Participles
Participles are verb forms that function as adjectives, modifying nouns and pronouns. There are two types of participles: present participles and past participles.
- Present participles end in -ing (e.g., running, jumping).
- Past participles usually end in -ed, -d, -t, -en, or -n (e.g., baked, hoped, burnt, eaten, broken).
Participial Phrases
A participial phrase includes a participle and any modifiers or complements. The entire phrase acts as an adjective, providing more information about a noun or pronoun in a sentence.
Examples
- Present Participial Phrase
- Running through the park, the dog looked very happy.
- “Running through the park” modifies “the dog.”
- Running through the park, the dog looked very happy.
- Past Participial Phrase
- Eaten by mosquitoes, the campers decided to retreat indoors.
- “Eaten by mosquitoes” modifies “the campers.”
- Eaten by mosquitoes, the campers decided to retreat indoors.
Identifying Participial Phrases
- Find the participle: Locate the verb form ending in -ing, -ed, -d, -t, -en, or -n.
- Identify modifiers or complements: Look for additional words that give more detail about the action described by the participle.
- Determine the noun or pronoun modified: See which noun or pronoun the phrase is describing or giving more information about.
Punctuation with Participial Phrases
- At the beginning of a sentence: Use a comma after the participial phrase.
- Hoping for a break, she waited by the phone.
- In the middle of a sentence: Use commas to set off the participial phrase if it’s nonessential (not crucial to the meaning of the sentence).
- The cat, purring loudly, sat on my lap.
- At the end of a sentence: Use a comma before the participial phrase if it modifies the entire preceding clause.
- She smiled, pleased with the results.
Common Mistakes
- Dangling participle: This occurs when the participial phrase does not clearly or logically modify a noun or pronoun in the sentence.
- Incorrect: Walking down the street, the flowers were beautiful. (The flowers weren’t walking.)
- Correct: Walking down the street, I saw the beautiful flowers.
- Misplaced participle: This happens when the participial phrase is too far from the noun or pronoun it modifies, leading to confusion.
- Incorrect: The cat chased the mouse, purring softly. (It’s unclear if the cat or mouse is purring.)
- Correct: Purring softly, the cat chased the mouse.
By using participles and participial phrases correctly, you can add variety and detail to your writing, making your descriptions more vivid and engaging.
