WORD STUDY
VERBALS: THE PARTICIPLE
1. A participle is formed from a verb and is used as an adjective!?” This means, of course, that it modifies a noun or pronoun.
To find what word the participle modifies, ask ‘‘Who or what?” and then say the participle.
Examples:
Whistling gaily as he went, the boy disregarded the chilly rain that was falling.
Who whistling? The boy. (The participle whistling modifies the noun boy.) An old coat, torn and wrinkled, lay by the roadside.
What torn and wrinkled? A coat. (The participles torn and wrinkled modify coat.)
2. The participle may have any position in the sentence, and it may be a predicate adjective or an object complement.
Examples:
p.a.
The enraged elephant came bellowing toward the camera.
That kind of selfish behavior makes me sheer
3. The two most common forms of the participle are the present participle, which ends in ing, and the past participle, which is always the third principal part.
Examples: .
Entering the hall, we saw a group of brilliantly costumed people. (present participle) A theme written by that student is always clear and forceful. (past participle)
4. When a participle is placed at the first of a sentence, it must modify the subject. If it does not sensibly do this, the sentence must be revised.
Incorrect: Walking down the street, a car passed me at a reckless speed.
Correct: Walking down the street, J saw a car pass at a reckless speed.
Correct: While I was walking down the street, a car passed me at a reckless speed.
(A subordinate clause replaces the participle.)
5. The error illustrated above under 4 is frequently referred to as the dangling participle, because the participle is left hanging in the air, as it were, without a noun or pronoun to modify. Such an error should be carefully avoided. It is more likely to occur when the participle is at the first of the sentence, but it may occur in other situatiqns also.
Examples:
Incorrect: Such an accident is avoidable, ignoring the traffic regulations so completely.
Correct: Such an accident, resulting from completely ignoring the traffic regulations, is avoidable.
1Some students of grammar prefer sometimes to consider the participle used as an adverb. For example:
PUNCTUATION WITH PARTICIPLES
a. A participle, or participial phrase (which includes the words closely connected with the partici- ple), at the first of the sentence is set off with a comma. Notice examples in the practice exercise which follows.
b. A participle, or participial phrase, modifying a proper noun is set off with commas.
Walter Reed, believing that yellow fever is carried by mosquitoes, experimented until he proved his point.
c. A participle, or participial phrase, modifying a common noun which is already clearly iden- tified is set off with commas. This is called a non-restrictive participle.
Our substitute teacher, thinking that we had covered that unit of work, gave us the wrong assignment.
d. Aparticiple, or participial phrase, which is used to identify a noun which would otherwise not be definite is not set off by commas. It is needed to tell which particular one you are mentioning.
This is called a restrictive participle.
The girl sitting in the front seat has given the best report. (Tells which particular girl.) The announcement printed at the bottom of the sheet was overlooked by several people. (Tells which particular announcement.)
PRACTICE:
Remember that is is always best to locate the verbs before you look for verbals. Having located the verbs, you should look for words formed from verbs.
In the following sentences underline each participle (both present and past participles);
in the blank at the left write the noun or pronoun the participle modifies. Notice the punctuation.
1. Watching the signals, we picked our way carefully along the mountain trail.
2. The snow, sweeping across the fields, piled high against the shack.
3. The man suspected of stealing the car escaped.
4. Looking closely at the bushes, we could see the tiny buds.
5. The book illustrated by Robert Lawson is more attractive than the other.
6. He left at noon, promising to return before night.
7. The frightened pony galloped off down the country road.
8. Bent and broken, the little tree still clung to the ledge.
9. Making a desperate effort, he reached the struggling child by climbing from one ledge to another.
10. Delayed by the storm, we stopped at a small inn.
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ih:
12.
She ran down the street, waving her arms in the air with the hope of attracting our attention.
The building located on the northeast corner of our block was destroyed by fire.
. The creature was running rapidly away, dodging behind trees and rocks.
. Entering the lodge, the stranger heard a clang of steel.
. Distorted with emotion, her face beta ea more than she wished to reveal.
. The Indian ran swiftly, choosing his path with great skill and precision.
. Attracting our attention by waving a handkerchief, she signaled for help.
. Leaving the town, we followed a new road to avoid a detour.
. The engineer, noticing the car approaching, blew the whistle.
. Bellowing with rage, the elephant charged down upon the man.
. Mounting our horses, we began to follow the steep mountain trail to reach the famous viewpoint.
. The skillful artist, choosing her colors carefully, painted a beautiful design on the screen.
. The car rounding the bend just now is driven by the winner of last year’s race.
. The two people injured in the accident have been taken to the hospital.
WORD STUDY 18.
Master the spelling and the pronunciation:
(Part of speech and definition)
conscious conspicuous
necessary
particular perpetual
performance
recommend precision
For further progress:
belligerent
diplomatic Examples:
The unscrupulous newspaper printed the rumor, with a conspicuous headline, but it was later found to have no foundation whatever.
The perpetual roar of the waterfall and the swirling of the waters made us dizzy with the sound and the motion combined.
She arranged every detail of her daily routine with such precision that she seemed almost like a machine.
The sympathies of the world were with the smaller country when the powerful, belligerent nation attacked it without provacation.
He found the situation rather awkward, but he managed it in his usual diplomatic way.
Write original sentences here:
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SECTION 40