ENGLISH MODULE

PARTICIPLE CLAUSES

&

VERBS OF PERCEPTION WITH INFINITIVE OR

GERUND

Compiled by: Theresia R. V. H., S.Pd.

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Participle Clause

Participle clauses are a form of adverbial clause which

enables us to say information in a more economical way.

We can use participle clauses when the participle and the

verb in the main clause have the same subject.

Example

• Waiting for John, I made some tea. • Waiting for John, the kettle boiled. X [This would suggest

that the kettle was waiting for John!]

Forming Participle Clause Participle clauses can be formed with the present participle (--ing form of the verb) or past participle (third form of the verb). Perfect participle (having + third form of the verb) is used when the two actions happen in different time. Participle clauses with past participles have a passive meaning. The examples are as follows:

• Shouting loudly, Peter walked home. [Peter was shouting]

• Shouted at loudly, Peter walked home. [Someone was shouting at Peter] If we wish to emphasise that one action was before another then we can use a perfect participle (having + past participle):

• Having won the match, Susan jumped for joy. • Having been told the bad news, Susan sat down and

cried.

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Forming Participle Clause Participle clauses give information about condition, reason, result or time. For example:

Condition (in place of an if-condition): • Looked after carefully, this coat will keep you warm

through many winters. • Compare: If you look after it carefully, this coat will

keep you warm through many winters. Reason (in place of words like so or therefore):

• Wanting to speak to him about the contract, I decided to arrange a meeting.

• Compare: I wanted to speak to him about the contract so I decided to arrange a meeting. Result (in place of words like because or as a result):

• I had no time to read my book, having spent so long doing my homework.

• Compare: I had no time to read my book because I had spent so long doing my homework. Time (in place of words like when, while or as soon as):

• Sitting at the cafe with my friends, I suddenly realised that I had left the oven on at home.

• Compare: While I was sitting at the cafe with my friends, I suddenly realised that I had left the oven on at home.

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Verbs of perception Hear, see, watch, notice and similar verbs of perception can be followed by object + infinitive without to or object + -ing form.

There is usually a difference of meaning between the two structures.

The infinitive is used after these verbs when we want to say that we hear or see the whole of an action or event. The –ing form is used to suggest that we hear an action or event in progress.

Compare:

I heard her sing a lovely song. (As I sat listening, she started singing a song and I listened to her until she finished it.)

I heard her singing a song as I walked past her room. (When I heard her she was singing a song – she was probably in the middle of her singing. Anyway, I didn’t hear the entire song.)

The –ing form can suggest repetition.

I saw him throwing stones at the dogs. (= He kept throwing stones.)

After these verbs possessive forms cannot be used with an –ing form.

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I saw Peter getting out of the train. (NOT I saw Peter’s getting out of the train.)

Object + past participle

The verbs see, hear, watch, notice etc., can also be followed by an object + past participle.

In this structure, the past participle has a passive meaning.

I heard my name repeated several times. (= My name was repeated several times.)

Look at

Look at can be followed by object + -ing form. In American English, object + infinitive is also possible.

Look at him dancing!

Look at him dance! (US)

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Exercises

Write in the present participle.

1. (search) ________ for her gloves, she dug through the entire

wardrobe.

2. (whistle)________ a song, she danced through the house

with the mop.

3. (sit) ________in the shade, we ate cake and drank coffee.

4. The child sat at the desk (paint) ________a picture.

5. (run)________ to the bus stop, she lost her shoe.

Write in the past participle.

1. (blind) ________by the sun, the driver didn’t see the stop

sign.

2. (prepare) ________by the chef himself, the dinner will be a

real treat.

3. (sing) ________by him, every song sounds just wonderful.

4. (misuse) ________as a refuse dump, the place became more

and more shabby.

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5. Though (bear) ________in England, she spent most of her

childhood in the United States.

Turn the underlined part of the sentence into a

participle clause.

1. We are lying in the sun and we are enjoying life.

→ ________,we are enjoying life.

2. The boy had brushed his teeth. He was allowed to watch

a few more minutes of television.

→ ________, the boy was allowed to watch a few more

minutes of television.

3. The children sat on their beds and watched the

thunderstorm.

→________, the children watched the thunderstorm_.

4. They were surprised by a sudden storm and had to seek

shelter under a tree.

→ ________, they had to seek shelter under a tree.

5. When they had found the secret island, they started

searching for the treasure.

→ ________, they started searching for the treasure.

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Glossary

Clause (n) Group of words that contains a subject and a verb.

Participles (n)

are words formed from verbs that can function as adjectives or gerunds or can be used to form the continuous tenses and the perfect tenses of verbs.

References

Azar, B.S. 1989. Understanding and using English Grammar. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc. Puchta, et al. 2013. English in mind. 4th ed. Cambridge: University press. http://www.grammarbank.com/ Retrieved on: 7 August, 2015 http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/grammar/learnit/learnitv317.shtml https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/quick-grammar/participle-clauses