Prof. Dra.

Mara Dolores Lpez Jimnez

Spring semester: English B2

PARTICIPLE CLAUSES

A. FORM

-ing clauses PRESENT Participle clauses

Feeling tired, we stopped to rest= Because we were tired we stopped to

-ed clauses PAST Participle clauses

Dissolved in water, the tablets act quickly

B. USAGE

B.1. ing clauses PRESENT Participle clauses

1. To show that 2 actions occurred at the same time or 1 happened

immediately after another:

Turning to the crowd, he smiled and waved (=He turned to the

crowd and smiled)

Having taking off his shoes, he walked upstairs. (one thing happened
before another)

2. To suggest a cause, reason or result, especially with stative verbs

such as feel, be, believe, have, know, want:

Feeling sick, he decided to stay at home (He felt sick so he

decided)

Wanting to become more independent, he left home. (Because he

wanted)
 3. To replace adverbial clauses of time or contrast. The participle clause
is introduced by a conjunction:

On seeing her brother, she gave him a big hug (When she saw)
Before leaving the room, he turned off the light (Before he left)
While admitting he had been very stupid, he refused to apologize.

4. Modify a noun (relative clauses)

Guests requiring further information should.

In case there is no activity, you cannot use a participle clause:

* The scientist inventing the robot will win a prize.

B.2. ed clauses PAST Participle clauses

They have a passive meaning.

1. To suggest cause, reason, and condition

I applied for the job, convinced that I could do it (=because I was

convinced)

Told well, my jokes are as funny as anyones (If they are told well,
)

The job successfully completed, they left (The job was successfully
completed, so they left)

NOTES

A. If the subject of a participle clause is not stated, it must be the

same as the subject of the main clause.

B. If the subject of a participle clause is stated, it can be different

from the subject of the main clause

It being high season, all the hotels were fully booked

ACTIVITY

Rewrite these sentences using a present or past

participle
1. As she was worried about her young son, Mrs Fowler
rang the school.

2. If these plants are left to grow naturally, they reach

tremendous heights.

3. I slept for 12 hours because I was exhausted by the long

journey.

4. if we took the results on their own, they wouldnt prove

much.

Common mistakes:

*Having died, the plants had not been watered

ANSWERS:

1. Worried/worrying about
2. Left to grow, these plants
3. Exhausted by, I slept for
4. Taken on their own, the results wouldnt prove much.

The plants died not having been watered.