Participles and Participial Phrases - Edmond Public Schools

Participles and Participial Phrases
with Professor Whiskers at the Strikes-No-Spares Lazy-Cat Learning Center
The word
participle comes
from Old French
(participe)
through Latin
(participium). It
means "a sharing
or partaking." In
grammar it means
the way that the
participle
"partakes" of both
verb and
adjective
characteristics.
A
participle
is a verb
form that
can be
used as an
adjective.
It ends in
-ing or -ed.
Blah, blah,
blah; I have
been hearing
that since 3rd
grade, and I
still don't
know what a
participle
is. Yawn!
Really? Partakes... that
means takes... so
participles "take"
characteristics from verbs
and adjectives.
Well, that at least makes
some sense!
Verb...Adjective...
We need an example!
Yeah, where did
the word
participle even
come from? It's a
weird word. It
doesn't sound
like anything!
Yawn!
Running as a Verb:
subject -------verb----- -prep. phrase-
Mousie was running from the cat.
And now...
Running as an Adjective:
adjective subject verb dir. obj.
Running, Mousie escaped the cat.
Yay! I
get it!
Participle:
• A verb form that can be used as an adjective
• Participles end in -ing and -ed.
Examples:
Rushing, Steph hurried to class.
Confused, Sara looked at the map.
Broken, the vase lay on the hallway floor. (Broken is really the -ed (or past
participle) form of the verb to break. It is irregular, like many past participle verbs.)
Participial Phrase:
• The participle and all of its modifiers (the "modifiers" are all of the words
related to the participle -- such as prepositional phrases [see below])
• The participial phrase functions as an adjective in the sentence.
Examples:
• Rushing through the halls at breakneck speed, Steph ran to class.
• Confused by the strange directions in the letter, Sara looked at the map.
• Broken into a thousand tiny pieces, the vase lay on the hallway floor.
• Looking at the cats competing for the title, Sue chose the lovely Siamese.
• Enchanted by its adorable personality, Deb played with the little Persian kitten.
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Introductory Participial Phrase:
• Always put a comma after an introductory participial phrase.
• When you write a sentence with an introductory participial phrase, make sure
that you put a noun or pronoun immediately after the phrase so that it
will have something to modify.
Examples:
-----------------participial phrase-------------- subject verb -------prepositional phrase------
1. Lying in front of the fireplace, the kittens dreamed of warm summer days.
(See? You can ask, "Which kittens?" and someone can answer, "The kittens lying in
front of the fireplace!" This is what we mean by the participial phrase modifying or
describing the noun kittens. That's what makes the participial phrase an adjective!
It adds to the noun!)
Now here's a bad example:
---------------participial phrase-------------- sub. verb adjective dir. obj.
2. Comforted by the mother cat, it made a beautiful picture. (Whoever wrote this
sentence left out something very important -- a noun for the participial phrase to
modify! You can't very well ask, "Which it?" and have someone answer, "The it
comforted by the mother cat!" That just doesn't make sense, does it?)
Here's how to make the last sentence into a good example:
---------------participial phrase--------------- subject verb dir. obj. dir. obj.
2. Comforted by the mother cat, the little kittens portrayed beauty and happiness.
(Ahhh, now you can ask, "Which kittens?" and someone can answer, "the kittens
"comforted by the mother cat!" Now that's a good adjective.)
Get it?
We're feeling better about participles now; are you?
Practice
Put in the blank if the sentence has an introductory participial phrase followed
by an appropriate noun or pronoun to modify. Then underline the noun or pronoun
that the introductory participial phrase modifies.
Example: Loved by his owner, the black and white cat purred happily.
1. ___ Described as friendly, Siamese cats love people.
2. ___ Compared to silk, the Siamese cat's fur is soft and shiny.
3. ___ Blinking their almond-shaped blue Siamese eyes, it's easy to see why
humans just can't help falling in love.
4. ___ Differing greatly from the Siamese, the Persian cat has an extremely long,
thick coat.
5. ___ Known by its wide head and flat face, the Persian has large eyes.
6. ___ Requiring daily grooming, the owner must never forget that a thorough
brushing each day is a necessity.
2

Hey, let's play Test Time!
I'll give you some sample test questions,
and you see if you can get the right answer!
Test Time with Professor Whiskers
1. Included on the list of "big cats," the only cats able to roar are lions, tigers, leopards,
and jaguars.
What is the best change, if any, to make to "big cats," the in the above sentence?
A "big cats" the
B "big cats." The
C "big cats"; The
D No change.
2. Expanding the list some scientists include the cheetah, snow leopard, clouded
leopard, and cougar.
What is the best change, if any, to make to list some in the above sentence?
A list: some
B list, some
C list; some
D No change.
3. Feared by their prey, it is true that there are many tales about the big cats' hunting
abilities.
What is the best way, if any, to revise the above sentence?
A Feared by their prey, the big cats are excellent hunters both in fact and fiction.
B Feared by their prey, the tales of the hunting abilities are true of the big cats.
C Feared by their prey the facts of the cats being excellent hunters.
D No change.
4. Displaying similar structure and behavior, still size is quite different.
What is the best way, if any, to revise the above sentence?
A Displaying similar structure and behavior, the difference in sizes of big cats is seen.
B Displaying similar structure and behavior, the size is not the same with big cats.
C Displaying similar structure and behavior, the big cats still differ greatly in size.
D No change.
5. Threatened by humans, these animals are becoming endangered because of poaching
and habitat destruction.
What is the best change, if any, to make to humans, these in the above sentence?
A humans these
B humans; these
C humans: these
D No change.
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6. Banned in nineteen states ownership of big cats is nothing more than cruelty.
What is the best change, if any, to make to states ownership in the above sentence?
A states: ownership
B states, ownership
C states. Ownership
D No change.
7. Distinguished by its size, the tiger is the heaviest member of the cat family.
What is the best way, if any, to revise the above sentence?
A Distinguished by its size, the cat family recognizes the heaviest member as the tiger.
B Distinguished by its size, the cat family recognizes the tiger as the heaviest member.
C Distinguished by its size. The tiger is the heaviest member.
D No change.
8. Having the longest larynx, the most ferocious roar of all of the big cats is able to be
produced by the lion.
What is the best way, if any, to revise the above sentence?
A Having the longest larynx, the lion can make the most ferocious roar of all the big
cats.
B Having the longest larynx, the big cats' most ferocious roar of all is made by the lion.
C Having the longest larynx, of all the big cats, the most ferocious roar is made by the
lion.
D No change.
9. Declared illegal, the interstate sale and transportation of big cats was banned by the
Captive Wildlife Safety Act.
What is the best change, if any, to make to illegal, the in the above sentence?
A illegal the
B illegal: the
C illegal; the
D No change.
10. Calling for its mother in the wild the young Cheetah deserves the right to hear its
mother answer him, return to him, and raise him to adulthood.
What is the best change, if any, to make to wild the in the above sentence?
A wild. The
B wild, the
C wild; The
D No change.
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