When you studied tenses, you should have come across different verb forms and found the term ‘participle’ to be one among them. Well, did you know that there was a grammatical component called a participle phrase? Do you have any guesses? Not sure what the term means? Read through the article to find out what a participle phrase is, its definition, how it is formed, how it can be used in sentences along with examples.
Table of Contents
- Participle Phrases – Meaning and Definition
- Forming and Using Participle Phrases – Points to Remember
- Difference between a Participle Phrase and a Gerund Phrase
- Examples of Sentences Using Participle Phrases
- Check Your Understanding of the Usage of Participle Phrases
- Frequently Asked Questions on Participle Phrases
Participle Phrases – Meaning and Definition
A participle phrase is a group of words or a phrase that includes a participle. Participle phrases can be made up of either of the two types of participles – the present participle and the past participle. Participle phrases act just like an adjective, an adverb or an adjective phrase in a sentence. There are also participle phrases which are formed by a combination of the present and past participles; in other words, the perfect tense form of the verb, followed by other modifiers.
Check out the following definitions to understand how a participle is defined so as to be able to make effective use of participles to form phrases. According to the Oxford Learner’s Dictionary, a participle is defined as “a word formed from a verb, ending in -ing (= the present participle) or -ed, -en, etc. (= the past participle)”, and according to the Cambridge Dictionary, a participle is defined as “the form of a verb that usually ends in ‘ed’ or ‘ing’ and is used as an adjective.” The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines a participle as a “verbal form that has the function of an adjective and at the same time shows such verbal features as tense and voice and capacity to take an object.”
Now that you have seen what a participle is, you should be able to employ them to form participle phrases, that in turn, will aid you in constructing well-structured sentences.
Forming and Using Participle Phrases – Points to Remember
If you look at a participle phrase, you will be able to identify that a participle phrase is generally an adjective phrase headed by a participle. When using a participle phrase in a sentence, there are a few points you will have to bear in mind. To know how to use them in sentences, go through the following points.
- A participle phrase can be placed in the beginning, middle or end of a sentence. The sentence has to be punctuated according to its position. Positioning the participle phrase is dependent on the importance that the particular information has in the sentence it is used in.
- If the information the participle phrase provides is only extra information, it can be placed either in the beginning or middle of the sentence. This is also the case when the participle phrase is describing the noun or pronoun that acts as the subject.
- If the participle phrase is used to describe the object, it is positioned at the end of the sentence, immediately after the object, and without the use of a comma.
- Furthermore, if the participle phrase is acting as an adverb that provides more information about the action the subject is performing, make sure you position the phrase at the end of the sentence and also use a comma after the object.
- Learning how to punctuate sentences with participle phrases can make your work a lot easier. Go through the following points to know how.
- If the participle phrase is used to start a sentence, then place a comma immediately after the participle phrase and let the rest of the sentence continue.
- In case the participle phrase is used somewhere in the middle of the sentence, you will have to use two commas – one preceding and one following the phrase. In other words, you will have to enclose the participle phrase within a pair of commas.
- If you are placing the participle phrase at the end of the sentence, you will not have to use any punctuation mark before the phrase.
Difference between a Participle Phrase and a Gerund Phrase
There are chances that you might get confused with the usage of a participle phrase and a gerund phrase as both participles and gerunds contain the ‘verb+ing’ form of verbs. To avoid this confusion and to give you a clear idea of both the phrases, here is a table with the factors that make these two phrases different from each other, along with examples. Have a look.
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Examples of Sentences Using Participle Phrases
Going through examples can help you understand the usage of participle phrases in different parts of the sentence. Here are some examples for your reference.
Examples of Sentences with Participle Phrases in the Beginning
- Having seen most of South India, Varsha planned to visit some places in the North in the next year.
- Wandering through the woods, my friends and I reminisced about our last trip and the time we spent together.
- Having heard the news about the accident, Nithin decided to take a break from everything and spend time with his family.
Examples of Sentences with Participle Phrases in the Middle
- The Louvre Museum, situated in Paris, is home to some of the world’s best known works of art like the Venus de Milo and the Mona Lisa.
- The Burj Khalifa, known as the World’s tallest building, is one among the wonders of the world.
- Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, renowned for his work in the field of science and technology, is also the most loved and respected president of the country.
Examples of Sentences with Participle Phrases in the End
- We were glad we noticed the dog jumping over the fence.
- Kevin found it hard leaving home for the first time.
- Trisha loved to see her sister reading short stories and novels.
Check Your Understanding of the Usage of Participle Phrases
Go through the following sentences and identify the participle phrase in them.
1. Sitting by the beach, I kept thinking about how my life has changed.
2. Appreciating us for the achievement, our principal handed over the cash prizes.
3. Sarah’s grandparents were very pleased to see her honouring the family’s traditions.
4. Rajiv, learning about their difficulties, volunteered to help them provide for their families.
5. Captain M. S. Dhoni, known for his excellent strategies and cool attitude, has always been a role model for youngsters who aspire to become a part of the future Indian cricket team.
6. Jibin sat on the couch watching movies the whole day.
7. Having known Seetha for years, Devi understood her emotions and mood swings very well.
8. All of them stood at the entrance not knowing what to do or where to go.
9. Talking about the incident, she said that she was not well aware of what exactly had happened.
10. My mom, having finished all the kitchen work, went upstairs to lie down for a while.
Now, check the answers given below to find out if you have identified the participle phrases accurately.
1. Sitting by the beach, I kept thinking about how my life has changed.
2. Appreciating us for the achievement, our principal handed over the cash prizes.
3. Sarah’s grandparents were very pleased to see her honouring the family’s traditions.
4. Rajiv, learning about their difficulties, volunteered to help them provide for their families.
5. Captain M. S. Dhoni, known for his excellent strategies and cool attitude, has always been a role model for youngsters who aspire to become a part of the future Indian cricket team.
6. Jibin sat on the couch watching movies the whole day.
7. Having known Seetha for years, Devi understood her emotions and mood swings very well.
8. All of them stood at the entrance not knowing what to do or where to go.
9. Talking about the incident, she said that she was not well aware of what exactly had happened.
10. My mom, having finished all the kitchen work, went upstairs to lie down for a while.
Frequently Asked Questions on Participle Phrases
What is a participle phrase?
A participle phrase is a group of words including a participle. Participle phrases can be made up of either of the two types of participles – the present participle and the past participle. Participle phrases act just like an adjective, an adverb or an adjective phrase in a sentence.
What is the definition of a participle?
According to the Oxford Learner’s Dictionary, a participle is defined as “a word formed from a verb, ending in -ing (= the present participle) or -ed, -en, etc. (= the past participle)”, and according to the Cambridge Dictionary, a participle is defined as “the form of a verb that usually ends in ‘ed’ or ‘ing’ and is used as an adjective.” The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines a participle as a “verbal form that has the function of an adjective and at the same time shows such verbal features as tense and voice and capacity to take an object.”
What are the rules to be followed when using participle phrases?
There are some points that you have to remember and follow when forming and using participle phrases.
- A participle phrase can be placed in the beginning, middle or end of the sentence depending on their priority and function.
- If the participle phrase functions like an adjective describing or providing more information about the subject or object, then it can be placed in the beginning, middle or end of the sentence.
- When placed in the beginning of the sentence, a comma should be placed immediately after the phrase followed by the subject which it qualifies.
- If placed in the middle of a sentence, the participle phrase has to be enclosed within commas.
- If the participle phrase provides more information about the object or the action performed by the subject, you have to position it towards the end of the sentence without any punctuation mark preceding the phrase.
Give some examples of participle phrases.
Here are a few examples of participle phrases for your reference.
- Having seen most of South India, Varsha planned to visit some places in the North in the next year.
- Wandering through the woods, my friends and I reminisced about our last trip and the time we spent together.
- We were glad we noticed the dog jumping over the fence.
- Kevin found it hard leaving home for the first time.
- Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, renowned for his work in the field of science and technology, is also the most loved and respected president of the country.
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