Grammar - Participle

The Participle

*Read this sentence

1.      Hearing the noise, the boy woke up.

The word hearing qualifies the noun boy as an Adjective does.

It is formed from the Verb hear, and governs an object.

The word hearing, therefore, partakes of the nature of both a Verb and an Adjective, and is called a Participle. It may be called a Verbal Adjective.

A Participle is that form of the Verb which partakes of the nature both of a Verb and of an Adjective. [Or] A Participle is a word which is partly a Verb and partly an Adjective.

Note :

The phrase ‘Hearing the noisse’, which is introduced by a Participle, is called a Participial Phrase. According to its use here, it is an Adjective Phrase.

Present Participle which ends in –ing and represents an action as going on or incomplete of imperfect.

Examples of Present Participles

1.      We met a girl carrying a basket flowers.

2.      Loudly knocking at the gate, he demanded admission.

3.      The child thinking all was safe, attempted to cross the road.

4.      He rushed into the field, and foremost fighting fell.

If the verb from which it comes is Transitive, it takes an object, an in sentence 1.

Notice also that in sentence 2 the Participle is modified by an adverb.

Past Participle which represent a complete action or state of the thing spoken of.

Ecamples of Past Pasticiple

1.      Blinded by a dust storm, they fell into disorder.

2.      Deceived by his friends, he lost all hope.

3.      Time misspent is time lost.

4.      Driven by hunger, he stole a piece of bread.

5.      We saw a few trees laden with fruit.

Perfect Participle is represents an action as completed at some past time

1.      Having rested, we continued or journey.

In the following examples the Participles are used as simple qualifying adjectives in front of a noun, thus used they are called Participial Adjectives.

1.      A rolling stone gathers no moss.

2.      We had a drink of the sparkling water.

3.      His tattered coat needs mending.

4.      The creaking door awakened the dog.

5.      A lying witness ought to be punished.

6.      He played a losing game.

7.      A burnt child dreads the fire.

8.      His finished manners produced a very favourable impression.

9.      He wears a worried look.

10.  Education is the most pressing need of our country.

11.  He was reputed to be the most learned man of his time.

From the last two examples it will be noticed that a Participle admits of degrees comparison.

Let us now recapitulate what we have learnt about the Participle.

·         A Participle is a Verbal Adjective

·         Like a Verb it may govern a noun or pronoun

Hearing the noise, the boy woke up. [The noun noise is governed by the participle Hearing]

·         Like a Verb it may be modified by an adverb

Loudly knocking at the gate, he demanded admission. [Here the participle knocking is modified by the adverb Loudly]

·         Like an Adjective it may qualify a noun or pronoun

Having rested, the men continued their journey.

·         Like an Adjective it may be compared

Education is the most pressing need of our time. [Here the participle pressing is compared by prefixing most]

Below are shown the forms of the different Participles

Active	Passive
Present : loving	Present : being loved
Perfect : having loved	Perfect : having been loved
	Past : loved

Uses of the Participle

·         The Continuous Tense (Active Voice) are formed from the Present Participle with tenses of the verb be as,

I am loving                  I was loving                 I shall be loving

·         The Perfect Tenses (Active Voice) are formed from the Past Participle with tenses of the verb have

I have loved                 I had loved                  I shall have loved

·         The Passive Voice is formed from the Past Participle with tenses of the verb be

I am loved                   I was loved                  I shall be loved

We have seen that Participles quality noun or pronouns.

Attributively

1.      A rolling stone gathers no moss.

2.      His tattered coat needs mending.

3.      A lost oppotunity never returns

Predicatively

1.      The man seems woied. (Modifying the Subject)

2.      He kept me waiting. (Modifying the Object)

Absolutely

1.      The weather being fine, I went out.

2.      mary having married, we were freed from anxiety.

3.      Weather pemitting, thee will be a gaden party at Govenment House tomorrow.

4.      God willing, we shall have another good monsoon.

5.      The sea being smooth, we went fo sail.

6.      The wind having failed, the cew set to work with a will.

7.      His master being absent, the business was neglected.

8.      The wind being favourable, they embarked.

Errors in the Uses of Participles

Since the participle is a verb-adjective it must be attached to some noun or pronoun. In other words, it must always have a proper ‘subject of reference’.

The following sentences are incorrect because in each case the Participle is left without proper agreement.

1.      Being a very hot day, I remainded in my tent.

·         It being a very hot day, I remainded in my tent.

2.      Sitting on the gate, a scorpion sting him

[Note. – As it is, the sentence reads as if the scorpion was sitting on the gate]

·         Sitting on the gate, he was stung by a scorpion.

·         While sitting on the gate, a scorpion stung him.

3.      Entering the room, the light was quite dazzling.

Entering the room, I found the light was quite dazzling.

When I entered the room, the light was quite dazzling.

Exercise

Combine the following pairs of sentences by making use of Participle.

1.      The magician took pity on the mouse. He turned it into a cat.

·         Taking pity on the mouse, the magician tuned it into a cat.

2.      The train was ready to leave the station. The people had taken teair seats.

·         The people having taken their seats, the train was ready to leave the station.

3.      The porter opened the gate. We entered.

·         The porter opening the gate. We entered.

4.      We started early. We arrived at noon.

·         Starting early. We arrived at noon.

5.      We met a man. He was carrying a load of wood.

·         We met a man carrying a load of wood.

6.      The stable door was open. The horse was stolen.

·         The stable door being open. The horse was stolen.

7.      He seized his stick. He rushed to the door.

·         Seizing his stick. He rushed to the door.

8.      The hunter took up his gun. He went out to shoot the lion.

·         Taking up his gun. The hunter went out to shoot the lion.

9.      The wolf wished to pick a quarrel with the lamb. He said, “How dare you make the water muddy?”

·         Wishing to pick a quarrel with the lamb. The wolf said, “How dare you make the water muddy?”

10.  A passanger alighted from the train. He fell over a bag on the platform.

·         Alighting from the train. A passanger fell over a bag on the platform.

11.  Nanak met his brother in the street. He asked him where he was going.

·         Meeting his brother in the street. Nanak asked his brother where he was going.

12.  My sister was charmed with the silk. She bought ten yards.

·         Being charmed with the silk. My sister bought ten yards.

13.  The steamer was delayed by a storm. She came into port a day late.

·         The steamer being delayed by a storm. She came into port a day late.

14.  He had resolved on certain course. He acted with vigour.

·         Having resolved on certain course. He acted with vigour.

15.  He staggered back. He sank to the ground.

·         Staggering back. He sank to the ground.

16.  The letter was badly written. I had great difficulty in making out its contents.

·         The letter being badly in written. I had great difficulty in making out its contents.

17.  They had no fodder. They could give the cow nothing to eat.

·         Having no fodder. The could give the cow nothing to eat.

18.  Cinderella hurried away with much haste. She dropped one of her little glass slippers.

·         Hurrying away with much haste. Cinderella dropped one of her little glass slippers.

Exercise

Rewrite each of the following sentences, by changing the Participle into a Finite Verb.

1.      Quitting the forest we advanced into the open plain.

·         We quitted the forest and advanced into the open plain.

2.      Driven out of his country, he sought asylum in a foreign land.

·         As he was driven out of his country, he sought asylum in a foreign land.

3.      I once saw a man walking on a rope.

·         I once saw a man. He was walking on a rope.

4.      Walking on the roof, he slipped and fell.

·         He walked on the roof. He slipped and fell.

5.      Having no guide with us, we lost our way.

·         We had no guide with us. We lost our way.

6.      Being paralytic, he could not walk.

·         He was paralytic. He could not walk.

7.      Hearing the noise, I woke up.

·         I heard the noise. I woke up.

8.      Caesar being murdered, the dictatorship came to an end.

·         Caesar was murdered. The dictatorship came to an end.

9.      Having worked all day I was fatigued.

·         I had worked all day. I was farigued.

10.  We met an old Shadu walking to Benares.

·         We met an old Shadu. He was walking to Benares.

11.  Having come of age, his son entered into partnership with him.

·         He had come of age. His son entered into partnership with him.

12.  Having failed in the first attempt, he made no further attempts.

·         He had failed in the first attempt. He made no further attempts.

13.  Walking up to the font door, I rang the bell.

·         I walked up to the doo. I ang the bell.




Source: High School English Grammar and Composition By Wren & Martin (latest edition)