-ED / -ING CLAUSES

Postmodifiers in Noun Phrases

A CLAUSE A clause is a part of a sentence which

includes a verb and realizes some element in the main clause: subject, object or complement.

-ing and –ed clauses are postmodifiers in noun phrases, that is, they are complements which we write AFTER the noun.

The book written in English is yours.

-ING CLAUSESThe woman talking to Tom is my neighbour.(the woman who was talking to Tom…)

I was woken up by a bell ringing.(… by a bell which was ringing)

They modify a noun in the sentence. We use –ing clauses to say what

somebody/something is (or was) doing at a particular time.

They have active meaning. The noun they modify “DOES” or “IS DOING” something.

-ING CLAUSES The road connecting these two

villages is very narrow.(The road which connects these two

villages…)

They also describe what happens all the time, not just at a particular time.

-ED CLAUSES The boy injured in the accident was

taken to hospital.(The boy who was injured…)

I live in the house painted in green.(… in the house which is painted in green)

-ed clauses have passive meaning. The noun they modify receives some

action.

-ED / -ING CLAUSES We often use –ed or –ing clauses after

“there is” / “there are”:

There are three people waiting at the queue.

There were more than 200 cars stucked in the traffic jam.

COMPLETE THESE SENTENCES This is a woman… I saw a dog… I saw a man… This is a picture…

KEY. SUGGESTED ANSWERS This is a woman drinking water. I saw a dog running after a man I saw a man chased by a dog. This is a picture painted by Van Gogh.

EOI DE GRANADA

Mª Elena Tapia CarrilloFebruary 2010