NAME: DATE: 09/21/16

YEAR & SECTION: SCORE:

Participial phrase- is a participle accompanied by a complement. The entire phrase acts as an adjective
since it describes/modifies a noun or a pronoun in the sentence.
Participle- is a verbal that is used as an adjective. Participles fall into two groups: present participle (verb
ending in –ing) and past participle (verb ending in –ed or other endings such as –en, –t, etc. for irregular
verbs).
EXAMPLE: The lifeguard, using her megaphone, told us not to panic.
The participial phrase using her megaphone is in present participial phrase since the participle using ends
with –ing and it modifies the word lifeguard which is a noun. Therefore, the participial phrase functions as
an adjective since it describes the noun lifeguard.
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EXERCISE: Underline the participial phrase in the sentence and draw an arrow to the word modified by
the participial phrase. Tell whether the participial phrase is under past participial phrase or present
participle phrase and write it after the sentence.
1. Swaying in the wind, the palms are like dancers.

2. Not accepting the coins, the tollbooth buzzed.

3. Flowing out of the restaurant, the soft music invited the passers-by to enter.

4. Sprayed water onto the faces of the crew, the outrigger canoe raced along the top of the waves.

5. Dolores, placing her shot carefully, hits the ball to her opponent’s backyard.

6. Swimming every day, Al became an excellent swimmer.

7. Worn out, the tires needed to be replaced.

8. Chopped into small pieces, the celery added texture to the salad.

9. Soaring high above the clouds, the jet is flying to Paris.

10. Snapped by the hurricane, the telephone poles hung dangerously over the road.

11. The band members wearing their uniform played and marched with more confidence than usual.

12. Shaking hands with people in the crowd, the President barely made his way to the car.

13. The elephant, munching hay, looked content.

14. He ordered a cup of royal, freezing with ice.

15. The girl wearing a pink shirt is his ultimate crush.