PA R T I C I P L E C L A U S E S

UNIT 2
Participles
A participle is an adjective formed from a verb.

There are two kinds of participles:

• -ing participles (called present participles)

• -ed participles (called past participles)

e.g. a sleeping baby

e.g. a frightened child

 The two An active verb becomes an –ing participle:
kinds of • The custom fascinates me.
• The fascinating custom has caught my attention. (-ing
participles participle)
A passive voice verb becomes an –ed participle:
come from • My leg was broken in three places.
either • My broken leg is healing slowly. (-ed participle)
active or There are also perfect forms:
passive • The students had solved most of the problems without any help.
• Having solved most of the problems without any help, the
voice verbs. students were exhilarated.
 Description -ing forms -ed forms
The general forms do not indicate time. Time is verb + ing verb + ed, en, t, d
determined by the main clause verb. opening opened
taken
bought
sold
The perfect forms emphasize that the action having + past participle
happened before the time of the main clause verb. having opened

e.g. Having lost all hope, Daisy never went back to

Gatsby.
 A present participle clause can express an action
that happens at the same time as the action in the
main clause:

Present participles
Tom lost his keys while he was walking through
clauses (-ing) the park.

Tom lost his keys walking through the park.

 The participle clause can come first in literary
styles:

Judging from the struggles conducted by

Present participles white working women – their relentless
defense of their dignity as workers and as
clauses (-ing) women, their conscious as well as implicit
challenges to the sexist ideology of
womanhood – they had more than earned the
right to be lauded as pioneers of the women’s
movement.

(extract taken from “Women, Race and Class” written

by Angela Y. Davis)
 The present participle clause can refer to actions
happening right before another action: 
I opened the envelope and I found two concert
tickets.
Present participles
clauses (-ing) Opening the envelope, I found two concert tickets.

They also refer to an action that is the result of

another action:
A bomb exploded and it killed three people.

A bomb exploded, killing three people.

 Finally, a present participle clause can refer
to the reason for the action in the main
clause:
Present participles
clauses (-ing) Since Julie had nothing left to do, she
went home.

Having nothing left to do, Julie went home.

 Perfect participle clauses (having + past participle)

Perfect participle After I finished brushing my teeth, I realised I hadn’t used my

clauses are used toothbrush.
to make it clear
that an action Having brushed my teeth, I realised I hadn’t used my toothbrush.
happens before
another one:
It also refers to two Having read the book before, he knew how the film would end.
actions which are
not consecutive, or
when the first action
happens over a I knew how to move around the city, having lived there all my
period of time: life.
 Past participle clauses (-ed, unless the verb is irregular)

Past participle clauses replace or shorten passive voice clauses:

The people were shocked by the explosion and ran for shelter.

Shocked by the explosion, the people ran for shelter. 

Motivated by the controversy unleashed by the appearance of the Moynian Report, as

well as by his doubts concerning the validity of Frazier’s theory, Herbert Gutman
initiated his research on the slave family.
(extract taken from “Women, Race and Class” written by Angela Y. Davis)
 Structure
QUICK REVIEW ON
Simple tenses
PA S S I V E V O I C E present is / are - + past
STRUCTURES: past was / were participle
Continuous tenses
present is / are being + past
past was /were participle

Perfect
tenses

We form passive forms with: present has / have been + past

past had participle
be + past participle
 Compare:
Tense Passive voice Participle clause
Simple Lab reports that are not handed in Lab reports not handed in by
present by Friday will not be accepted. Friday will not be accepted.

Simple The proposed law, which was The proposed law, opposed by the
past opposed by the majority of the majority of the people, did not
people, did not pass. pass.