A participial phrase acts as a participle and the modifiers which consisting of a combination of a pronoun or noun phrases. Generally, a participial phrase is a type of phrase that looks like a verb but acts as an adjective.
What is a Present Participle Phrase?
A present participial phrase usually acts as an adjective. Sometimes it can be used at the beginning of a sentence, in the middle of a sentence or at the very end of a sentence. Although it is used in different places in the sentence, it will important to make sure that there will no change of meaning and no grammatical error.
Examples of Present Participle Phrases
| Present Participle Phrase | Examples |
| Dripping from the table | The water dripping from the table will damage the floor if it is not cleaned up. |
| Playing shortstop | The girl playing shortstop is also a star basketball player. |
| Struggling to understand the material | The teacher offered extra help to everyone struggling to understand the material. |
| Sprinting to the bus stop | Sprinting to the bus stop, Xavier dropped his backpack. |
| Struggling in the water | Struggling in the water, Maddie reached for a rope that her sister threw. |
| Playing video games all night | Playing video games all night, Stuart neglected his homework. |
| Planning to study nursing | Students planning to study nursing must first meet with the dean. |
| Wearing them even to church | Ron loved his new hiking shoes, wearing them even to church. |
| Removing his glasses | Removing his glasses, Clark Kent quickly put on his cape. |
| Running for the plane | I saw Maria running for the plane. |
| Running up to the boy | The dog running up to the boy hopes that he will have a treat. |
| Hitting Jay | Mr Big likes hitting Jay. |
| Soaring over the Atlantic Ocean | Soaring over the Atlantic Ocean, Susan sips her coffee. |
| Standing there in the middle of the street | Standing there in the middle of the street, Marty suddenly thought of Halloween. |
| Removing his coat | Removing his coat, Jack rushed to the river. |
What is a Past Participle Phrase?
A past participial phrase includes a past participle and any type of modifiers. It acts as an adjective to provide more information about a noun or a pronoun used in the sentence. Then the noun or pronoun describes it in the sentence.
Examples of Past Participle Phrases
| Past Participle Phrase | Examples |
| Having finished cleaning his room | Alex went to sleep, having finished cleaning his room. |
| Thrown overboard | Thrown overboard, Roberto struggled in the water until Leroy tossed him a rope. |
| Damaged by writer | The library book damaged by writer needs to be replaced. |
| Consumed by fire | Firefighters could not save the house consumed by fire. |
| Defeated in Super Bowl XLVIII | Defeated in Super Bowl XLVIII, the Denver Broncos had been expected to win. |
| Stolen in the burglary | Stolen in the burglary, my television and stereo will be replaced by insurance. |
| Confused by the assignment | A student confused by the assignment asked the instructor for extra help. |
| Clogged with traffic | The car moved slowly on the road clogged with traffic. |
| Eaten by mosquitos | Eaten by mosquitos, we wished we had stayed at home. |
| Illumined by candle | Illumined by candle, glowed warmly in the midst of the plain. |
| Enchanted and enthralled | Enchanted and enthralled, I stopped her constantly for details. |
| Annoyed by the noise | Annoyed by the noise, the teacher spoke sharply to the class. |
| Clogged with dog hair | The water drained slowly in the pipe clogged with dog hair. |
| Having won every game but one | Having won every game but one, Ohio State now led the Big Ten. |
| Fond of brushing her hair | Fond of brushing her hair, Kelly always had smooth and silky locks. |
Conclusion:
Keep exploring EnglishBix to learn about different types of phrases and how they are used while writing in English.
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