Participles
One of the effective, mature sentence combining skills showcases
the participle. The participle is an adjective that used to be a
verb, in other words a verbal. In order to make a participle, one
starts out with two sentences, each containing a same noun or
pronoun.
As in other sentence combining methods, the writer decides which
of these sentences contains the most important ideas. That
sentence will remain in the primary position-an independent
clause. The writer will turn the second sentence into a
participle (present or past) phrase. The participle phrase needs
to be as close to the word it modifies as possible (either before
or after). The participle acts as an adjective describing the
adjacent noun or pronoun. (Note the participle phrase in the
previous sentence.) Set off a participle phrase at the beginning
of the sentence by a comma. Commas around participle phrases in
the middle of the sentence are optional depending on the meaning.
Examples:
I went to the store. I bought a loaf of bread. Going to the
store, I bought a loaf of bread.
The participle acts as an adjective. The adjective describes the
adjacent noun or pronoun. The participle acts as an adjective
describing the adjacent noun or pronoun.
Tom cleans the fish tank. Tom finds his glasses. Tom, cleaning
the fish tank, finds his glasses.
Teresa graduated from Hoover High School. Teresa majored in
computer technology. Graduated from Hoover High School, Teresa
majored in computer technology.
Now you do the Participle exercise that accompanies this
lesson.
-ING MODIFIERS--PARTICIPLES
Combine the following pairs of sentences by making one of the sentences into an -ING modifier. Decide which sentence is the most important; that sentence needs to be the mail clause. Put the other sentence into a participle. Be sure participle pharase is either immediately before or or after the word it modifies.
Example: The batter swung mightily at the fastball. The batter struck out.
Swinging mightily at the fastball, the batter struck out.
2. The train picked up speed. The train rumbled out of the station.
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3. The scientist studied changes in the atmosphere. The scientist predicted damage to the ozone layer.
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4. The dolphins leaped in and out of the water. The dolphins passed the boat.
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5. A woman sat in a lawn chair on the roof. A woman watched the fireworks.
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6. I live on the outskirts of town. I can't ride the bus to work.
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7. The sailor scanned the horizon. The sailor sighted land.
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8. The traffic officer waved his hands wildly. The traffic officer tried to slow down the oncoming cars.
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9. Larry cleaned the fish tank. Larry found his old eyeglasses.
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10. Carmen pulled up to the drive-in window. Carmen recited her fast-food order.
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Rewrite these sentences to make clear any confusing -ING modifiers. Some will be much easier than others to repair. Make sure that the subject of the participle if it were a sentence is the word that the participle is modifing.
11. Lying under the table, my aunt found her napkin.
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My aunt found her napkin lying under the table. (Unless, of
course, your aunt has had too much to drink and she is, in fact,
under the table!)
12. Gerald spotted a deer, rowing the boat along the shore.
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13. Going through customs, her passport was stamped.
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(Who is going through customs? Is she mentioned in the sentence?)
Going though customs, Gina had her passport stamped.
14. Strolling down Chauncey Street, the sun lit the lawns and porches.
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(Who is "strolling"? Is he/she being modified by
"strolling"?)
15. Bubbling in a test tube, Dr. James showed us the mixture of chemicals.
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16. Walking on the pier, John's hat blew off.
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17. Ellen spotted The Wall Street Journal rushing past a newsstand.
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18 Hanging by one leg from a wooden hanger, Rico found his pants.
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19. Using a car-care kit, the Thunderbird was waxed and buffed until it sparkled.
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(Did you make sure that "using" modified the subject of
the sentence?)
20. Sprouting pink blooms, we admired the violet.
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Be sure at least one sentence in your papers contains an example of a participle.
NOTE THAT MOST OF THESE SENTENCE COMBINATIONS CAN BE WRITTEN FOUR WAYS. YOU, THE WRITER, NEED TO DECIDE WHAT INFORMATION NEEDS TO BE IN THE MAIN CLAUSE (THE MORE IMPORTANT INFORMATION) AND WHAT INFORMATION NEEDS TO BE IN THE PARTICIPLE (LESSER IMPORTANCE).
2. The train picked up speed. The train rumbled out of the
station.
PICKING UP SPEED, THE TRAIN RUMBLED OUT OF THE STATION.
RUMBLING OUT OF THE STATION, THE TRAIN PICKED UP SPEED.
REMEMBER THAT IN ADDITION TO DECIDING WHICH PART IS THE MOST IMPORTANT, YOU ALSO MAY PLACE THE PARTICIPLE IN FRONT OF OR BEHIND THE WORD IT MODIFIES (BUT NOT FAR AWAY FROM THAT NOUN).
THE TRAIN, RUMBLING OUT OF THE STATION, PICKED UP SPEED.
THE TRAIN, PICKING UP SPEED, RUMBLED OUT OF THE STATION.
DO I HAVE TO GIVE YOU ALL THE POSSIBILITIES FOR EACH COMBINATION? CAN YOU INTERPOLATE YOUR ANSWER?
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3. The scientist studied changes in the atmosphere. The
scientist predicted damage to the ozone layer.
STUDYING CHANGES IN THE ATMOSPHERE, THE SCIENTIST PREDICTED
DAMAGE TO THE OZONE LAYER.
PREDICTING DAMAGE TO THE OZONE LAYER, THE SCIENTIST STUDIED CHANGES IN THE ATMOSPHERE.
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4. The dolphins leaped in and out of the water. The dolphins
passed the boat.
LEAPING IN AND OUT OF THE WATER, THE DOLPHINS PASSED THE BOAT.
PASSING THE BOAT, THE DOLPHINS LEAPED IN AND OUT OF THE WATER.
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5. A woman sat in a lawn chair on the roof. A woman watched the fireworks.
SITTING IN A LAWN CHAIR ON THE ROOF, A WOMAN WATCHED THE FIREWORKS.
WATCHING THE FIREWORKS, A WOMAN SAT IN A LAWN CHAIR ON THE ROOF.
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6. I live on the outskirts of town. I can't ride the bus to work.
LIVING ON THE OUTSKIRTS OF TOWN, I CANNOT RIDE A BUS TO WORK.
I, LIVING ON THE OUTSKIRTS OF TOWN, CANNOT RIDE A BUS TO WORK.
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7. The sailor scanned the horizon. The sailor sighted land.
SCANNING THE HORIZON, THE SAILOR SIGHTED LAND.
NOT
THE SAILOR SIGHTED LAND SCANNING THE HORIZON. (THE LAND DID NOT DO THE SCANNING.)
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8. The traffic officer waved his hands wildly. The traffic officer tried to slow down the oncoming cars.
WAVING HIS HANDS WILDLY, THE TRAFFIC OFFICIER TRIED TO SLOW SOWN THE TRAFFIC.
THE TRAFFIC OFFICIER, WAVING HIS HANDS WILDLY, TRIED TO SLOW DOWN THE TRAFFIC.
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9. Larry cleaned the fish tank. Larry found his old eyeglasses.
BE CAREFUL THAT THE GLASSES DID NOT DO THE CLEANING.
LARRY, CLEANING THE FISH TANK, FOUND HIS OLD EYEGLASSES.
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10. Carmen pulled up to the drive-in window. Carmen recited her fast-food order.
PULLING UP TO THE DRIVE-UP WINDOW, CARMEN RECITED HER FAST-FOOD ORDER.
CARMEN, PULLING UP TO THE DRIVE UP WINDOW, RECITED HER FAST FOOD ORDER.
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Rewrite these sentences to make clear any confusing -ING modifiers. Some will be much easier than others to repair. Make sure that the subject of the participle if it were a sentence is the word that the participle is modifying.
11. Lying under the table, my aunt found her napkin.
My aunt found her napkin lying under the table. (Unless, of course, your aunt has had too much to drink and she is, in fact, under the table!)
12. Gerald spotted a deer, rowing the boat along the shore.
ROWING THE BOAT ALONG THE SHORE, GERALD SPOTTED A DEER.
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13. Going through customs, her passport was stamped.
(Who is going through customs? Is she mentioned in the sentence?)
Going though customs, Gina had her passport stamped.
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14. Strolling down Chauncey Street, the sun lit the lawns and porches.
(Who is "strolling"? Is he/she being modified by "strolling"?)
JEANNE, STROLLING DOWN CHAUNCY STREET, SAW THE SUN LIGHT THE LAWNS AND PORCHES.
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15. Bubbling in a test tube, Dr. James showed us the mixture of chemicals.
DR. JAMES SHOWED US THE MIXTURE OF CHEMICALS BUBBLING IN THE TESTUBE.
16. Walking on the pier, John's hat blew off.
WALKING ON THE PIER, JOHN FELT HIS HAT BLOW OFF.
YES, SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO MAKE SIGNIFICENT CHANGES IN THE SENTENCE TO COMMUNICATE ACCURATELY WITH YOUR READER.
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17. Ellen spotted The Wall Street Journal rushing past a newsstand.
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18 Hanging by one leg from a wooden hanger, Rico found his pants.
THIS IS MY FAVORITE SENTENCE IN THE EXERCISE!
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19. Using a car-care kit, the Thunderbird was waxed and buffed until it sparkled.
(Did you make sure that "using" modified the subject of the sentence?)
HENRY, USING A CAR-CARE KIT, WAXED AND BUFFED THE T-BIRD UNTIL IT SPARKLED.
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20. Sprouting pink blooms, we admired the violet.
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