Which Sentence Uses A Participial Phrase Correctly?

Printer Fabulous!
Printer Fabled!

The Participle Phrase

Recognize a participle phrase when you find 1.

A participle phrase will begin with a present or past participle. If the participle is present, it will dependably cease in ing. Likewise, a regular by participle will end in a consistent ed. Irregular past participles, unfortunately, conclude in all kinds of ways. (Come across this list for examples.)

Since all phrases crave two or more words, a participle phrase will often include objects and/or modifiers that complete the idea.

Here are examples:

Crunching caramel corn for the entire movie

Washed with soap and water

Stuck in the back of the closet behind the obsolete computer

Participle phrases e'er role as adjectives, describing a nearby noun or pronoun.

Read these examples:

The horse trotting up to the contend hopes that y'all accept an apple or carrot.

Trotting up to the fence modifies the noun horse.

The h2o drained slowly in the pipe clogged with dog hair.

Chock-full with domestic dog hair modifies the noun pipe.

Eaten by mosquitoes, we wished that we had made hotel, not campsite, reservations.

Eaten past mosquitoes modifies the pronoun we.

Do non misfile a present participle phrase with a gerund phrase.

Present participle phrases and gerund phrases are easy to misfile because they both begin with an ing word. The difference is the office that they provide in a sentence. A present participle phrase volition always act as an describing word while a gerund phrase volition e'er behave as a noun.

Consider these examples:

Walking on the beach, Delores dodged the jellyfish that had washed ashore.

Walking on the beach = present participle phrase describing the noun Delores.

Walking on the beach is painful if jellyfish have washed ashore.

Walking on the beach = gerund phrase, the subject of the verb is.

Waking to the buzz of the warning clock, Freddie cursed the inflow of another Mon.

Waking to the buzz of the alarm clock = present participle phrase describing the noun Freddie.

Freddie hates waking to the buzz of the alarm clock.

Waking to the buzz of the alert clock = gerund phrase, the direct object of the verb hates.

After a long day at school and piece of work, LaShae found her roommate Ben eating the concluding of the leftover pizza.

Eating the last of the leftover pizza = present participle phrase describing the noun Ben.

Ben's rudest habit is eating the last of the leftover pizza.

Eating the last of the leftover pizza = gerund phrase, the subject field complement of the verb is.

Punctuate a participle phrase correctly.

When a participle phrase introduces a main clause, dissever the two sentence components with a comma.

This is the pattern:

Participle Phrase + , + Principal Clause.

Read this example:

Glazed with barbecue sauce , the rack of ribs lay nestled adjacent to a pile of sweetness coleslaw.

When a participle phrase concludes a main clause and is describing the word right in forepart of information technology, yous demand no punctuation to connect the two judgement parts.

This is the pattern:

Principal Clause + Ø + Participle Phrase.

Read this instance:

Mariah risked petting the pit bull wagging its stub tail.

Just when a participle phrase concludes a main clause and modifies a word further upwardly in the sentence, yous volition need a comma.

This is the pattern:

Main Clause + , + Participle Phrase.

Read this example:

Cooper enjoyed dinner at Audrey's business firm, like-minded to a big slice of cherry pie even though he was full to the point of bursting.

The firm, of course, is not doing the agreeing; Cooper is! Because of the distance between Cooper and the participle phrase that describes him, the comma is necessary.

Don't misplace or dangle participle phrases.

Introductory participle phrases are the most common modifier to misplace or dangle. In articulate, logical sentences, you will notice these modifiers correct next to the words that they describe.

Shouting with happiness, William celebrated his hazard to interview at SunTrust Banking concern.

Observe that the participle phrase sits right in front of William, the i doing the shouting.

If as well much distance separates an introductory participle phrase and its target, the modifier is misplaced.

Draped neatly on a hanger, William borrowed Grandpa's sometime suit to wear to the interview.

The adjust, not William, is on the hanger! The modifier must come closer to the word it is meant to describe:

For the interview, William borrowed Grandpa's old conform, which was draped neatly on a hanger.

If the sentence fails to include a target, the modifier is dangling.

Straightening his tie and smoothing his hair, the engagement fourth dimension for the interview had finally arrived.

Nosotros assume William is well-nigh to interview, but where is he in the judgement? We demand a target for the participle phrase straightening his necktie and smoothing his pilus.

Straightening his tie and smoothing his hair, William was relieved that the date fourth dimension for the interview had finally arrived.