary worldwide for its therapeutic properties.
Right here, the participial phrase “Grown within the Amazon rainforest” describes the noun uña de gato, a kind of plant. A very powerful a part of this participial phrase is the phrase grown, the previous participle of the verb develop. Participial phrases get their title from this participle, which explains an motion the noun did or is doing.
The right way to use a participial phrase
As a result of participial phrases describe a noun, they at all times act as adjectives. Participial phrases additionally embody different phrases moreover the participle—equivalent to prepositional phrases, noun phrases, or adverbs. This makes them a kind of adjective phrase, which is a gaggle of phrases that work collectively to behave as a single adjective.
Participial phrases may use a destructive like not to make a whole participial phrase destructive, describing an motion that doesn’t or didn’t occur.
Not realizing whether or not it might fly, the younger fowl jumped out of the nest for the primary time.
Remember that the participles in a participial phrase are separate from the primary predicate of the sentence. Though verbals, the participles in participial phrases should not energetic verbs; they’re simply phrases in an adjective phrase.
Participial phrases work with a verb’s current participle, previous participle, or each within the case of the right participle. Let’s take a more in-depth have a look at all three kinds of participial phrases.
Current participle phrase
A gift participle phrase is a participial phrase that makes use of the current participle of a verb, the –ing kind. A gift participle phrase is used to explain an motion the noun is presently doing, together with ongoing or everlasting actions.
Our mother and father discovered us strolling the canine at midnight.
On this participial phrase instance, strolling is the current participle of stroll. The complete current participle phrase “strolling the canine at midnight” modifies the pronoun us, describing what they had been doing when their mother and father discovered them.
Previous participle phrase
A previous participle phrase is a participial phrase that makes use of the previous participle of a verb, often the -ed kind until the verb is an irregular verb.
Not like with current participle phrases, the noun with a previous participle phrase is receiving the motion, not doing it. Which means they can be utilized solely with the participles of transitive verbs, that are verbs that use an object.
Identified for his kindness, Keanu Reeves often returns compliments.
On this participial phrase instance, recognized is the previous participle of the irregular and transitive verb know. Remember that Keanu Reeves is not doing the motion of realizing; as an alternative, he’s “being recognized.” On this sentence, he’s the item of the participle whereas concurrently being the topic of the sentence.
Good participle phrase
Along with the current and previous, you can too use participial phrases with the right tense. Good participle phrases are used to point out that the noun accomplished an motion up to now, earlier than the motion of the energetic verb. They’re used like a gift participle phrase, however they describe completed actions as an alternative of ongoing ones.
An ideal participle phrase contains the auxiliary verb have adopted by the previous participle of the energetic verb, similar to the right verb tense. In development, good participial phrases use have in its current participle kind having.
Having eaten genuine tacos in Mexico, Andrew stopped having fun with Taco Bell.
On this participial phrase instance, the auxiliary verb have makes use of its current participle having, whereas the verb eat makes use of its previous participle, eaten.
Keep in mind that the motion within the good participle phrase occurs earlier than the motion of the energetic verb, so Andew ate tacos in Mexico earlier than he stopped having fun with Taco Bell. On this method, good participial phrases can present a cause-and-effect relationship.
4 guidelines for methods to use a participial phrase
1
Place the participial phrase instantly subsequent to the noun it modifies.
Participial phrases ought to come instantly earlier than or after the noun they describe. That’s how readers and listeners know which noun the participial phrase is speaking about.
Frightened by the thunder, the canine hid behind the sofa.
The noun phrase “the canine” comes instantly after the previous participle phrase “frightened by the thunder,” so we all know the canine is the one that’s frightened.
Putting the participial phrase subsequent to the improper noun is a typical error referred to as a misplaced modifier, also called a dangling modifier. If a participial phrase is positioned subsequent to the improper noun, it adjustments the which means of the sentence.
Incorrect: The canine hid behind the sofa frightened by the thunder.
Right here, the participial phrase is positioned instantly subsequent to the noun sofa, which suggests the sofa was frightened. Though you may guess the supposed which means, it’s nonetheless a grammatical error and incorrect. For extra assist, see our information on methods to repair a dangling modifier.
2
If a nonrestrictive participial phrase modifies a topic, separate it with a comma.
When a nonrestrictive participial phrase describes the topic of a sentence, use a comma to set it apart. Normally, participial phrases that modify the topic come at first of the sentence and have a comma earlier than the topic.
Ready for his pal to reach, Pedro answered emails on his telephone.
Often, you may put a participial phrase after the topic (if it’s not a pronoun). On this case, you utilize a comma each earlier than and after the participial phrase, until it’s restrictive.
Pedro, ready for his pal to reach, answered emails on his telephone.
Nonetheless, this utilization is for strategic or superior writing; it’s not at all times really useful. That’s very true when the topic is a pronoun. Putting the participial phrase after a topic pronoun sounds awkward in English.
Incorrect: He, ready for his pal to reach, answered emails on his telephone.
Right: Ready for his pal to reach, he answered emails on his telephone.
To be protected, it’s finest to make use of a nonrestrictive participial phrase earlier than the topic at first of the sentence.
3
Place restrictive participial phrases after the nouns they modify and don’t use a comma.
A restrictive phrase refers to a phrase that’s essential to outline a noun. For instance, if you happen to needed to level out one particular person in a gaggle of individuals, you could possibly add a restrictive participial phrase to point out which particular person you might be speaking about.
The girl carrying the large purple clown nostril is my girlfriend.
Restrictive participial phrases at all times come after the noun they modify. Not like nonrestrictive phrases, restrictive phrases don’t use commas, even when modifying the topic.
4
If the participial phrase modifies a noun that’s not the topic, place it instantly after the noun and not using a comma.
For all different nouns in a sentence moreover the topic, put the participial phrase after the noun it modifies.
Fortunately, the professor didn’t see us coming in late, or he would have given us a warning.
This even contains nouns which might be a part of different participial phrases.
Dressed within the outfit chosen by her mother and father, Alice lined her face so individuals wouldn’t see her.
There are two participial phrases on this sentence. The primary is the bigger one, “Dressed within the outfit chosen by her mother and father,” which describes the sentence’s topic, Alice. The second is the smaller one, “chosen by her mother and father,” which describes the noun outfit throughout the first participial phrase. Discover how the participial phrase that describes the topic makes use of a comma, however the different one doesn’t.
Participial phrase vs. gerund phrase
Participial phrases are sometimes confused with gerund phrases, often as a result of gerunds additionally use the –ing type of a verb similar to a gift participle phrase. By itself, a gerund is a noun type of a verb, used when discussing the verb’s motion as a factor or idea usually.
The principle distinction between participial phrases and gerund phrases is how they’re used. Participial phrases act as adjectives and modify nouns, whereas gerund phrases act as particular person nouns.
Participial phrase: Swimming within the lake, the fish had been joyful.
Gerund phrase: Swimming within the lake is what fish do all day.
Participial phrases modify nouns which might be already within the sentence, whereas gerund phrases act as nouns in a sentence. You possibly can inform them aside by figuring out whether or not or not they describe one other noun—participial phrases are positioned close to the nouns they relate to, so if there’s no related noun that the phrase describes, it’s a gerund phrase.
Participial phrase FAQs
What’s a participial phrase?
A participial phrase is a kind of modifier that makes use of the participle type of a verb to explain a noun. For instance, within the sentence “Grown by Ed Currie, Pepper X is the most well liked chili pepper on Earth,” the participial phrase is “Grown by Ed Currie.” Sometimes, phrases that begin with a gift or previous participle and describe a noun are participial phrases.
What are some current participle phrase and previous participial phrase examples?
An instance of a gift participle phrase is “napping within the solar” within the sentence “I want I used to be a cat napping within the solar.” An instance of a previous participle phrase is “hidden by the shadows” within the sentence “We couldn’t discover the automotive keys hidden by the shadows.”
What’s the distinction between a participial phrase and a gerund phrase?
The principle distinction between participial phrases and gerund phrases is how they’re used. Participial phrases act as adjectives and modify nouns, whereas gerund phrases act as particular person nouns.
