English Language Arts
Grade 12
15 min
Identify participles and what they modify
Identify participles and what they modify
Tutorial Preview
1
Introduction & Learning Objectives
Learning Objectives
Differentiate between present participles (-ing) and past participles (-ed, -en, etc.) in complex sentences.
Identify the specific noun or pronoun a participle or participial phrase modifies.
Analyze the stylistic effect of participial phrases in literary texts from British and World literature.
Construct sophisticated sentences using participial phrases to enhance descriptive and narrative writing.
Diagnose and correct common errors, such as dangling and misplaced modifiers, in their own and others' writing.
Distinguish participles (adjectives) from gerunds (nouns) and the main verbs in a verb phrase.
How does a writer like Shakespeare or Orwell pack a sentence with action and description without making it clunky? The secret often lies in a powerful...
2
Key Concepts & Vocabulary
TermDefinitionExample
VerbalA word formed from a verb but functioning as a different part of speech, such as a noun, adjective, or adverb. Participles are one of the three types of verbals (along with gerunds and infinitives).In 'The *howling* wind...', *howling* is a verbal derived from the verb 'to howl' but used as an adjective.
ParticipleA specific type of verbal that functions as an adjective, modifying a noun or pronoun. It retains some characteristics of a verb, such as tense and the ability to take an object.The *shattered* vase lay on the floor. ('shattered' is a verb form describing the noun 'vase').
Present ParticipleA participle that ends in -ing. It describes an ongoing action or state related to the noun it modifies.The *crying* baby c...
3
Key Rules & Conventions
The Proximity Rule
A participle or participial phrase must be placed as close as possible to the noun or pronoun it modifies, usually immediately before or after it.
This rule is crucial for clarity. Violating it results in misplaced or dangling modifiers, which create confusion or unintended humor by illogically modifying the wrong word.
The Punctuation Convention for Introductory Phrases
When a participial phrase begins a sentence, it must be followed by a comma.
This comma separates the introductory modifying phrase from the main clause, signaling to the reader that the phrase applies to the subject that immediately follows. Example: *Blinded by the blizzard*, the driver could not see the road.
The Punctuation Convention for Non-Restrictive Phrases
Use commas to set...
4 more steps in this tutorial
Sign up free to access the complete tutorial with worked examples and practice.
Sign Up Free to ContinueSample Practice Questions
Challenging
An author writes: 'The detective, haunted by the unsolvable case, stared into the rain-streaked window.' Why might the author choose the participial phrase 'haunted by the unsolvable case' over a separate sentence like 'He was haunted by the unsolvable case'?
A.To state a simple fact with maximum clarity and separation of ideas.
B.To subordinate the cause of his state, emphasizing the action of staring while keeping the cause closely linked.
C.To create a formal, academic tone suitable for a research paper.
D.To make the sentence longer and more difficult to read.
Challenging
Critically evaluate the following sentence: 'Having been meticulously researched for months, the historian's new book offered a groundbreaking thesis.' Why is this sentence grammatically correct despite the introductory phrase being separated from 'historian'?
A.The sentence contains a subtle dangling modifier; the book was researched, not the historian.
B.The phrase modifies 'thesis', which is the most important part of the sentence.
C.The phrase correctly modifies 'book,' which is the logical subject of the research and is placed appropriately in the main clause.
D.This is a special exception to the dangling modifier rule for academic writing.
Challenging
Consider two sentences: 1) 'The soldier, remembering his home, felt a pang of sadness.' 2) 'As the soldier remembered his home, he felt a pang of sadness.' What is the primary difference in effect between the participial phrase in (1) and the subordinate clause in (2)?
A.Sentence 1 is more formal and less emotional than sentence 2.
B.Sentence 2 implies the remembering and the feeling happened at different times.
C.There is no significant difference in meaning or effect.
D.Sentence 1 presents the 'remembering' as an internal, continuous state accompanying the feeling, while sentence 2 presents it more as a distinct causal event.
Want to practice and check your answers?
Sign up to access all questions with instant feedback, explanations, and progress tracking.
Start Practicing Free