What is a participle?

A participle is a verb form that

functions as an adjective by
modifying nouns or pronouns.

A participle can be either a

present participle or a past
participle.
 Present Participle Examples

Shivering, the couple ran out of the

rain and into the house.

Thesobbing child held his injured

knee.
Past Participle Examples

The broken window needed to

get repaired quickly.

Thefrightened dog, hid under the

couch.
PARTICIPIAL
PHRASE
What is a participial phrase?
Here are some examples :

Verb rise
Present Participle
rising sun

Past Participle risen sun

Participial Phrase The sun rising out of the
sea, started to warm the
shore.
What is a participial phrase?
Here are some examples :

Verb print
Present Participle
printing machine

Past Participle printed document

Participial Phrase Printed on the very first
press, the document
was extremely valuable
.
What is a participial phrase?
Here are some examples :

Verb fright
Present Participle
frightening thunder

Past Participle frightened dog

Participial Phrase Frightened by the
thunder, the dog hid
under the couch.
Participial Phrases
Thesun, rising out of the sea started to
warm the shore.

Printed
on the very first press, the
document was extremely valuable .

Frightened by the thunder, the dog hid

under the couch.
Participial Phrase
A participial phrase is an
adjective phrase that starts
with a participle.
Placement of Participial Phrases
 Removing his glasses, the professor shook his
head with disappointment.

 A participial phrase will often appear at the start

of a sentence to describe something in the
main clause.

 (When a participle phrase introduces a main

clause, separate the two sentence components
with a comma.)

 (PARTICIPIAL PHRASE) +( ,) + (MAIN CLAUSE)

Placement of Participial Phrases
 I saw Arthur running for the bus.

A participle phrase can also appear

immediately after the word it modifies.

 (There is no comma when a participial

phrase is placed immediately after its
noun.)

 (MAIN CLAUSE) + (PARTICIPIAL PHRASE)

Placement of Participial Phrases
 Paul loved his boxing gloves, wearing them
even to bed.

 It is also possible to use a participial phrase

at the end of a clause and not immediately
after the word it modifies

 (when a participial phrase concludes a main

clause and modifies a word farther from the
word it modifies, you will need a comma)

 (MAIN CLAUSE) + (,) + ( PARTICIPIAL PHRASE)

Identify the participial phrases in the
following sentences.
1. Shouting with happiness, William celebrated
his chance to interview his idol.

2. The guy wearing the chicken costume is my

cousin.

3. The church, destroyed by a fire was never

rebuilt.
Converting a participle into a
phrase.
A heart, broken by a
Broken heart loved one’s infidelity is
eventually healed.

The child, frightened by

Frightened child the thunder hid under his
blanket.

Captured by the police,

Captured rebel the rebel died after a few
days.