Participial Phrases

A participial phrase can modify a subject, an entire predicate, a direct or indirect

object, or an entire sentence.

Yet people trying to protect their data and

transmissions apply less caution than the goats do:
they attempt to distinguish between friend and foe
using a mere sequence of symbols. [The first participial phrase
modifies the subject; the second participial phrase modifies the predicate.]

The procedure then appends a signature consisting of

the distorted stamp and the solution to the
equation. [modifies direct object]

The motion of the damping tubes shears the viscous

fluid, dissipating the vibration energy of the
structure. [modifies whole sentence]