Grammar Verb Part

8/12/2019 Grammar Verb Part

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VERBALS - Participles

A. A participleis a verb form used as an adjective.1. Active part ic ip les end in ing.

Examples:the howlingdog (a dog that is howling).the screamingchild (a child that is screaming).

2. Passive participlesend in ed, t, d, en, orn.

Examples:

broken toys (toys that have been broken)

B.rotted timbers (timbers that have been rotted)

the bent twig (a twig that has been bent)

the known data (data that is known)

the told secrets (secrets that have been told)

Exercise A

Underline the participles in the following sentences. Circle the word that ismodified by the participle. The first one is done for you.

1. The galloping horse scared the child.2. We listened to the singing birds.3. Those are stolen goods.4. Rolling stones gather no moss.5. There was some broken glass on the road.

6. She gave the snarling dog a swift kick.7. Burnt toast is a favorite of mine.8. It was the unknown factors that made the problem difficult.9. A swinging gate kept Bert awake all night.10. The child, lost and half-frozen, was found after two days.


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B. Participles, like verbs, can have objects, complements andmodifiers of their own. These objects, complements and modifiers,together with the participles, form participial phrasesthat are usedto modify nouns and pronouns.

Examples:

1. Grabbing a sandwich from the tray, Tom hurried to the door.The whole participial phrase modifies Tom.Inside the phrase, sandwichis the object of grabbing.From the trayis an adverb phrase modifying grabbing.

2. Frightened by the lightening, she pulled the blanket over herhead.The whole participial phrase modifies she.Inside the phrase, by the lighteningis an adverb phrasemodifying frightened.

Exercise B

Underline the participial phrase in the following sentences. Rememberthey mustbe used as adjectives. Circle the noun or pronoun that eachone modifies. The first one is done for you.

1. Broken by the strong wind, the flagpole dangled high above thestreet.

2. Hating misery, the missionaries fought disease and poverty.3. Revolutionizing the techniques of battlefield surgery, Bethune

became famous.4. The toast, burnt to a crisp, caught on fire.5. Being rich and successful, the actress turned to charity work.6. Being rich and successful is not my prime goal.7. I saw the man walking down the street.8. Bill appeared on the stage, his face painted beyond recognition.9. I saw him leaning out the window, shouting and waving at the

passers-by.10. Otto, busily mixing the formula, didnt notice the water in the beaker

boiling dry.11. Perched in a corner of the loft, his head propped against a sack of

feed, George fell asleep.12. Standing next to Christopher made Elizabeth appear taller than she

is.13. Running to catch a bus, Doris tripped and sprained her ankle.14. Blinded by the dazzling snow, almost frozen after the long journey,

the explorer could not even strike a match.15. Encourage by her smile, Mark asked her for a date.


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C. Participlescan be used in a perfect tenseto express a time priorto the main verb.The perfect tense of a participle has havingattached to the participle.

Examples:Having read the book, I knew I wouldnt want to see the movie.The "reading"occurred before the "knowing".

Having been warned about his temper, Laura wasnt surprised atthis outburst.The "warning" occurred before the "not being surprised".Otherwise the present tense of the participle is used.

Example:

Realizingthat he was wrong, he said nothing more.Not having realized. The "realizing" and the "saying nothing" occurat the same time.

Exercise C

Underline the appropriate tense of the participle:

1. (Hiking, Having hiked) for three hours, the gang was ready to eat.2. Not (wanting, having wanted) to draw attention to himself, Martin

wouldnt ask questions.

3. (Bathing, Having bathed) for three hours, Mikes fingers and toeswere dried and wrinkled.4. Her brother, (disagreeing, having disagreed) with her, broke into

the discussion.5. Paul (frightened, having been frightened) into speechlessness,

shrank back into the corner.

D. An absolute phraseis a special kind of participial phrasewhere theparticiple modifies a word inside the phrase itself.

Example:Don was stretched out on the beach, a straw hat shielding his eyes.The participle shieldingmodifies hat.

She sat down, her face flushed with excitement.The participle flushedmodifies face.


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Exercise D

Underline the absolute phrases in the following sentences and circle theword within the phrasethat the participle modifies.

1. Bernie was sitting at his desk, his head bent over a sheet of graphpaper.2. The contract signed, Lefty and his new manager shook hands for

the photographer.3. The Model I moved slowly along the parkway, horns honking

angrily behind it.4. His voice trembling with anger, he ordered us to leave.5. Dan was slouched in a corner of the seat, his head covered with a

newspaper.

ANSWER KEY

(Words that were to be circled are shown in bold.)

Exercise A

2. singing birds3. stolen goods4. Rolling stones5. broken glass

6. snarlingdog7. Burnttoast8. unknownfactors9. swinginggate10. lost, half-frozenchild

Exercise B

2. Hating misery,missionaries3. Revolutionizing the techniques of battlefield surgery,Bethune4. burnt to a crisp, toast

5. Being rich and successful,actress6. no participial phrase the phrase is used as a noun and it istherefore a gerundphrase

7. walking down the street,man 8. painted beyond recognition,face9. shouting and waving at the passers-by,him10. busily mixing the formula,Ottoand boiling dry, water


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11. Perched in a corner of the loft, Georgeand propped against a sackof feed, head

12. no participial phrase gerund13. Running to catch a bus, Doris14. Blinded by the dazzling snow, explorer

almost frozen after the long journey, explorer15. Encouraged by her smile, Mark

Exercise C

1. Having hiked2. wanting3. Having bathed4. disagreeing5. frightened

Exercise D

1. hisheadbent over a sheet of graph paper2. The contract signed3. hornshonking angrily behind it4. His voicetrembling with anger5. his headcovered with a newspaper

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Grammar Verb Part