Including additional description to a noun, a participial phrase is an effective way to clarify particulars with out interrupting the remainder of a sentence. However how do you employ them, and what are the principles? We clarify every thing you must know beneath and embody some participial phrase examples so you may see how they work.
What’s a participial phrase?
A participial phrase is a sort of modifier that makes use of the participle type of a verb to explain a noun. It’s simpler to grasp in case you 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 sort of plant. Crucial 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.
How one can 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 in addition to the participle—resembling prepositional phrases, noun phrases, or adverbs. This makes them a sort of adjective phrase, which is a bunch of phrases that work collectively to behave as a single adjective.
Participial phrases may use a adverse like not to make a whole participial phrase adverse, describing an motion that doesn’t or didn’t occur.
Not figuring out whether or not it may fly, the younger hen jumped out of the nest for the primary time.
Needless to say the participles in a participial phrase are separate from the principle predicate of the sentence. Though verbals, the participles in participial phrases are usually not lively 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 sorts 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. Your complete current participle phrase “strolling the canine at midnight” modifies the pronoun us, describing what they have 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, normally the -ed kind except 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.
Recognized for his kindness, Keanu Reeves normally returns compliments.
On this participial phrase instance, identified is the previous participle of the irregular and transitive verb know. Needless to say Keanu Reeves is not doing the motion of figuring out; as a substitute, he’s “being identified.” On this sentence, he’s the thing 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 prior to now, earlier than the motion of the lively verb. They’re used like a gift participle phrase, however they describe completed actions as a substitute of ongoing ones.
An ideal participle phrase contains the auxiliary verb have adopted by the previous participle of the lively verb, similar to the right verb tense. In development, excellent 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.
Do not forget that the motion within the excellent participle phrase occurs earlier than the motion of the lively verb, so Andew ate tacos in Mexico earlier than he stopped having fun with Taco Bell. On this means, excellent participial phrases can present a cause-and-effect relationship.
4 guidelines for the way 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.
Inserting the participial phrase subsequent to the improper noun is a standard error referred to as a misplaced modifier, also referred to as a dangling modifier. If a participial phrase is positioned subsequent to the improper noun, it modifications 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 meant which means, it’s nonetheless a grammatical error and incorrect. For extra assist, see our information on the way 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. Often, 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.
Sometimes, you may put a participial phrase after the topic (if it’s not a pronoun). On this case, you employ a comma each earlier than and after the participial phrase, except 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. Inserting 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 secure, 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, in case you wished to level out one particular person in a bunch of individuals, you possibly can add a restrictive participial phrase to point out which particular person you might be speaking about.
The girl carrying the massive 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 with no comma.
For all different nouns in a sentence in addition to 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 folks 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 inside 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, normally 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 typically.
The primary 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 have been completely happy.
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 sort 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 popular 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 automobile keys hidden by the shadows.”
What’s the distinction between a participial phrase and a gerund phrase?
The primary 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.
