Participles

Participles

Participles in the English Language are used as verbs and adjectives. They are also known as verbal adjectives.

Examples of Participles:

• I saw a student jumping.
• A rolling stone gathers no moss.
• Driven by passion, he entered the teaching profession.
• Having finished my work, I left my office.

There are three kinds of Participles in English, namely

1. Present Participle: eating, playing, drinking, cleaning etc.,
2. Past Participle: eaten, played, drunk/drunken, cleaned etc.,
3. Perfect Participle: having eaten, having played, having drunk, having cleaned etc.,

Present Participle:

The Present Participles are the ‘ing’ forms of the verbs and show an action going on and incomplete. As a Participle, it is used as an Adjective.

Examples:

• I found my friend sleeping soundly.
• The crying girl had a beautiful face.
• We saw a woman carrying vegetables.

Past Participle:

The Past Participle is the form of a verb ending in ‘-ed’, ‘-d’, ‘-t’ or ‘-n’ and shows an action as completed. As a Participle, it is used as an Adjective.

Examples:

• Opened windows helped her escape easily.
• Known by the fact, he didn’t attend the interview.
• The students should not carry heavily laden bags.
• Time misspent is time lost.
• He is the most learned man in our community.

Perfect Participle:

The Perfect Participle is formed with ‘having’ +Verb and represents an action as having been completed sometime in the past.

Examples:

• Having read this novel, I started reading another novel.
• Having finished her work, she went to meet her friend.
• Having not applied for the job, she did not attend the interview.

Uses of the Participle:

As a Main Verb in the Continuous and Perfect Tenses:

Examples:

• She is reading a novel.
• We are watching TV.
• They were playing chess.
• I shall be attending the classes tomorrow.
• He has finished his homework.
• You had forgotten to send an email.

As an Adjective in different positions and functions:

• As an Adjective, before a Noun it qualifies:

Examples:

• I appreciated her pleasing personality.
• She reads only some interesting books.
• Barking dogs seldom bite.
• He picked up a wounded bird.
• Don’t cry over spilled milk.

• As a Predicative Adjective: (Modifying the Subject)

Examples:

• The story is quite exciting.
• The lecture is boring.
• The girl came running. 
• The news is shocking.
• She seemed disappointed by the results.
• The children felt excited about the tour.
• They look worried.

• As an Objective Complement: (Modifying the Object)

Examples:

• I found him escaping.
• The teacher heard the boys murmuring. 
• He got his leg fractured.
• They left her broken

• As a Noun with the Definite Article:

Examples:

• The dead leave their blessing upon the living.
• The infected and dying need urgent medical care.

As an ‘Adverb’ used to describe verbs:

Examples:

• The boy ran screaming out of the room.
• The toys lay scattered on the floor. 

Absolutely with a noun or pronoun:

Examples:

• The weather, being cool, they played outside.
• My friends, having arrived, we started our programme.
• God willing, we shall soon be rich enough.
• Tagore, being a renowned writer, we always remember him. 
• The teacher, being absent, the students went for games.
• Their funds, having exhausted, they minimized their expenditure.

Note: 1

Here in the above sentences, the participle is used after a noun or pronoun and formed an independent phrase which is called an Absolute Phrase. The nouns or pronouns used in absolute phrases are called Nominative Absolutes.

Note: 2

We can easily change an Absolute Phrase into a Subordinate Clause:

Examples:

• God willing, we shall soon be rich enough.
• If God is willing, we shall soon be rich enough.

• My friends, having arrived, we started our programme.
• When my friends had arrived, we started our programme.

• Tagore, being a renowned writer, we always remember him. 
• We always remember Tagore because he was a renowned writer.

As a Participle Phrase:

A Phrase with a Participle is called a Participle Phrase.

Examples:

• Expecting his arrival, we waited at the railway station.
• Speaking of our principal, he is very much dedicated.
• Who is the man sitting in the office?
• Rejected by the interviewer, the candidate felt disappointed.

Use of ‘Being’ and ‘Having’ in the Participle Phrases:

We use the participle phrases to express the reasons. Participle Phrase carries the reason part. We don’t require to use the conjunctions like because, as, since or so.  A comma is placed after the Participle Phrase.

Use of ‘Being’ in a Participle Phrase:

Examples: 

• Being a teacher, you have to motivate the students.

                 (As you are a teacher, you have to motivate the students.)

• Being late, I was not allowed to the class.

                 (Because I was late, I was not allowed to the class.)

• The teacher being absent, the class was monitored by the leader.

                  (Since the teacher was absent, the class was monitored by the leader.)

• Not being an expert, I have not been considered for the job.

                 (As I am not an expert, I have not been considered for the job.)

Use of ‘Having’ in a Participle Phrase:

• Having a test to write, she spent the weekend studying.

(She spent the weekend studying because she has a test to write)

• After having some rest, she started preparation.

(As she has some rest, she started preparation.)

• Having an idea to share, she got on to the stage.

(Since she has an idea to share, she got on to the stage.)

• Having finished her work, she went home. 

(As she had finished her work, she went home.)

• Having attended the interview, she is expecting to get the job.

(She is expecting the job because she has attended the interview.)

• Having visited my friend, I decided to help him.
• Having said that, I would provide all the bonuses.
• Having been a teacher for several years, I know how to handle the students.
• Having been to Delhi several times, I thought to visit Chennai instead.

Correct use of the Participle:

Same Subject:

When two sentences refer to the same subject, we often can make one sentence shorter (Participle Phrase) with the use of a ‘participle’ using the same subject. 

Examples:

• Shankar went to the office. He happened to meet his friend.
• Going to the office, Shankar happened to meet his friend.

• Swetha was tired of preparation. Swetha spent the day leisurely.
• Being tired of preparation, Swetha spent the day leisurely.

• I entered the classroom. I found the student was sitting on a bench.
• Entering the classroom, I found the student was sitting on a bench.

• Mohan is hungry.  He stole the burger.
• Being hungry, Mohan stole the burger.

Different Subjects:

When both the sentences have the same subject, a separate subject is not required in the Participle Phrase. 

When different subjects are used in two different sentences, we have to use a suitable subject in the Participle Phrase. Otherwise, it may not be clear who performs the action.

Examples:

• It was a rainy day.  We did not go out shopping.
• Being a rainy day, we did not go out shopping. (incorrect)
• It being a rainy day, we did not go out shopping. (correct)

• The snake bit the boy. The farmer decided to kill the snake.
• Having bitten the boy, the farmer decided to kill the snake. (incorrect)
• The snake having bitten the boy, the farmer decided to kill it. (correct)

• The car is very expensive for me.  I can’t afford to buy a car.
• Being very expensive for me, I can’t afford to buy the car. (incorrect)
• The car, being very expensive for me, I can’t afford to buy. (correct)

Note:

Some Participles like regarding, concerning, considering, taking, speaking, touching, owing to can be used without the subject in the Participle Phrase.

Examples:

• Considering his dedication, he was offered a promotion.
• Taking this into consideration, I shall support you.
• Frankly speaking, I don’t like your attitude.

Related Reads:

• Gerund
• Infinitives
• Finite and Non-finite Verbs
• Participles PDF1
• Participles PDF2
• Participles PDF3