What Is a Participial Phrase?

A participle is a verb form that functions as an adjective by modifying nouns and

pronouns. A participle can be either a present participle or a past participle.

A participial phrase includes the participle, plus any modifiers and complements.

Present Examples:

Shivering, the couple ran out of the rain and into the house.

(Shivering is the present participle. It modifies couple .)

The sobbing child held his injured knee.

(Sobbing is the present participle. It modifies child .)

The cascading waterfall poured down over the rocks.

(Cascading is the present participle. It modifies waterfall .)

Sweeping across the night sky, the bats hunted their prey.

(Sweeping is the present participle, and sweeping across the night sky is the

participial phrase. The participial phrase modifies bats .)

Quickly checking over his answers, Patrick handed in his test just before time ran

out.

(Checking is the present participle, and quickly checking over his answers is the

participial phrase. The participial phrase modifies Patrick .)

Searching the glove compartment, Evangeline looked for her sunglasses.

(Searching is the present participle, and searching the glove compartment is the

participial phrase. The participial phrase modifies Evangeline .)

Past Examples:

The broken window needed to get repaired quickly.

(Broken is the past participle. It modifies window .)

We were sad to see our fallen apple tree after the storm hit.

(Fallen is the past participle. It modifies tree .)

To make the batter, stir the beaten eggs into the flour.

(Beaten is the past participle. It modifies eggs .)

Excited about dinner, Hari ran the whole way home.

(Excited is the past participle, and excited about dinner is the participial phrase. The

participial phrase modifies Hari .)

Frightened by the loud fireworks, the dog hid under the couch.

(Frightened is the past participle, and frightened by the loud fireworks is the

participial phrase. The participial phrase modifies dog .)

Injured during the soccer match, Marco had to leave the field.

(Injured is the past participle, and injured during the soccer match is the participial

phrase. The participial phrase modifies Marco .)

THE PARTICIPLE PHRASERecognize a participle phrase when you see one.A participle phrase will begin with a present or pastparticiple. If the participle is present, it will dependably end in ing. Likewise, a regular past participle will end in a consistent ed. Irregular past

participles, unfortunately, conclude in all kinds of ways [although this list will help].

Since all phrases require two or more words, a participle phrase will often include objects and/or modifiers that complete the thought. Here are some examples:

Crunching caramel corn for the entire movie

Washed with soap and water

Stuck in the back of the closet behind the obsolete computer

Participle phrases always function as adjectives, adding description to the sentence. Read these examples:

The horse trotting up to the fencehopes that you have an apple or carrot.

Trotting up to the fence modifies the nounhorse.

The water drained slowly in the pipeclogged with dog hair .

Clogged with dog hair modifies the nounpipe.

Eaten by mosquitoes , we wished that we had made hotel , not campsite, reservations.

Eaten by mosquitoes modifies the pronounwe.

Don't mistake a present participle phrase for a gerund phrase.Gerund and present participle phrases are easy to confuse because they both begin with an ing word. The difference is the function that they provide in the sentence. A gerund phrase will always behave as a noun while a present participle phrase will act as an adjective. Check out these examples:

Walking on the beach , Delores dodged jel lyf ish that had washed ashore.

Walking on the beach = present participle phrase describing the noun Delores.

Walking on the beach   is painful i f jel lyf ish have washed ashore.

Walking on the beach = gerund phrase, thesubject of the verb is.

Waking to the buzz of the alarm clock , Freddie cursed the arr ival of another Monday.

Waking to the buzz of the alarm clock = present participle phrase describing the nounFreddie.

Freddie hates waking to the buzz of the alarm clock .

Waking to the buzz of the alarm clock = gerund phrase, the direct object of the verbhates.

After a long day at school and work, LaShae found her roommate Ben eating the last of the leftover pizza .

Eating the last of the leftover pizza = present participle phrase describing the nounBen.

Ben's rudest habit is  eating the last of the leftover pizza .

Eating the last of the leftover pizza = gerund phrase, the subject complement of the linking verb is.

Punctuate a participle phrase correctly.When a participle phrase introduces a main clause, separate the two sentence components with a comma. The pattern looks like this:

PARTICIPLE PHRASE  + , +  MAIN CLAUSE .

Read this example:

Glazed with barbecue sauce,   the rack of r ibs lay nestled next to a pi le of sweet coleslaw.

When a participle phrase concludes a main clause and is describing the word right in front of it, you need no punctuation to connect the two sentence parts. The pattern looks like this:

MAIN CLAUSE  + Ø +  PARTICIPLE PHRASE .

Check out this example:

Mariah r isked pett ing the pi t bul lwagging its stub tail .

But when a participle phrase concludes a main clause and modifies a word farther up in the sentence, you will need a comma. The pattern looks like this:

MAIN CLAUSE  + , +  PARTICIPLE PHRASE .

Check out this example:

Cooper enjoyed dinner at Audrey's house,  agreeing to a large slice of cherry pie even though he was full to the point of bursting .

Don't misplace or dangle your participle phrases.Participle phrases are the most common modifier tomisplace or dangle. In clear, logical sentences, you will find modifiers right next to the words they describe.

Shouting with happiness, Wil l iamcelebrated his chance to interview at SunTrust.

Notice that the participle phrase sits right in front of William, the one doing the shouting.

If too much distance separates a modifier and its target, the modifier is misplaced.

Draped neatly on a hanger , Wil l iam borrowed Grandpa's old  suit   to wear to the interview.

The suit, not William, is on the hanger! The modifier must come closer to the word it is meant to describe:

For the interview, Wil l iam borrowed Grandpa's old suit, which was draped neatly on a hanger .

If the sentence fails to include a target, the modifier is dangling.

Straightening his t ie and smoothing his hair , the appointment t ime for the interview had f inal ly arr ived.

We assume William is about to interview, but where is he in the sentence? We need a target for the participle phrasestraightening his tie and smoothing his hair.

Straightening his t ie and smoothing his hair ,  William  was rel ieved that the appointment t ime for the interview had f inal ly arr ived.

What Are Participle Phrases? (with Examples)A participle phrase is an adjective phrase that starts with a participle. Look at this example:

You could see the panther releasing its grip.(The shaded text is the participle phrase. The participle itself is in bold. The participle phrase is describing the panther.)

Participle Phrases Can Start with Past Participles or Present ParticiplesParticiples are used as adjectives. There are two types of participles:

Present Participles  (ending -ing) Past Participles  (usually ending -ed, -d, -t, -en, or -n)Look at these examples:

The Verb

The Present Participle

The Past Participle

Example of a Participle Phrase

To rise the rising sun the risen sun Rising out of the sea in front of us, the sun started to warm our faces.

To print the printing document

the printed document

Printed on the very first press, the document was extremely valuable.

To break

the breaking news

the broken news Broken by a government whistle-blower, the news is all over the media.

Placement of Participle PhrasesA participle phrase will often appear at the start of a sentence to describe something in the main clause. For example:

Removing his glasses, the professor shook his head with disappointment.(When a sentence is structured this way, use a comma to separate the participle phrase from whatever it's modifying (the professor in this example).)

A participle phrase can also appear immediately after whatever it's modifying. For example:

I saw Arthur running for the bus.

(There is no comma when a participle phrase is placed immediately after its noun (Arthur in this example).)

It is also possible to use a participle phrase at the end of a clause and not immediately after whatever it's modifying. For example:

Paul loved his boxing gloves, wearing them even to bed.(There is a comma when the participle phrase is used farther down the sentence than its noun (Paul in this example).)

Beware of Dangling Modifiers and Misplaced ModifiersParticularly when using a participle phrase at the start of a sentence, be sure to place the noun being modified directly after the comma. If you fail to do this, you will have made a mistake known as a misplaced modifier. For example:

Disappointed almost to the point of tears, the empty test tube was examined by the professor. (The empty test tube was not disappointed almost to the point of tears. The words after the participle phrase and the comma should be the professor.)

Also, be sure to include the noun being modified. If you omit it, you will have made a mistake known as a dangling modifier. For example:

Disappointed almost to the point of tears, an empty test tube was the worst outcome possible. (In this example, there is nothing at all for the participle phrase to modify. It is dangling.)

Participial Phrase1. What is a Participial Phrase?A participial phrase is a phrase that looks like a verb, but actually functions as an adjective; it modifies a noun in the same sentence. Phrases like this can “spice up” a noun and provide added description about what it’s doing or what it looks like. They’re often used in pieces that need to tell readers a lot in a few words, like newspaper articles or even fiction books. 

2. Examples of Participial PhrasesHere are few simple examples of participial phrases (in green) in action. We really do see them all the time, even though they sound sort of complicated.Example 1

Fond of brushing her hair, Kelly always had smooth and silky locks.It might look like Kelly is brushing her hair in the action of this sentence, but the beginning phrase is actually an adjective here. It tells us something about Kelly, a noun and the subject of the sentence. That makes “Fond of brushing her hair” a participial phrase. The participial phrase doesn’t describe an action that’s happening currently, but it does help us understand why Kelly always has soft hair.Example 2

The trash can sat in the corner, brimming with garbage.Here, the phrase “brimming with garbage” tells us about the trash can, a noun. “Brimming” is a verb, but the entire phrase acts as an adjective again. That makes “brimming with garbage” another participial phrase! 

3. Parts of a Participial PhraseParticipial phrases will always start with a participle. A participle is formed from a verb, but it acts as a noun or an adjective. They modify other nouns in sentences, and are often parts of longer phrases—like a participial phrase, of course!

The participle in a participial phrase can be either the present participle or the past participle.

The present participle of a verb expresses the action of a verb, specifically in the present. It will always end in –ing, every single time.

Meanwhile, the past participle of a verb is not always as easy to pick out. They usually end in -ed, for regular past participles. But irregular past participles are out there, ready to try and confuse you. Don’t let them, though, because you already use most past participles without knowing that they’re called past participles!

The best way to show you how present participles and past participles are different is to give you a few example verbs.

Verb Infinitive Present Participle Past Participle

to smile smiling smiled

to hang hanging hung

 

Example 1 The woman, smiling and waving, said hello.

With the verb “to smile,” we get a present participle of smiling. “Smiling” describes the woman, so we know more about her. That’s the present participle in action, and the past participle for smile would be pretty similar!Example 2

Framed and hung, the painting lit up the room.The past participle is irregular this time, because “hung” doesn’t end in –ed like regular past participles. Now our participial phrase is “framed and hung” and we get information about the subject: the painting.Picking out the participle in a participial phrase is actually pretty easy, because participles stick out once you figure out how they work. There’s a participle in every participial phrase, so it’s important you understand how to use them.

a. NounA participial phrase sometimes uses a noun, depending on the participle. Some participles will just make more sense with a noun. A noun is a

person, place, or thing, and is usually the subject of a sentence. Common nouns are words like dog, book, or computer. They can also be the names of specific people or places. In some cases, like participial phrases, adding a noun can bring more detail to a sentence.

Example 1 The phone was almost out of battery power, blinking in the dark.

The participial phrase “blinking in the dark” describes a noun, the phone. Most sentences with participial phrases will work in similar ways, because the participial phrases will always modify the subject of the sentence.

The participle “blinking” might make sense on its own in another sentence, but in this sentence the noun “dark” gives us a better sense of what’s going on.

Example 2 The phone was almost out of battery power, blinking.

Now the noun “dark” is gone and we can still mostly understand what the participial phrase means, but it’s just a bit weird. It’s not clear what’s blinking, or why it’s blinking. The participial phrase feels incomplete without “in the dark” and we’re not getting enough information. So sometimes participial phrases will use nouns to clear up a situation or give more detail. The nouns aren’t always necessary, and you should be able to feel it out through context.

b. ModifierA modifier will modify a noun, just like the name says. They can be lots of different kinds of words—like adjectives, adverbs, or even participles—as long as they modify a noun. Modifiers add more detail to a phrase, so they can be used in participial phrases to describe more of the situation. Check out the example of a modifier in a participial phrase to see how they work!Example 1

Quickly opening the bag, Carrie found her favorite notebook.The word “quickly” tells us more about how Carrie opened the bag, and that makes it a modifier. Meanwhile, the entire participial phrase describes how Carrie found her notebook.Modifiers are used all the time to make a sentence more interesting and give us more information. They’re also used in participial phrases, like in the example sentence, to describe the action of the phrase. Modifiers can

add a lot of fun to a sentence or a phrase, so use them right and you can have fascinating sentences!

 

4. How to Avoid Mistakes When Writing Participial PhrasesFirst, your participial phrase will need to use a participle, in past or present form. Make sure you have the right form if you’re using an irregular past participle! Also, remember that a participial phrase describes a subject (usually a noun!) but isn’t part of the main clause of a sentence. The main clause of the sentence describes the action going on. If you take out the participial phrase, the main clause should still be a complete sentence.Here’s what you shouldn’t do with your participial phrases.

a. Don’t Forget PunctuationWhen you start a sentence with a participial phrase, you’ll need to use commas to set it apart from the main clause. But when your participial phrase describes the word right in front of it, you don’t need the commas.

Example 1 Pouring a glass of milk Amanda concentrated.

This sentence doesn’t make much sense, does it? It sounds like half of a sentence! Instead of a glass a milk, it seems like someone is pouring a glass of something called “milk Amanda concentrated.”

Here’s how it should look with a comma.

Example 2 Pouring a glass of milk, Amanda concentrated.

Now the participial phrase “pouring a glass of milk” is set apart from the rest of a sentence with a comma, and it makes much more sense. It is describing Amanda (the noun) as she concentrates.

b. Avoid Dangling ModifiersYou should also watch out for what’s called a dangling modifier. This happens when a participial phrase is put in the wrong place, and that makes it seem like they’re describing the wrong noun or subject in a

sentence. This can confuse people, but it can also create some pretty funny misunderstandings and the sentence doesn’t make logical sense. Here is an example of a misplaced participial phrase and how to correct it.Example 1

The cup of water spilled everywhere and Connor walked over to clean it up, dripping over the sides of the table.

The participial phrase “dripping over the sides of the table” is stuck in the wrong place here. Now it looks like Connor is dripping off the table instead of the water! Both the cup of water and Connor are nouns, but the participial phrase can only modify one of them. It should be put closer to its noun so that the sentence makes more sense. Here’s what it should look like.

Example 2 The cup of water spilled everywhere, dripping over the sides of the table,

and Connor walked over to clean it up.Now we can clearly see that the water is what’s dripping, not Connor. It’s important to link your participial phrase to the right noun, so that your sentences don’t get too hard to understand.

c. Avoid Confusing Gerunds With Participial PhrasesA gerund looks like a participial phrase, but it actually does something different when it’s used in a sentence. Gerunds are verb phrases that act as nouns, but participial phrases act as adjectives. Here are some sentences with gerunds and participial phrases so you can learn to tell them apart.Example 1

Turning the light on is a necessity at night.In this sentence, “turning the light on” is a gerund. We can tell this is a gerund because the phrase acts as a noun in the sentence. The rest of the sentence describes the gerund, by saying that it’s “a necessity at night.” So gerunds might look just like participial phrases, but make sure you figure out what the phrase is doing before you decide what it is.Example 2

Turning the light on, Haley walks into the room.Now the same phrase is a participial phrase! It’s set off from the main clause of the sentence “Haley walks into the room” with a comma. Also, if we take out the participial phrase, the sentence still makes sense. The

phrase “turning the light on” describes Haley, instead of being described like a gerund would.Gerunds and participial phrases can sometimes be the exact same words, but they have very different functions. Avoid confusing them by checking for signs that a phrase is a gerund or a participial phrase.

Look for commas that set the phrase apart from the sentence. They can be small clues that you’re looking at a participial phrase.

Make sure to read over the sentence to see how the phrase acts within the entire sentence. Is it a noun or the subject of the sentence? Or is it describing the noun/subject?

If you can take the phrase out and still have a complete sentence, you’re probably dealing with a participial phrase.

Test your Knowledge1.

What punctuation is used to set a participial phrase off from the main clause of a sentence?

a. Period

b. Commas

c. Line Break

d. Punctuation mark

2.

Identify the participle in the following sentence

Hanging up the phone, Susan thought about her life.

a. susan

b. phone

c. hanging

d. thought

3.

TRUE or FALSE: All past participles end in -ed.

a. FALSE

b. TRUE

4.

A ________________ happens when a participial phrase isn’t linked up to the right noun

a. Dangling modifier

b. verb

c. phrase

d. mistake

Enter

ParticiplesSummary:This handout provides a detailed overview (including descriptions and examples) of gerunds, participles, and infinitives.Contributors:Purdue OWLLast Edited: 2011-04-13 12:09:54

A participle is a verbal that is used as an adjective and most often ends in -ing or -ed. The term verbal indicates that a participle, like the other two kinds of verbals, is based on a verb and therefore expresses action or a state of being. However, since they function as adjectives, participles modify nouns or pronouns. There are two types of participles: present participles and past participles. Present participles end in -ing. Past participles end in -ed, -en, -d, -t, -n, or -ne as in the words asked, eaten, saved, dealt, seen, and gone.

The crying baby had a wet diaper. Shaken, he walked away from the wrecked car. The burning log fell off the fire. Smiling, she hugged the panting dog.

A participial phrase is a group of words consisting of a participle and the modifier(s) and/or (pro)noun(s) or noun phrase(s) that function as the direct object(s), indirect object(s), or complement(s) of the action or state expressed in the participle, such as:

Removing his coat, Jack rushed to the river.

The participial phrase functions as an adjective modifying Jack.Removing (participle)his coat (direct object of action expressed in participle)

Delores noticed her cousin walking along the shoreline.

The participial phrase functions as an adjective modifying cousin.walking (participle)along the shoreline (prepositional phrase as adverb)

Children interested in music early develop strong intellectual skills.

The participial phrase functions as an adjective modifying children.interested (in) (participle)music (direct object of action expressed in participle)early (adverb)

Having been a gymnast, Lynn knew the importance of exercise.

The participial phrase functions as an adjective modifying Lynn.Having been (participle)a gymnast (subject complement for Lynn, via state of being expressed in participle)

Placement: In order to prevent confusion, a participial phrase must be placed as close to the noun it modifies as possible, and the noun must be clearly stated.

Carrying a heavy pile of books, his foot caught on a step. * Carrying a heavy pile of books, he caught his foot on a step.

In the first sentence there is no clear indication of who or what is performing the action expressed in the participle carrying. Certainly foot can't be logically understood to function in this way. This

situation is an example of a dangling modifier error since the modifier (the participial phrase) is not modifying any specific noun in the sentence and is thus left "dangling." Since a person must be doing the carrying for the sentence to make sense, a noun or pronoun that refers to a person must be in the place immediately after the participial phrase, as in the second sentence.

Punctuation: When a participial phrase begins a sentence, a comma should be placed after the phrase.

Arriving at the store, I found that it was closed. Washing and polishing the car, Frank developed sore muscles.

If the participle or participial phrase comes in the middle of a sentence, it should be set off with commas only if the information is not essential to the meaning of the sentence.

Sid, watching an old movie, drifted in and out of sleep. The church, destroyed by a fire, was never rebuilt.

Note that if the participial phrase is essential to the meaning of the sentence, no commas should be used:

The student earning the highest grade point average will receive a special award. The guy wearing the chicken costume is my cousin.

If a participial phrase comes at the end of a sentence, a comma usually precedes the phrase if it modifies an earlier word in the sentence but not if the phrase directly follows the word it modifies.

The local residents often saw Ken wandering through the streets.(The phrase modifies Ken, not residents.)

Tom nervously watched the woman, alarmed by her silence.(The phrase modifies Tom, not woman.)

Points to remember

1. A participle is a verbal ending in -ing (present) or -ed, -en, -d, -t, -n, or -ne (past) that functions as an adjective, modifying a noun or pronoun.

2. A participial phrase consists of a participle plus modifier(s), object(s), and/or complement(s).

3. Participles and participial phrases must be placed as close to the nouns or pronouns they modify as possible, and those nouns or pronouns must be clearly stated.

4. A participial phrase is set off with commas when it:o a) comes at the beginning of a sentenceo b) interrupts a sentence as a nonessential elemento c) comes at the end of a sentence and is separated from the word it modifies.

A participle is a verbal ending in -ing (present) or -ed, -en, -d, -t, -n, or -ne (past) that functions as an adjective, modifying a noun or pronoun. A participial phrase consists of a participle plus modifier(s), object(s), and/or complement(s).

Step 1: Find the participle. (

Step 1: Find the participle. ( throwing) Step 2: Find the noun that it modifies. ( friend) Step 3: Find the rest of the phrase. ( rocks across the water) Step 4: Figure out what the rest of the phrase is doing.

Phrases are groups of words, without both a subject and a verb, functioning as a singlepart of speech. Participial phrases consist of a participle along with all of its modifiers and complements. Here are three examples. Notice that each phrase is modifying a noun.

In English grammar, a participial phrase is a word group consisting of a present participle (also known as an -ing form) or past participle (also known as an -en form), plus any modifiers, objects, and complements. Aparticipial phrase commonly functions as an adjective.