PARTICIPLE CLAUSES

Participle clauses are a form of adverbial clause which enables us to say information in a more economical
way. We can use participle clauses when the participle and the verb in the main clause have the same
subject. For example:

Waiting for John, I made some tea.

Waiting for John, the kettle boiled. [This would suggest that the kettle was waiting for John!]

Forming participle clauses

Participle clauses can be formed with the present participle (-ing form of the verb) or past participle (third
form of the verb). Participle clauses with past participles have a passive meaning:

Shouting loudly, Peter walked home. [Peter was shouting]

Shouted at loudly, Peter walked home. [Someone was shouting at Peter]

If we wish to emphasise that one action was before another then we can use a perfect participle (having +
past participle):

Having won the match, Susan jumped for joy.

Having been told the bad news, Susan sat down and cried.

The meaning and use of participle clauses

Participle clauses give information about condition, reason, result or time. For example:

Condition (in place of an if-condition):

Looked after carefully, this coat will keep you warm through many winters.

Compare: If you look after it carefully, this coat will keep you warm through many winters.

Reason (in place of words like so or therefore):

Wanting to speak to him about the contract, I decided to arrange a meeting.

Compare: I wanted to speak to him about the contract so I decided to arrange a meeting.

Result (in place of words like because or as a result):

I had no time to read my book, having spent so long doing my homework.

Compare: I had no time to read my book because I had spent so long doing my homework.
Time (in place of words like when, while or as soon as):

Sitting at the cafe with my friends, I suddenly realised that I had left the oven on at home.

Compare: While I was sitting at the cafe with my friends, I suddenly realised that I had left the oven on at
home.

PRESENT PARTICIPLE CLAUSES

A present participle clause can express:

 an action that happens at the same time as the action in the main clause:

Tom lost his keys (while) walking through the park. (Tom lost his keys while he was walking
through the park.)
She left the room singing happily. (She left the room as she was singing happily.)

The participle clause can come first in literary styles:

(While) walking through the park, Tom lost his keys.

 an action that happens just before another action:

Opening the envelope, I found two concert tickets. (I opened the envelope and I found two
concert tickets.)

 an action that is the result of another action:

Moments later a bomb exploded, leaving three people dead and twelve others injured.
When I entered they all looked at me, making me feel uncomfortable.

 a reason for the action in the main clause:

Having nothing left to do, Paula went home. (Since Paula had nothing left to do, she went
home.)
Knowing a little Russian, I had no difficulty making myself understood. (As I knew a little
Russian, I had no difficulty making myself understood.)
Working as a sales rep, I get to travel a lot. (I travel a lot because I work as a sales rep.)

Here the subjects of the two actions can be different:

The weather being nice, we decided to go for a picnic. (As the weather was nice, we decided
to go for a picnic.)

PERFECT PARTICIPLE CLAUSES

If we want to make it clear that an action happens before another one, we use a perfect participle for the
earlier action:
Having washed the car, I noticed a small scratch on the front right fender. (After I washed the car, I noticed
a small scratch on the front right fender.)

Here the present participle (washing the car) would mean "while I was washing the car".

If the two actions do not follow each other immediately or if the first action happens over a period of time,
we use a perfect participle instead of a present participle for the earlier action:

Having seen the film before, I didn't want to go to the cinema.

Mark knew the town well, having lived there all his life.

PAST PARTICIPLE CLAUSES

Past participle clauses replace passive voice finite clauses:

Shocked by the explosion, the people ran for shelter. (The people were shocked by the explosion and ran for
shelter.)
The musicians stood up, surrounded by thunderous applause. (The musicians stood up while they were
surrounded by thunderous applause.)

If we want to emphasise that an action happens before another one, we use a passive perfect participle:

Having been nominated three times for an Oscar, he is one of today's most acclaimed film directors.

PARTICIPLE CLAUSES REPLACING A RELATIVE CLAUSE

A present participle clause can replace an active voice finite relative clause. The noun before the participle is
the doer of the action:

The man driving the car was not injured. (The man who was driving the car was not injured.)

Present participle clauses are possible even with verbs which are not normally used in the continuous form
(state verbs):

If you think you have received an e-mail containing a virus, you should delete it immediately. (If you think
you have received an e-mail which contains a virus, delete it immediately.)

A past participle clause can replace a passive voice finite relative clause. The noun before the participle is its
object:

This is the last photograph taken of my grandmother. (This is the last photograph that was taken of my
grandmother.)