Participial Phrases

Participial Phrases

We will identify participial phrases and combine sentences using participial phrases.

Poll

Do Now: Identify the participial phrase in the sentence:

The retriever, known for his gentle nature, played catch with the children.

• The retriever

• known for his gentle nature

• played catch

• with the children

What is a participle?

• A verb form that acts as an adjective (answers questions: Which one? or What kind?

  --Present Participles end in -ing

  --Past participles end in -ed, d, -t, or -en

• One word

• The participal must be placed relatively close to the noun or pronoun it modifies

• Example: Removing his coat, Jack rushed to the river.

What is a participial phrase?

• A adjective phrase that begins with the past or present participle.

  --Can be placed at the beginning, middle, or end of sentences.

• Consists of that ONE participle, plus all the words that complete the adjective

  --Example: Removing his coat, Jack rushed to the river.

  --What or who does the phrase modify in this sentence?

• Often, the adjective is completed with a prepositional phrase.

  --Example: The boy, crawling on his knees, entered the tunnel.

Multiple Select

What is a participle?

• A noun that acts like a verb

• A verb that acts as a noun

• A verb that acts as an adjective.

• a verb that acts as a verb

Example

• Sarah noticed her cousin walking along the shoreline.

• The participial phrase functions as an adjective modifying cousin (which one?-the one walking along the shoreline).

  --walking (participle)

  --along the shoreline (prepositional phrase)

Having been a gymnast, James knew the importance of exercise.

• The participial phrase acts as an adjective modifying James.

  --Having been is the participle.

  --a gymnast (object of the participal)

  
  

Multiple Choice

A participial phrase must be placed closest to the noun it modifies. Looking at the two sentences, which makes the most sense?

• Carrying a heavy pile of books, his foot caught on a step.

• Carrying a heavy pile of books, he caught his foot on a step.

Punctuation

• When a participial phrase begins a sentence, a comma should be placed after the phrase.

  --Example: Arriving at the store, I found that it was closed.

  --Example: Washing and polishing the car, Frank developed sore muscles.

Punctuation

• If the participial phrase is placed in the middle of the sentence, it should be separated with commas only if the information is NOT essential (non-restrictive) to the rest of the sentence.

• Sid, watching an old movie, drifted in and out of sleep.

  (we know who Sid is)

• The church, destroyed by an old fire, was never rebuilt.

  (we know which church)

Multiple Choice

Which is correctly punctuated?

• Waiting for her ride to school. Marie saw a deer leap into the woods.

• Waiting for her ride to school, Marie saw a deer leap into the woods.

• Waiting, for her ride to school, Marie saw a deer leap into the woods.

• Waiting for her ride to school Marie, saw a deer leap into the woods.

Multiple Select

Which of the following is properly punctuated?

• The reward, announced in the newspaper, was a large sum of money.

• The reward announced in the newspaper was a large sum of money.

• The reward, announced in the newspaper was a large sum of money.

• The reward announced in the newspaper, was a large sum of money.

If the participial phrase is essential (restrictive) to the meaning of the sentence, no commas should be used.

• The student receiving the highest grade point average will receive a special reward.

  (tells us which student will receive the award)

• The guy wearing the chicken costume is my cousin.

  (tells us which guy is my cousin)
  

Multiple Choice

1. 1. Identify the participial phrase: Diving near a reef, the marine biologist saw a shark.

• Diving near a reef,

• the marine biologist

• saw a shark

• none of the above.

Multiple Choice

2. 2. Identify the participles in the sentence: A peeled and sliced cucumber can be added to the salad.

• peeled

• sliced

• peeled and sliced

• can be added

Multiple Choice

3. 3. Identify the participle: The water

4. drained slowly in the pipe clogged with dog hair

5. .

• drained slowly

• drained

• clogged with dog hair

• clogged

Combining sentences using participial phrases

• Two sentences:

  The treasure was buried beneath the golden sand.

  The treasure would make pirates rich.

  --Identify any words ending with -ing, ed, d, en, or t.

  --use that word to create a participle phrase.

• How might we combine these two sentences using the participial phrase?

Like this:
Buried beneath the golden sand, the treasure would make pirates rich.

• Original:

  --The treasure was buried beneath the golden sand.

  --The treasure would make pirates rich.

Combining sentences using participial phrases

• Two sentences:

  --The pirates were struggling to bail the water from the hull.

  --The pirates feared the ship would sink.

• How might you combine the sentences using a participial phrase?

Like this:
Struggling to bail the water from the hull, the pirates feared the ship would sink.

• Original:

  The pirates were struggling to bail the water from the hull.

  The pirates feared the ship would sink.

  
  

Open Ended

Exit Slip: Combine the sentences using a participial phrase.

The compass was shattered into tiny pieces. The compass was useless.