Verb Wars Episode #3: Return of the Participle

1. Verb WarsEpisode #3:Return of the Participle

2. What Are Participles? • What is a participle? • A participle is a verb that can also be used as an adjective. • Present participles end in –ing. • Example: The swimming duck flapped his wings. • Most past participles end in –d or –ed. Some are irregular. • Example: The abandoned warehouse was on fire. • Irregular example: The chosen one sighed.

3. What Are Participial Phrases? • What is a participial phrase? • A participial phrase consists of a participle and any modifiers the participle has. The entire phrase is then used as an adjective. • This can come either before the noun or after it. Example: Singing sweetly, the bird flew home. The cat, meowing noisily, finally got the owner’s attention.

4. Punctuating Participial Phrases • When a participial phrase is used BEFORE the noun/subject in the sentence, it is followed by a comma. • Singing sweetly, the bird flew home. • When a participial phrase is used AFTER the noun/subject and before the predicate, it is called a parenthetical statement and is therefore both preceded and followed by a comma. • The cat, meowing noisily, finally got the owner’s attention.

5. Let’s Practice The running refrigerator sent the electric bill soaring. Answer: Running, present participle

6. Let’s Practice The bird, chirping noisily, woke me up. Answer: Chirping noisily, participial phrase

7. Let’s Practice The haunted house frightened the children. Answer: haunted, past participle

8. Let’s Practice Spoken loudly, the teacher’s words were taken seriously. Answer: Spoken loudly, participial phrase

9. Let’s Practice The girl, crying softly, delivered the news. Answer: Crying softly, participial phrase

10. Let’s Practice The ruined reputation could not be salvaged. Answer: Ruined, past participle

11. Let’s Practice Whistling quietly, the girl walked down the hallway. Answer: Whistling quietly, participial phrase

12. Let’s Practice She took a bite of the melting ice cream Answer: melting, present participle

13. Let’s Practice They couldn’t run fast enough on their throbbing feet. Answer: throbbing, present participle

14. Let’s Practice Zombies attacked the abandoned town. Answer: Abandoned, past participle

15. Let’s Practice Dancing wildly, the child moved with the music. Answer: Dancing wildly, participial phrase

16. Let’s Practice She couldn’t do much to stop the screeching sound. Answer: screeching, present participle

17. Let’s Practice Sleeping quietly, the girl was hidden beneath the washed sheets. Answer: Sleeping quietly, participial phrase Washed, past participle

18. Let’s Practice My mother, scowling angrily, sent me to my room. Answer: Scowling angry, past participle

19. Let’s Practice The screaming girl did not listen to the pleading of the other students. Answer: Screaming, present participle But not pleading…because pleading is a gerund!

20. Let’s Practice Her styled hair was blowing in the breeze. Answer: Styled, past participle