UNIT 18

Participles

Present participles (e.g. going, breaking, starting), and past participles (e.g. gone,
broken, started) are used with auxiliary verbs to form continuous, perfect and passive
forms, or as adjectives:
• He's just dashing after her. • It'll be done as soon as possible.
• It's an exhausting job. • She's got a broken arm.
Note the difference between adjectives ending in -ing and -ed. The present
participle (e.g. exciting, interesting, boring) describes the person or thing that is
initiating the action. The past participle (e.g. excited, interested, bored) describes
someone's reactions to something:
• I thought the race was very exciting. • We weren't very interested in the film.
Participles can be used to give a reason for doing something, or to show a time
connection between clauses/phrases:
• Realising she was wrong, she apologised. • Having paid the bill,he left the hotel.
The subject of the participle clause should be the same as in the main clause, but
note the following exceptions to this rule: generally/broadly speaking, taking
everything into consideration/account, supposing, providing, considering,
judging by/from:
• Generally speaking, these plants grow better in chalky soil.
• Providing no one objects, I'll reschedule the meeting.

A Complete the sentences by 1 ________ delivered the message, the boy went home.
filling the gaps with a 2 We were awfully________ by the company’s decision, which seemed
suitable participle. quite wrong to us.
3 He was thrilled by the film and thought it very________ .
4 The burglar must have got in through the________________ window.
5 ________ you had no money, what would you do?
6 ________ rather exhausted, she decided to give the meeting a miss.
7 The departmental head spoke to his assistant,_________ why he was
being so uncooperative.
8 ________ packed our cases, we took a taxi to the airport.
9 ________ everything into consideration, I think you’re right.
10 How can we motivate the children? They always look s o ________
when we talk to them.
11 Claudia entered the room,________ a tray of soft drinks.
12 unable to concentrate, I fell asleep.
13 unexpectedly into the room, she took the intruder by
surprise.
14 by his appearance, Timothy doesn’t spend much on his
clothes.
15 He was sitting in his usual comer, miserable and
his pipe.

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Present participles can be used after certain verbs and their objects, e.g. see, hear,
feel, smell, notice, watch:
• I heard a warbler singing in the woods.
• Did you notice the man sitting in the corner?
This suggests that we heard/noticed an action which continued, whereas if an
infinitive without to is used instead, it suggests that we heard/noticed the whole of
the action, including its completion. Compare:
• I saw her plant the tree. (I saw her finish the planting.) with
• I saw her planting the tree. (I saw her in the middle of planting.)

B Decide whether to use a
present participle or an
infinitive (without to) in
these sentences.
1 We watched her (close) the door. (The door is shut now.)
2 I saw him (repair) the fence. (I didn’t see him finish it.)
3 Can you smell the chicken (cook)? (It isn’t ready to eat yet.)
4 She heard a door (bang), (just once)
5 I didn’t notice them (stand) there. (I didn’t see them leave.)
6 I felt anger (well) up inside me. (a brief feeling of anger which soon
passed)
7 He saw a man (throw) something that glinted in the sun. (It was a
quick action that is now over.)
8 He watched the customs official (open) his case and (take) out his
clothes garment by garment.

After, on, until, as, once, when, while, whenever, before and since can
all be followed by participle clauses:
• Once correctly installed, the system will give years of trouble-free use.
• On being accused, the young man immediately confessed.
• After buying the flowers, he took them to the hospital.
• Whenever sunbathing, make sure you use a sunscreen.
Remember that the subject of the main clause should also be the subject of the
participle clause, apart from certain exceptions (see study box on page 60).
So the following sentence is wrong:
*Once correctly installed, you will have no trouble with the system.

C Complete the sentences
with one of these words:
as, since, when, after,
once, on. Use each word
only once.
1____ taken out of the oven, the cake should be left to cool on a wire
rack.
2 She’s been bedridden _ undergoing her last operation,
making the arrangements for the wedding, don’t forget to order
the flowers.
____ having concluded the interviews, they spent some time
discussing the respective merits of the candidates.
____ being welcomed to the town, Lady Higginbottom gave an
eloquent speech in reply.
6 He struck m e____ being rather eccentric.

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Some past participles used as adjectives change their meaning according to their
position.
Concerned after a noun means relevant or affected, but before a noun it means worried:
• The grant will be given to the family concerned.
• Concerned parents have expressed their anxiety.
Adopted after a noun means chosen, but before a noun it usually refers to a child who
officially becomes part of someone else's family:
• There was uproar over the policies adopted.
• The adopted child will never discover the identity of his parents.
Involved after a noun means relevant or affected, but before a noun it means complicated:
• I'll have a word with the people involved.
• He gave us a long and involved explanation.

D Correct the sentences if 1 When booking a room for myself and my wife the other day, the
necessary. Tick any which receptionist was rather rude to me.
are already correct. 2 Looking at my diary, there were several double-booked
appointments.
3 Remember to use unleaded petrol whenever filling the tank.
4 I hope you’ve mentioned this to the concerned people in the matter.
5 Not having written about the required topic, the teacher gave my
presentation a low mark.
6 It was an extremely involved story. I couldn’t make head or tail of it.
7 While working in California, my house was damaged by an
earthquake.
8 Being such a sunny day, I got up early and went for a swim.
9 Judging from his expression, you’re about to be disciplined!
10 Do you know anyone having been to the Canary Islands?
11 The employees involved will have their pay docked.
12 The club approved of the solution adopted by the sub-committee.
13 Whenever leaving the premises, please ensure that the security
system is switched on.
14 Once ensconced in his comfortable armchair, the television didn’t
bother him at all.

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