DESCRIBING OBJECTS

PAST PARTICIPLES CLAUSES

DESCRIBING OBJECTS: Past Participles

You can use a past participle clause to describe a noun or a noun phrase.
Noun: a word (other than a pronoun) used to identify any of a class of people, places, or things
(common noun), or to name a particular one of these (proper noun)
Noun phrase: more than one word in which the head is the noun.

Example:
More than 5 million lighters made by Bic are sold every day.

Here the past participle clause is made by Bic that decribes the noun phrase
more than 5 million lighters.
DESCRIBING OBJECTS: Past Participles

Notice how:
1. Past participle clauses have a similar meaning to relative clauses with
a passive verb form.
More than 5 million lighters which are made by Bic are sold every day.
(A relative clause is a clause that usually modifies a noun or noun phrase and is
introduced by a relative pronoun ( which, that, who, whom, whose ) or a relative
adverb (where, when, why)).

2. Past participle clauses have nothing to do with the past time.

The expression ‘past participle clause’ is used because this kind of clause
starts with a past participle (made).
DESCRIBING OBJECTS: Past Participles

There are two kinds of past participle clause.

1. You use a defining clause to show exactly which things or
people you’re talking about.

I read an interesting survey conducted by the New York Times.

2. You use a non-defining clause to add extra details about things or people.
A recent survey on reading habits, conducted by the New York Times,
attracted a lot of attention.
DESCRIBING OBJECTS: Past Participles

Sometimes, the choice of defining or non-defining clause depends on

the feelings of the speaker.

Compare:
It’s a famous picture painted by Yeames.
(painted by Yeames identifies the picture)

It’s a famous picture, painted by Yeames.

(painted by Yeames is an extra detail)
DESCRIBING OBJECTS: Past Participles

FORMS:
I. A defining clause goes directly after the noun phrase, without a comma.
It’s a famous picture painted by Yeames.

II. A non-defining clause can go in different places:

1 directly after the noun phrase, but with commas.
This picture, painted by Yeames in 1878, shows a dramatic scene of a family in
danger.
2 before the noun phrase, if the noun phrase is the subject of the sentence.
Painted by Yeames in 1878, this picture shows a dramatic scene of a family in
danger.
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