THE PARTICIPLE

Present Participle:

Formed by adding “-ing” to the base form of the verb, the present participle typically indicates an ongoing action or state.
Examples:
1. Running late, she hurried to catch the bus.
2. The sparkling water in the fountain attracted many birds.
3. The howling wind kept us awake all night.

Past Participle:

Formed from the base form of the verb, the past participle usually ends in “-ed,” “-d,” “-t,” “-en,” or “-n.” It represents a completed action or state.
Examples:
1. Blinded by the bright light, she stumbled in the darkness
2. Deceived by false promises, he learned to be cautious
3. The broken window allowed the rain to enter the room.

Perfect Participle:

The perfect participle represents an action completed at some past time and is formed using “having” + the past participle of the verb.
Examples:
1. Having rested, he felt refreshed and ready to resume work.
2. Having finished his homework, he went out to play with his friends.
3. Having seen the movie before, she wasn’t interested in watching it again.

Participle Adjectives:

Participles can function as adjectives, modifying nouns or pronouns.
Examples:
1. The rolling hills stretched out before us.
2. He wore a tattered shirt and torn jeans.
3. The sparkling stars illuminated the night sky.

Passive vs. Active Meaning:

Past participles used adjectivally can convey passive or active meaning, depending on the context.
Examples:
1. A painted picture (passive meaning: the picture has been painted)
2. A painting artist (active meaning: the artist is actively engaged in painting)
3. A broken window (passive meaning: the window has been broken)
4. A breaking wave (active meaning: the wave is in the process of breaking)

Active:

1. Present: Loving
Example: She is always loving and caring towards her family.
2. Perfect: Having loved
Example: Having loved animals all his life, he decided to become a veterinarian.

Passive:

1. Present: Being loved
Example: The stray cat is being loved and cared for by the neighborhood.
2. Perfect: Having been loved
Example: Having been loved by many generations, the historic building holds significant cultural value.
3. Past: Loved
Example: The cherished teddy bear was loved by the child for many years.

Use of the Participle

Attributively:

1. Example: A rolling stone gathers no moss.
Explanation: In this sentence, “rolling” describes the noun “stone” and attributes a characteristic to it. It indicates that the stone is continuously moving or unstable.

2. Example: His tattered coat needs mending.
Explanation: Here, “tattered” describes the noun “coat” and indicates that the coat is old and torn, attributing a condition to it.

3. Example: A lost opportunity never returns.
Explanation: In this sentence, “lost” describes the noun “opportunity,” suggesting that the opportunity has passed or missed.

Predicatively:

1. Example: The man seems worried.
Explanation: In this sentence, “worried” modifies the subject “man” and indicates his emotional state.

2. Example: He kept me waiting.
Explanation: Here, “waiting” modifies the object “me” and indicates the action performed on the object.

Absolutely with a noun or pronoun going before:

1. Example: The weather being fine, I went out.
Explanation: In this sentence, “the weather being fine” is an absolute phrase that provides additional information about the circumstances under which the action took place.

2. Example: Many having arrived, we were freed from anxiety.
Explanation: Here, “many having arrived” serves as an absolute phrase, indicating a condition that led to the result mentioned in the main clause.

3. Example: Weather permitting, there will be a garden party at Government House tomorrow.
Explanation: In this sentence, “weather permitting” is an absolute phrase expressing a condition necessary for the event mentioned in the main clause to occur.

Errors in the Use of Participles

Explanation:
Errors in the use of participles typically occur when the relationship between the participle and its intended subject is unclear. This lack of clarity can lead to confusion or misinterpretation of the sentence’s meaning. However, there are specific cases where certain constructions are acceptable, even though they may seem to violate the usual rules of grammar.

1. Incorrect Usage:
Sentence: Standing at the gate, a scorpion stung him.
Explanation: This sentence is incorrect because it suggests that the scorpion, rather than the person, was standing at the gate. The participle “standing” lacks a clear subject, leading to ambiguity.

2. Incorrect Usage:
Sentence: Going up the hill, an old temple was seen.
Explanation: In this sentence, it appears as though the old temple was going up the hill, which is not the intended meaning. Again, the participle “going” lacks a clear subject.

3. Incorrect Usage:
Sentence: Entering the room, the light was quite dazzling.
Explanation: Here, it seems like the light itself was entering the room, rather than a person. The participle “entering” lacks a specific subject, resulting in confusion.

Corrected Usage:

1. Revised Sentence: While he was standing at the gate, a scorpion stung him.
Explanation: This revision specifies that the person, not the scorpion, was standing at the gate, clarifying the intended meaning of the sentence.

2. Revised Sentence: When we went up the hill, we saw an old temple.
Explanation: By including the subject “we,” this sentence now indicates who went up the hill and saw the temple, eliminating any ambiguity.

3. Revised Sentence: When I entered the room, I found the light quite dazzling.
Explanation: The addition of the subject “I” clarifies that the speaker entered the room and experienced the dazzling light, removing any confusion.

Impersonal Absolute Usage:

1. Sentence: Taking everything into consideration, the Magistrate was perfectly justified in issuing those orders.
Explanation: In this case, “taking everything into consideration” serves as an impersonal absolute, indicating a general condition or circumstance without specifying a particular subject.

Usage with Understood Participle:
1. Sentence: Sword (being) in hand, he rushed on the jailor.
Explanation: Here, the participle “being” is implied but not explicitly stated, indicating that the subject had a sword in hand when rushing on the jailor.

2. Sentence: Breakfast (having been) over, we went out for a walk.
Explanation: Similarly, the participle “having been” is understood but not explicitly mentioned, suggesting that breakfast was over before the action of going out for a walk occurred.