Study Unit 9

THE PARTICIPIAL CLAUSE

9.1 The verbal properties of the present participle (-ing form) or past participle ( -en form)

1. John is writing the test. progressive aspect

2. John has written the test. perfect aspect

Participles, present or past, mark aspect together with auxiliary verbs.

3. John is writing the test. active voice (+ present progressive)

4. The test is being written by John. passive voice (+ present progressive)

5. John has written the test. active voice (+ present perfect)

6. The test has been written by John. passive voice (+ present perfect)

Participles have two verbal categories: aspect (progressive or perfect) and voice (active or
passive).

The adjectival properties of the present or past participle:

! TCC depend on [+abstract] nouns, while RC depend on [+concrete] nouns.

1. The leaves [RC that are falling] are yellow. -> the falling leaves. (present participle)
2. The leaves [RC that have fallen] are yellow. -> the fallen leaves. (past participle)

Present and past participles can be used as adjectives that precede/modify nouns. Present and
past participles have both verbal and adjectival properties.

The subject of the participial clause may be preserved:

1. [PC The day being fine], we decided to go swimming.

Subject Subject
1.1. Since the day was fine, we decided to go swimming.
2. [PC The party being over], they went home.
Subject Subject
2.1. Since the party was over, they went home.

The Subject of a PC has to be preserved from the basic full sentence when it is different from the
Subject in the main clause.

Some participial clauses of this type have become idiomatic, however:

3. [PC God willing], we shall succeed.

Subject Subject
3.1. If God wills, we shall succeed.
 4. [PC Weather permitting], they will go on a trip.
Subject Subject
4.1. If the weather permits they will go on a trip.

Participles with a preserved Subject are also found in idiomatic expressions.

PC that preserve the Subject are called absolute participial constructions.

5. [PC PROi Arriving there], theyi found the man dead.

5.1. [ACTime When they arrived there], they found the man dead.

The Subject of the PC is deleted when it is identical with the Subject in the main clause.

9.2 The syntactic functions of the participial clauses

1. Predicative – PC functions as predicative for copulative verbs like “stand”, “be”.

She stood [PC gazing at the shop windows]. 
Shei stood [PC PROi gazing at the shop windows].

2. Attribute - PC functions as Attribute coming from the reduction of a finite RC. A full
finite clause has a verb that can be conjugated in all persons.

She looked at the children [RC who were playing in the garden]. 
She looked at the children [RC/PC playing in the garden].

3. Part of complex constructions – Participles are part/constituents of complex object

constructions or complex subject constructions.

1. She heard somebody knocking. (Accusative + Pres. Participle)

DO=Complex Object construction
2. Somebody was heard knocking. (Nominative + Pres. Participle)
Su=Complex subject construction

3. They found him abandoned. (Accusative + Past Participle)

DO=Complex Object construction
4. He was found abandoned. (Nominative + Past Participle)
Su=Complex subject construction

! These constructions are examples o raising.

4. Adverbial Modifiers from the reduction of adverbial clauses of time, cause, concession,
condition, manner/circumstance, purpose, result.

1. [PC Arriving at the station], he started looking for his friend. (AMCause)
[ACCause When he arrived at the station], he started looking for his friend.

2. [PC Having read the book], he was able to comment on it. (AMCause)
[ACCause As he had read the book], he was able to comment on it.
 3. [PC Even supposing her to be in the right], she should not have used that tone.
(AMConcession)

4. [PC Generally speaking], the term was not appropriate. (AMCondition)

[AMCondition If we speak generally], the term was not appropriate.

5. [PC Judging by appearances], nobody is to blame. (AMCondition)

[AMCondition If we judge by appearances], nobody is to blame.

6. She came into the room [PC running]. (AMManner/Circumstance)

7. She came to the city [PC looking for a job]. (AMPurpose)

8. He contributed a large sum to the library, [ PC (thus) making possible the

purchase of some badly needed books]. (AMResult)

5. Adjectival modifiers:

1.The milk was boiling hot.

2.Put on your heavy coat: it is piercing cold.

Only present participle can modify an adjective. They have the meaning of intensifying adverbs:
very, quite, so, rather.

9.3 The distinction between the present participle and the gerund. Both are -ing verbal
forms.

The distinctions between PC and GCC concern the case in which the Subject is, the introductory
element, raising and whether it is an obligatory or an optional constituent.

a. When participial clauses have a subject, this subject is in the nominative case; the Subject of
a GCC can only be in the possessive/genitive or the accusative case.
[ACCause Since conditions were favorable], we went on a trip.
[PC Conditions having been favorable], we went on a trip. (participial clause)
[GCC John’s going on a trip with us] was good news. (gerundial clause) (possesive)
We rely on [John going on a trip with us]. (accusative)

b. Participial clauses are introduced by conjunctions (although, though, etc.) or adverbs (when,
after, before, etc.), gerundial clauses are preceded by prepositions:
[On arriving there], they found the man dead. (gerundial clause)
[When arriving there], they found the man dead. (participial clause)

c. The participle is used in raising constructions. Only participles can take part in such
constructions. In contrast, the gerund cannot be used in such constructions:
 She saw [TCC that Bill was running].
She saw Bill [running]. (accusative + present Participle)
Bill was seen [running]. (nominative + present Participle)

They found [TCC that Bill was killed in war].

They found Bill [killed in the war]. (accusative + past Participle)
Bill was found [killed in the war]. (nominative + past Participle)

d. The present participle occurs as a nominal or verbal modifier. The participial clause is the
result of the reduction of a relative clause (RC) or an adverbial clause (AC):
The man [RC who was coming to my rescue] was my brother. pres. part.
The man [PC coming to my rescue] was my brother.
(nominal modifier) Attribute (optional)

[ACCause Since I had forgotten my book at home], I felt embarrassed. past part.
[PC Having forgotten my book at home], I felt embarrassed.
(verbal modifier) AMCause (optional)

[GCC Reading books] is my hobby.

Subject (obligatory)
He likes [GCC reading books].
DO (obligatory)
They rely on [GCC reading books].
Object of Preposition (obligatory)

PC are optional constituents and they can be omitted. GCC are obligatory constituents of a
complex sentence.