{"id":6214,"date":"2020-03-28T15:31:31","date_gmt":"2020-03-28T15:31:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/?p=6214"},"modified":"2023-10-07T21:14:14","modified_gmt":"2023-10-07T21:14:14","slug":"participial-phrases-101","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/participial-phrases-101\/","title":{"rendered":"Participial Phrases \u2014 All You Need to Know"},"content":{"rendered":"<style>img#mv-trellis-img-1::before{padding-top:150%; }img#mv-trellis-img-1{display:block;}<\/style><div class=\"content-box-grey\"><strong>Table of Contents<\/strong><br>\n&nbsp;<br>\n<strong><a href=\"#what-is-a-participial-phrase\">What is a Participial Phrase?<\/a><\/strong><br>\n&nbsp;<br>\n<strong><a href=\"#what-is-a-participle\">What is a Participle?<\/a><\/strong><br>\n&nbsp;<br>\n<strong><a href=\"#what-is-an-adjective\">What is an Adjective?<\/a><\/strong><br>\n&nbsp;<br>\n&nbsp;<strong><a href=\"#present-participial-phrases\">Present Participial Phrases<\/a><\/strong><br>\n&nbsp;<br>\n<strong><a href=\"#the-difference-between-present-participles-and-gerunds\">The Difference Between Present Participles and Gerunds<\/a><\/strong><br>\n&nbsp;<br>\n<strong><a href=\"#past-participial-phrases\">Past Participial Phrases<\/a><\/strong><br>\n&nbsp;<br>\n<strong><a href=\"#participial-phrases-exceptions-irregular-verbs\">Participial Phrases Exceptions: Irregular Verbs<\/a><\/strong><br>\n&nbsp;<br>\n<strong><a href=\"#perfect-participial-phrases\">Perfect Participial Phrases<\/a><\/strong><br>\n&nbsp;<br>\n<strong><a href=\"#punctuation-for-participial-phrases\">Punctuation for Participial Phrases<\/a><\/strong><br>\n&nbsp;<br>\n<strong><a href=\"#mistakes-to-avoid-when-using-participial-phrases\">Mistakes to Avoid When Using Participial Phrases<\/a><\/strong><br>\n&nbsp;<br>\n<strong><a href=\"#participial-phrases-overview\">Participial Phrases: Overview<\/a><\/strong><br>\n&nbsp;<br>\n<strong><a href=\"#why-are-participial-phrases-important\">Why are Participial Phrases Important?<\/a><\/strong><br>\n&nbsp;<br>\n<strong><a href=\"#what-can-a-participial-phrase-do-for-your-writing\">What Can a Participial Phrase Do for Your Writing?<\/a><\/strong><br>\n&nbsp;<br>\n<strong><a href=\"#why-is-it-important-to-learn-about-participial-phrases\">Why Is It Important to Learn About Participial Phrases?<\/a><\/strong><br>\n&nbsp;<br>\n<strong><a href=\"#further-examples-of-participial-phrases\">Further Examples of Participial Phrases<\/a><\/strong><br>\n&nbsp;<br>\n<strong><a href=\"#faq-about-participial-phrases\">FAQ About Participial Phrases<\/a><\/strong><br>\n&nbsp;<\/div>\n<h2 id=\"what-is-a-participial-phrase\">What is a Participial Phrase?<\/h2>\n<p><strong>A participial phrase is a group of words that begins with a participle and modifies a noun or pronoun in the sentence. It always functions as an <i>adjective<\/i>. Participial phrases can add color and movement to your descriptive writing.<\/strong><br>\n<noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-6710\" src=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Participial-Phrases-101.png\" alt=\"Participial Phrases 101\" width=\"1000\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Participial-Phrases-101.png 320w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Participial-Phrases-101-200x300.png 200w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Participial-Phrases-101-683x1024.png 683w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Participial-Phrases-101-768x1152.png 768w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Participial-Phrases-101-561x842.png 561w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Participial-Phrases-101-364x546.png 364w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Participial-Phrases-101-728x1092.png 728w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Participial-Phrases-101-608x912.png 608w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Participial-Phrases-101-758x1137.png 758w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Participial-Phrases-101.png\"><\/noscript><img loading=\"eager\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-6710 eager-load\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg'%20viewBox='0%200%201000%201500'%3E%3Crect%20width='1000'%20height='1500'%20style='fill:%23e3e3e3'\/%3E%3C\/svg%3E\" alt=\"Participial Phrases 101\" width=\"1000\" height=\"1500\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Participial-Phrases-101.png\" id=\"mv-trellis-img-1\" data-src=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Participial-Phrases-101.png\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Participial-Phrases-101.png 320w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Participial-Phrases-101-200x300.png 200w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Participial-Phrases-101-683x1024.png 683w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Participial-Phrases-101-768x1152.png 768w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Participial-Phrases-101-561x842.png 561w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Participial-Phrases-101-364x546.png 364w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Participial-Phrases-101-728x1092.png 728w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Participial-Phrases-101-608x912.png 608w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Participial-Phrases-101-758x1137.png 758w\" data-svg=\"1\" data-trellis-processed=\"1\"><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><u>Here are some examples:<\/u><br>\n(Participial phrases are in bold.)<\/p>\n<p><i>My mother smiled bravely, <strong>blinking away tears.<\/strong><\/i><\/p>\n<p><strong>Broken in heart<\/strong>, she waved goodbye.<\/p>\n<p>To learn more about participial phrases, we must first know what a participle is.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"what-is-a-participle\">What is a Participle?<\/h2>\n<p>A participle is a word configured from a verb which acts as an <strong>adjective<\/strong>. It is a <strong>verbal<\/strong> a word which comes from a verb but is not used as a verb.<\/p>\n<p>For example, the verb <strong>to break<\/strong> has these forms:<\/p>\n<p>Break <i>(infinitive)<\/i><br>\nBreaks <i>(present)<\/i><br>\nBreaking <i>(progressive)<\/i><br>\nBroke <i>(past)<\/i><\/p>\n<p>The participles of this verb are:<\/p>\n<p>Breaking (present participle)<br>\nBroken (past participle)<\/p>\n<p><u>Look at these examples to see how these work as adjectives:<\/u><\/p>\n<p><i>The <strong>broken<\/strong> glass lay scattered across the floor.<\/i><\/p>\n<p>Here <strong>broken<\/strong> describes the noun <strong>glass<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><i>The breaking glass resounded through the hall.<\/i><\/p>\n<p>Here <strong>breaking<\/strong> describes the noun <strong>glass<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>(This is not to be confused with the gerund <strong>breaking<\/strong> which is also a form of the verb that functions as a <strong>noun<\/strong>. But more on that later.)<\/p>\n<p>Now we know that participial phrases always begin with participles and that they always function as adjectives. Let&rsquo;s take a closer look at what adjectives do.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What is an Adjective?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>An adjective is a word that describes or modifies a noun or pronoun. It indicates all types of qualities.<\/p>\n<p><i>Immense, straight, green,<\/i> and <i>soft<\/i> are all adjectives.<\/p>\n<p>Adjectives convey descriptions that include hue, number, order, feel, taste, smell, and look of things and can even clarify to whom they belong.<\/p>\n<p>Participial phrases work collectively as <strong>adjectives<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"present-participial-phrases\">Present Participial Phrases<\/h2>\n<p>The first type of participial phrase we will examine is the <strong>present participial phrase<\/strong>. It will begin with a <strong>present participle<\/strong>, which ends in <strong>&ldquo;-ing&rdquo;<\/strong>, making them fairly easy to identify.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><u>Examples:<\/u><\/p>\n<p><i>She agreed, <strong>nodding her head vigorously.<\/strong><br>\n<strong>Rising quickly, <\/strong>the dough was almost ready to bake.<br>\nThe horse tossed its head, <strong>snorting heartily<\/strong><\/i><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"the-difference-between-present-participles-and-gerunds\">The Difference Between Present Participles and Gerunds<\/h2>\n<p>Although all present participles end in <strong>&ldquo;-ing&rdquo;<\/strong>, not every word with that ending is a present participle. The present progressive form of a verb ends in <strong>&ldquo;-ing&rdquo;<\/strong> as well.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Example:<\/p>\n<p><i>He <strong>is yearning<\/strong> to learn more about his mysterious past.<br>\nThe toddler <strong>is tripping<\/strong> over the uneven ground.<\/i><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>There are other more complex verb tenses which also include the present progressive form. All of these, however, clearly function as <strong>verbs<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Gerunds<\/strong> are another type of verbal word that uses the <strong>&ldquo;-ing&rdquo;<\/strong> ending. Gerunds and participles tend to cause more confusion as they can both begin phrases. The difference is in how they function.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Gerunds<\/strong> always function as <strong>nouns<\/strong>. That means they can be the subject of the sentence or the direct object.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><u>Example of a gerund phrase as the subject:<\/u><br>\n<i><strong>Hiking this trail<\/strong> will take too long.<\/i><\/p>\n<p><u>Example of a gerund phrase as the direct object:<\/u><\/p>\n<p><i>One of the longer options for us to do is <strong>hiking this trail<\/strong>.<\/i><\/p>\n<p>A <strong>present participial phrase<\/strong> will always work as an adjective; therefore, it will always describe a noun.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><u>Example:<\/u><\/p>\n<p><i><strong>Hiking the long trail,<\/strong> Josh felt exhausted.<\/i><\/p>\n<p>Here, <strong>hiking the long trail<\/strong> describes <strong>Josh<\/strong> and what he is doing. The phrase acts as an adjective.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"past-participial-phrases\">Past Participial Phrases<\/h2>\n<p>Past participial phrases begin with past participles. Past participles can have several different endings. The most common endings are <strong>&ldquo;-ed&rdquo;<\/strong> and <strong>&ldquo;-en&rdquo;<\/strong> though they can also end simply in <strong>&ldquo;-d&rdquo; &ldquo;-t&rdquo;<\/strong> or <strong>&ldquo;-n&rdquo;<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><u>Here are some past participles used as adjectives:<\/u><\/p>\n<p><i>The <strong>taken<\/strong> goods<br>\nA <strong>harried<\/strong> mother<br>\nSome <strong>bent<\/strong> branches<br>\nThe <strong>torn<\/strong> feathers<br>\nThe <strong>sold<\/strong> items<\/i><\/p>\n<p><u>Here are examples of <strong>past participial phrases<\/strong>:<\/u><\/p>\n<p><i>The sun, <strong>risen over the lake<\/strong>, sparkled on the water below.<\/i><br>\n<i>The flowers drooped, <strong>wilted in the heat<\/strong>.<\/i><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"participial-phrases-exceptions-irregular-verbs\">Participial Phrases Exceptions: Irregular Verbs<\/h2>\n<p>Irregular verbs change completely for different tenses, sometimes becoming an entirely different word or just not following the typical spelling rules. This sounds complicated, but it is common in everyday use.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><u>Think of these examples:<\/u><\/p>\n<p><i>To go &ndash; goes &ndash; going &ndash; went<\/i> (not &ldquo;goed&rdquo;)<br>\n<i>To catch &ndash; catches &ndash; catching &ndash; caught<\/i> (not &ldquo;catched&rdquo;)<\/p>\n<p>This means that the participles are <strong>irregular<\/strong> as well, not following the common spelling rules for past participles.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><u>Examples:<\/u><\/p>\n<p><i>Verb: Go<br>\nPast Participle: Gone<\/i><\/p>\n<p>Verb: Catch<br>\nPast Participle: Caught<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The existence of irregular verbs and participles explains the confusion between, <strong>&ldquo;I saw\/I seen,&rdquo;<\/strong>, and why it is every grammar fanatic&rsquo;s and teacher&rsquo;s pet peeve when it is said incorrectly.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Saw<\/strong> is the past tense of the irregular verb <strong>see<\/strong>, and <strong>seen<\/strong> is the past participle! It is not a verb at all and cannot be used as one. It is an <strong>adjective<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><u>Example:<\/u><\/p>\n<p><i>Yesterday <strong>I saw<\/strong> my neighbor&rsquo;s dog on the road.<\/i><br>\n(<strong>I<\/strong> is the subject, <strong>saw<\/strong> is the past tense verb.)<\/p>\n<p><i><strong>Having seen my neighbor&rsquo;s dog on the road<\/strong>, I decided to pay a visit next door.<\/i><br>\n(<strong>Having seen<\/strong> is the beginning of this participial phrase which describes the subject, <strong>I<\/strong>.)<\/p>\n<p>You may have noticed that this participial phrase begins with <strong>Having seen<\/strong>, a variation which brings us to our next point.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"perfect-participial-phrases\">Perfect Participial Phrases<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Perfect tenses<\/strong> all use a form of the verb <strong>have<\/strong> along with a past participle to indicate which time in the past the action happened.<\/p>\n<p><u>Here are some examples of perfect tense verbs:<\/u><\/p>\n<p><i>The package <strong>has taken<\/strong> a long time to arrive.<\/i> (present perfect)<br>\n<i>The package <strong>had taken<\/strong> a long time to arrive.<\/i> (past perfect)<br>\n<i>The package <strong>will have taken<\/strong> a long time to arrive.<\/i> (future perfect)<\/p>\n<p>Now let&rsquo;s see how the perfect aspect works in <strong>perfect participial phrases<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>A perfect participial phrase will always begin with <strong>&ldquo;having&rdquo;<\/strong>, a form of the verb <strong>&ldquo;have&rdquo;<\/strong> followed by the past participle.<\/p>\n<p><u>Examples:<\/u><br>\n<i>Having done<br>\nHaving bought<br>\nHaving cleaned<\/i><\/p>\n<p><u>This is what it looks like in a sentence:<\/u><br>\n<i><strong>Having done my best<\/strong>, I finally put my pencil down.<\/i><\/p>\n<p>Jon lost the staring contest, <strong>having blinked.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>This is not to be confused with <strong>having<\/strong> as a present participle. To be a perfect participle, it must include <strong>having<\/strong> plus the past participle.<\/p>\n<p><u>Example:<\/u><br>\n<i><strong>Having a question,<\/strong> I raised my hand.<\/i> (present participial phrase)<\/p>\n<p><i><strong><u>Having questioned<\/u> the material,<\/strong> I raised my hand.<\/i> (perfect participial phrase including <strong>having<\/strong> and <strong>questioned<\/strong>.)<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"punctuation-for-participial-phrases\">Punctuation for Participial Phrases<\/h2>\n<p>The rules for punctuating a participial phrase are as follows:<\/p>\n<p>If the participial phrase comes at the beginning of the sentence, it should be followed with a comma, and it should be followed immediately by the noun it modifies.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><u>Examples:<\/u><br>\n<i><strong>Holding the leash tightly,<\/strong> Maya struggled to control her dog.<br>\n<strong>Having blown away,<\/strong> the paper was lost forever.<\/i><\/p>\n<p>When a participial phrase immediately follows the noun it describes and ends the sentence, or is necessary for the sentence to make sense, no comma or other punctuation is needed.<\/p>\n<p><u>Examples:<\/u><br>\n<i>Springtime is the earth <strong>being warmed by the sun<\/strong>.<br>\nFriends are family <strong>made precious by love<\/strong>.<\/i><\/p>\n<p>However, if the participial phrase is not an essential phrase, it should be set apart in commas.<\/p>\n<p>The way to test whether or not a participial phrase is essential is to try deleting it from the sentence and see if the meaning is changed. If it can be deleted, it is a nonessential phrase and should be surrounded by commas.<\/p>\n<p><u>Examples:<\/u><br>\n<i>The blossoms<strong>, kissed by the sun,<\/strong> were full and rosy.<\/i><br>\n(With the phrase deleted: <i>The blossoms were full and rosy<\/i>.)<\/p>\n<p><i>To our relief the repairs<strong>, having cost a quite a penny,<\/strong> were well done. <\/i><br>\n(With the phrase deleted: <i>To our relief the repairs were well done<\/i>.)<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"mistakes-to-avoid-when-using-participial-phrases\">Mistakes to Avoid When Using Participial Phrases<\/h2>\n<p>There are two common mistakes that can happen when using participial phrases: <strong>misplacing<\/strong> or <strong>dangling<\/strong> them.<\/p>\n<p>Let&rsquo;s examine <strong>dangling participial phrases.<\/strong><br>\nA participial phrase must always modify (describe) a noun or pronoun. If the noun it is describing is not clearly present in the sentence, the phrase is said to be <strong>dangling.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><u>Take these examples:<\/u><\/p>\n<p><i><strong>Having taken her medicine,<\/strong><u>it<\/u> was strange that her <u>fever<\/u> had not relinquished.<\/i><\/p>\n<p>The words <strong>it<\/strong> and <strong>fever<\/strong> are underlined because they are the nouns in the sentence. The participial phrase does not describe either of these nouns.<\/p>\n<p>To test whether a phrase is dangling, try asking if the noun, or nouns, in the sentence are the ones which were _______ (insert the participial phrase).<\/p>\n<p><u>Example:<\/u><br>\n<i>Did <strong>it<\/strong> take her medicine?<br>\nHad the <strong>fever<\/strong> taken her medicine?<\/i><\/p>\n<p>These do not make sense in the context of the sentence. That means the noun that the participial phrase is supposed to describe is <strong>not<\/strong> in the sentence and the phrase is <strong>dangling.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>How could this be changed? We need to add the noun we are describing. Ask, &ldquo;Who took the medicine?&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p><i><strong>Having taken her medicine, <\/strong><u>Mary<\/u> thought it seemed strange that her fever had not relinquished.<\/i><\/p>\n<p>Here <strong>Mary<\/strong> is clearly the one taking the medicine.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><u>Here are some other examples:<\/u><\/p>\n<p><i><strong>Having been vaccinated<\/strong>, the <u>chicken pox<\/u> came as a <u>surprise<\/u>.<\/i> (Neither <strong>chicken pox<\/strong> nor <strong>surprise<\/strong> were vaccinated.)<\/p>\n<p>Corrected:<br>\n<i><strong>Having been vaccinated, <\/strong><u>Liam<\/u> was surprised by the chicken pox.<\/i><\/p>\n<p>(Here <strong>Liam<\/strong> is clearly the one who was vaccinated.)<\/p>\n<p><i><strong>Being scared, <\/strong><u>darkness<\/u> was a depressing time of day.<\/i> (<strong>Darkness<\/strong> is not scared.)<\/p>\n<p>Corrected:<br>\n<i><strong>Being scared,<\/strong> the little <u>girl<\/u> found darkness a depressing time of day.<\/i><br>\n(Here <strong>the little girl<\/strong> is clearly the one who is scared.)<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"misplaced-participial-phrases\">Misplaced Participial Phrases<\/h2>\n<p>A<strong> misplaced modifier<\/strong> happens when the participial phrase is not near enough to the noun it is describing in the sentence. This can cause confusion about what is being described.<\/p>\n<p>It can make your sentence unclear, perhaps even presenting several meanings, and it will make you look like an amateur writer.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><u>Here is an example of a <strong>misplaced participial phrase<\/strong>:<\/u><\/p>\n<p><i><strong>Torn and frayed, <\/strong><u>Melissa<\/u> picked up the <u>flag<\/u>.<\/i><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The participial phrase in this sentence is describing the <strong>flag<\/strong> which was torn and frayed, but because it is not near that noun, and rather is closer to <strong>Melissa<\/strong>, it seems to say that <strong>Melissa was torn and frayed<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>This could be fixed by moving the phrase closer to the noun it modifies.<\/p>\n<p><u>Example:<\/u><br>\n<i>Melissa picked up the <strong>torn and frayed<\/strong> flag.<\/i><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The nouns could also be rearranged for the modified noun to be closer to the modifying phrase.<br>\n<u>Example:<\/u><br>\n<i><strong>Torn and frayed,<\/strong> the flag was picked up by Melissa.<\/i><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><u>Here are some other examples:<\/u><\/p>\n<p><i><strong>Folded neatly over the chair, <\/strong><u>Karen<\/u> forgot to put on her shawl.<\/i> (It sounds as though <strong>Karen<\/strong> were folded neatly over the chair.)<\/p>\n<p>Corrected:<br>\n<i>Karen forgot to put on her <u>shawl<\/u>, <strong>folded neatly over the chair<\/strong>.<\/i><br>\n(Here it is clearly the <strong>shawl<\/strong> which is folded over the chair.)<\/p>\n<p><i>I carried the extra groceries<strong>, pushing the loaded cart.<\/strong><\/i><br>\n(It sounds as though the <strong>groceries<\/strong> are pushing the cart.)<\/p>\n<p>Corrected:<br>\n<i><strong>Pushing the loaded cart,<\/strong> I carried the extra groceries.<\/i><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The simple difference between a <strong>dangling modifier<\/strong> and a <strong>misplaced modifier<\/strong> is that a dangling modifying phrase does not include the noun it is modifying in the sentence at all. A misplaced phrase is just not near enough to the noun it is describing to be clear.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"participial-phrases-overview\">Participial Phrases: Overview<\/h2>\n<p>Participial phrases are groups of words that begin with a participle and work together as an adjective to modify a noun or pronoun. They can be placed at the <strong>beginning<\/strong>, the <strong>middle<\/strong>, or the <strong>end<\/strong> of a sentence.<\/p>\n<p>There are three types of participial phrases: Present, Past, and Perfect. There are also two common mistakes that can be made when using participial phrases: dangling and misplacing.<\/p>\n<p>Both of these mistakes can be avoided by paying attention to the noun you are trying to describe.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"why-are-participial-phrases-important\">Why are Participial Phrases Important?<\/h2>\n<p>What can a participial phrase do for your writing?<\/p>\n<p>A participial phrase can describe a character before he is even named.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><u>Example:<\/u><br>\n<i><strong>Laughing with gusto,<\/strong> Ron beamed out at his friends and held his glass high.<\/i><\/p>\n<p>(Ron is being seen as a loud, jolly guy before he is even introduced in the sentence.)<\/p>\n<p>A participial phrase can convey information concisely.<\/p>\n<p><u>Example using a participial phrase:<\/u><br>\n<i><strong>Having managed a business and started one himself,<\/strong> Mr. Meyer was more than qualified for the job.<\/i><\/p>\n<p><u>Example without using a participial phrase:<\/u><br>\n<i>Mr. Meyer had managed a business previously and had started one himself, so he was more than qualified for the job.<\/i><\/p>\n<p>Participial phrases can help with ordering events chronologically and concisely.<\/p>\n<p><u>Example using a participial phrase:<\/u><br>\n<i><strong>Having been timid since her breakdown,<\/strong> Skye was nervous about the upcoming audition.<\/i><\/p>\n<p><u>Example without using a participial phrase:<\/u><br>\n<i>Skye had been timid since her nervous breakdown, so she was nervous about the upcoming audition.<\/i><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"why-is-it-important-to-learn-about-participial-phrases\">Why Is It Important to Learn About Participial Phrases?<\/h2>\n<p>Participial phrases, like most structural possibilities, should not be overused. They often lend themselves toward the passive voice, and that could become monotonous and dull. A good writer, though, will learn to use them <strong>sparingly<\/strong> and <strong>effectively.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>When occasionally tossed into a sentence, a participial phrase can be a <strong>jewel of description<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>They can be <strong>emotionally powerful<\/strong> as they describe the actions or being of a character almost as a side note, as though you are having a private glance into a deeper scene.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Variety is the spice of life<\/strong>, and writers should learn as many techniques as they can to add flavor to their writing.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Here are further examples for each type of participial phrase we discussed:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"further-examples-of-participial-phrases\">Further Examples of Participial Phrases<\/h2>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Present participial phrases<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><i><strong>Stretching as far as she could,<\/strong> the petite girl could still hardly peer over the ledge.<\/i><\/p>\n<p>The petite girl<strong>, stretching as far as she could,<\/strong> could still hardly see over the ledge.<\/p>\n<p>The wind whistled<strong>, blowing through the trees.<\/strong><br>\n&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3>Past participial phrases<\/h3>\n<p><i><strong>Stricken and silent,<\/strong> the grieving mother bent over her daughter&rsquo;s still form.<\/i><\/p>\n<p>The grieving mother<strong>, stricken and silent,<\/strong> bent over her daughter&rsquo;s still form.<\/p>\n<p>Over the still form of her daughter bent the grieving mother<strong>, stricken and silent<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Perfect participial phrases<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><i><strong>Having eaten the last piece of cake,<\/strong> Jimmy tried to hide the empty pan.<\/i><\/p>\n<p>Jimmy, <strong>having eaten the last piece of cake,<\/strong> tried to hide the pan.<\/p>\n<p>Jimmy tried to hide the pan, <strong>having just eaten the last piece of cake.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Dangling Participial Phrase<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><i><strong>Feeling bored, <\/strong><u>schoolwork<\/u> was a welcome <u>distraction<\/u>.<\/i> (Neither the <strong>schoolwork<\/strong>, nor the <strong>distraction<\/strong> were bored.)<\/p>\n<p>Corrected:<br>\n<i><strong>Feeling bored, <\/strong><u>Kate<\/u> welcomed the distraction of schoolwork.<\/i> (<strong>Kate<\/strong> was feeling bored.)<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><i>Her <u>breath<\/u> smelled fresh<strong>, having eaten breath mints.<\/strong><\/i><br>\n(Her <strong>breath<\/strong> did not eat the breath mints.)<\/p>\n<p>Corrected:<br>\n<i><strong>Having eaten breath mints, <\/strong><u>she<\/u> had fresh-smelling breath.<\/i><br>\n(<strong>She<\/strong> ate the breath mints.)<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Misplaces participial phrases<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Misplaced Phrase:<br>\n<i>I nearly gave the set to her <strong>bought online<\/strong>.<\/i><br>\n(This sounds illogical and unclear.)<\/p>\n<p>Corrected:<br>\n<i>I nearly gave the set <strong>bought online<\/strong> to her.<\/i><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><i><strong>Climbing the wall,<\/strong> my <u>friend<\/u> waved to me when I turned around at the top.<\/i><br>\n(My <strong>friend<\/strong> was not climbing the wall; <strong>I<\/strong> was.)<\/p>\n<p>Corrected:<br>\n<i><strong>Climbing the wall,<\/strong><u>I<\/u> turned to see my friend wave to me when I reached the top.<\/i><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"faq-about-participial-phrases\">FAQ About Participial Phrases<\/h2>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>What is a participial phrase?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>A participial phrase is a group of words that begins with an adjective and works as an adjective.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>What is a participle?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>A participle is a verbal, a word formed from a verb which acts as an adjective.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>What is an adjective?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>An adjective is a modifier. It describes any quality of a noun or pronoun.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>How many kinds of participial phrases are there?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>There are three kinds of participial phrases: present, past, and perfect.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>What signifies each type of participial phrase?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The type of participial phrase is signified by the type of participle it begins with. Present participial phrases begin with present participles which end in &ldquo;-ing&rdquo;. Past participial phrases begin with past participles which usually end in &ldquo;-ed&rdquo; or &ldquo;-en&rdquo;. Perfect participial phrases begin with the word &ldquo;having&rdquo; + the past participle.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Will there always be commas to signify participial phrases?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>No, commas are not always necessary. They are used most of the time, but when the phrase is essential, no commas are necessary.<br>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">\n{\n  \"@context\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\",\n  \"@type\": \"FAQPage\",\n  \"mainEntity\": [\n    {\n      \"@type\": \"Question\",\n      \"name\": \"What is a participial phrase?\",\n      \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n        \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n        \"text\": \"A participial phrase is a group of words that begins with an adjective and works as an adjective.\"\n      }\n    },\n    {\n      \"@type\": \"Question\",\n      \"name\": \"What is a participle?\",\n      \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n        \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n        \"text\": \"A participle is a verbal, a word formed from a verb which acts as an adjective.\"\n      }\n    },\n    {\n      \"@type\": \"Question\",\n      \"name\": \"What is an adjective?\",\n      \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n        \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n        \"text\": \"An adjective is a modifier. It describes any quality of a noun or pronoun.\"\n      }\n    },\n    {\n      \"@type\": \"Question\",\n      \"name\": \"How many kinds of participial phrases are there?\",\n      \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n        \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n        \"text\": \"There are three kinds of participial phrases: present, past, and perfect.\"\n      }\n    },\n    {\n      \"@type\": \"Question\",\n      \"name\": \"What signifies each type of participial phrase?\",\n      \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n        \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n        \"text\": \"The type of participial phrase is signified by the type of participle it begins with. Present participial phrases begin with present participles which end in \\\"-ing\\\". Past participial phrases begin with past participles which usually end in \\\"-ed\\\" or \\\"-en\\\". 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They are used most of the time, but when the phrase is essential, no commas are necessary.\"\n      }\n    }\n  ]\n}\n<\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Table of Contents &nbsp; What is a Participial Phrase? &nbsp; What is a Participle? &nbsp; What is an Adjective? &nbsp; &nbsp;Present Participial Phrases &nbsp; The Difference Between Present Participles and Gerunds &nbsp; Past Participial Phrases &nbsp; Participial Phrases Exceptions: Irregular Verbs &nbsp; Perfect Participial Phrases &nbsp; Punctuation for Participial Phrases &nbsp; Mistakes to Avoid When &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6222,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"disable-in-feed":false,"article-schema-type":"","disable-critical-css":false,"_convertkit_action_broadcast_export":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[35],"tags":[1218],"class_list":["post-6214","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-english","tag-participial-phrases"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6214","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6214"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6214\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":27509,"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6214\/revisions\/27509"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6222"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6214"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6214"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6214"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}