Participles and participial phrases
Exercise 1:
1. Dark clouds warned of an approaching storm.
2. The number on the winning ticket is 652.
3. No one could find the hidden passageway.
4. The bent bicycle wheel could not be repaired.
5. Bette Davis has been called a living legend.
6. Handle that cracked vase with care.
7. The decorated room was a lovely setting for the party.
8. The frozen dinner was still cold in the middle.
9. On the other end of the wire was a taped message.
10. Karen has a very worried expression on her face.
Exercise 2:
1. The heaviest dog on record was a Saint Bernard weighing 295 pounds.
2. The country of Tonga once issued a stamp shaped like a banana.
3. The insulin used for the treatment of diabetes is taken from pigs and cows.
4. Introduced in 1938, nylon was used for stockings.
5. Having trimmed the hedge, I mowed the lawn and weeded the garden.
6. That fabric, woven by my aunt, will be used for a coat.
7. In the first King Kong movie, made in 1933, the monster was an 18-inch model.
8. The letter used most often in the English language is e.
9. Having packed our suitcases, we went to the airport.
10. An adult sitting in a relaxed position inhales almost one pint of air with every breath.
11. Dates grown in the oases of the Sahara desert are among the world’s finest.
12. Requiring heavy rainfall, tea does not grow very well in dry regions.
13. Paper money is a Chinese invention, dating from the seventeenth century.
14. The series of newspaper articles, packed with information, was the basis for Jerry’s report.
15. The oldest tennis court, built in 1496, can be found in Paris, France.
16. Scampering quickly off the field, the puppy escaped with the baseball.
17. Clam chowder was invented by a group of hungry sailors shipwrecked off the coast of Maine.
18. That jacket, given to me earlier, still fits.
19. Having read the sports section of the newspaper, I began my day.
20. The construction of the world’s largest outdoor skating rink, located in Japan, cost a million dollars in 1967.
Get out your handout and find ex. 3. Put prepositional phrases in parenthesis. Find the main sentence and label the sentence pattern. Circle the participle. Squiggle underline the participial phrase and draw an arrow to the word it modifies.
S AV
Ex. Hidden (from view), the cat pounced (on the dog.)
Exercise 3:
1. The baby, jumping up and down in his crib, woke his big sister.
2. Putting his paper on the teacher’s desk, the student went to the library.
3. We voted for the candidate having the most experience.
4. Having forgotten his book, Tyler went to his locker.
5. I cannot read these letters written in yellow ink.
6. We walked in a forest filled with many kinds of animals.
7. Becoming sleepier by the minute, Carolyn put her head on her desk.
8. The large black dog, growling lowly at the gate, scared me.
9. Pitching a fit in the grocery store, the child fell onto the floor and bumped his head.
10. Bill pointed at the girl seated at the table by the door.
Exercise 4
1. The class, accompanied by their teacher, visited the bank.
2. Reading quickly over my theme, I discovered several errors.
3. They ate the cake intended for the party.
4. The teacher graded the papers written in pencil.
5. Warned by the officer, Gloria took another route.
6. Sharks, living mainly on smaller fish, are carnivorous.
7. Researching material on occupations, I spent several hours in the library.
8. The Vikings crossed the Atlantic in open boats propelled by sails and oars.
9. The book, having many illustrations, is intended for small children.
10. The dog, suffering from the heat, lay quietly on the floor.
11. Many inaccuracies are in papers written hastily.
12. Having the evening to himself, Brad offered his time.
13. She dodged two defenders moving near the goal.
14. Printed in big letters, the sign can be seen from the road.
15. Questioned thoroughly about the murder, the man was arrested.
Exercise 5: Rewrite the following sentences correcting the dangling participles.
1. Chewing on the rug, Dad swatted the puppy with his newspaper.
2. Having read The Seven Percent Solution, my interest in the writings of Meyer was increased.
3. Coasting along on my skateboard, my dog Fido nearly tripped me up.
4. Being secure in their nest, the storm couldn’t harm the baby birds.
5. I swatted a big fat mosquito eating my strawberry ice cream cone.
6. Shooting the winning goal, the buzzer ended the game.
7. Driving along the coast, a flock of geese flew in front of the car.
8. I could see lightning flashing from my room on the top floor.
9. Being interested in the history of the nation, my first visit to Washington included a trip to the Smithsonian.
10. Gently raining for only ten minutes, the courts were unplayable.
Exercise 6: Circle the participles and participial phrases. Label the parts of the main sentence.
1. The delighted audience loudly applauded the prancing horses.
2. The colorful flags, waving in the breeze, brightened the gloomy day.
3. Swaggering and boasting, he made us extremely angry.
4. The game scheduled for tonight has been postponed because of rain.
5. Leaving the field, the happy player rushed to her parents sitting in the bleachers.
6. Rain pattering on the roof made an eerie sound.
7. We thought the banging shutter upstairs was someone walking in the attic.
8. Painfully sunburned, I vowed never to be so careless again.
9. Terrified by our big dog, the burglar turned and fled.
10. The platoon of soldiers, marching in step, crossed the field to the stirring music of the military band.
Exercise 7:
1. Heeding the ranger’s advice, she ran into the woods.
2. The clerk handed her a gift box tied with ribbon.
3. Calling her name, the teacher walked quickly down the hall.
4. Leaving him at the altar, the bride left the church.
5. The Christmas tree, decorated with lovely ornaments, was beautiful.
6. Running quickly down the mountain, the water was cold.
7. I bought a plant flowing with beautiful flowers.
8. We saw a boy laughing at his own joke.
9. The student, confused by the question, asked the teacher a question.
10. Swirling the beaker of liquid, Angie watched the solution.
GERUNDS
Ex. 1
1. Talking is not allowed in study hall.
2. Pointing is impolite.
3. Pamela likes skating.
4. She gives running one hour of her time daily.
5. A friend of mine went a whole day without speaking.
6. My favorite winter sport was skiing.
7. Do you enjoy traveling?
8. Dancing was the highlight of the evening.
9. Lessons in weaving will be given on Tuesdays.
10. His favorite pastime is fishing.
11. Sarah registered for swimming.
12. Practicing is very important for a successful team.
13. They gave rehearsing all of their free time.
14. Wipe your feet before entering.
15. Sailing is my favorite sport.
Ex. 2: Gerund phrases are made up of the gerund plus any modifiers and complements. Together they form the gerund phrase.
1. Traveling inexpensively is a necessity for them.
2. Brian surprised us by visiting for a week.
3. Painting landscapes is Rebecca’s specialty.
4. Paul’s winning the tennis tournament was a surprise.
5. They encouraged his studying chemistry.
6. My husband gave barbecuing the chicken his full attention.
7. Filling out a job application takes a long time.
8. Credit for introducing tennis to the United States is usually given to Mary Ewing Outerbridge.
9. Goldenrod has been falsely accused of causing hay fever.
10. We appreciated Mr. Morrison’s judging the art contest.
11. Until 1912, women were barred from participating in Olympic events.
12. Keith has a new goal of writing programs for his computer.
13. Landing a jet plane on the deck of an aircraft carrier is one of the most difficult maneuvers in aviation.
14. My weekend job is parking cars at a restaurant.
15. The dancer gave twirling on one toe an hour of practice daily.
16. After Thanksgiving I like eating leftover turkey.
17. A grasshopper is capable of jumping a distance of almost two feet.
Ex.3:
1. A flea is known for jumping 13 inches in a single leap.
2. I enjoy collecting old coins.
3. Using solar energy is one answer for fuel conservation.
4. Your next chore is taking the trash cans to the street.
5. The chef gave chopping the vegetables in fine pieces his full attention.
6. Most snakes can go a year without eating anything.
7. Flying in a helicopter is very noisy.
8. I don’t like going to the movies by myself.
9. The highlight of the party was watching the magician.
10. My uncle enjoys hunting animals with a camera and taking their pictures.
11. Dad was surprised at my entering the poetry contest.
Distinguishing Participles from Gerunds; Practice exercise: Circle the –ing words and by the number tell if the underlined word is a gerund or participle. Put all prepositional phrases in parenthesis and label sentence patterns.
1. Her whistling attracted my attention.
2. By studying, you can raise your grades.
3. One requirement is thinking.
4. Yelling violates basic rules of courtesy.
5. Frowning, Dad discouraged our quarreling.
6. Carmen’s favorite sport is fishing.
7. Before eating, we sat on the lawn and watched the frolicking puppies.
8. Yesterday, Mrs. Jacobs was discussing flying.
9. One of Steve’s bad habits is boasting.
10. Without knocking, the hurrying child opened the door.
Ex. 5: Is the –ing word a verb, gerund, or participle.
1. The skiing man fell and broke his leg.
2. The girls were skiing down the slope.
3. Skiing in Colorado was great fun.
4. The boy, drinking from the fountain, got water up his nose.
5. The drinking straw was broken.
6. We were laughing at your drinking so loudly.
7. Many spectators were drinking Pepsi at the ballgame.
8. There is a new wrestling mat in the gym.
9. His best sport is wrestling.
10. I saw a man wrestling a criminal to the ground.
11. The boys were wrestling in PE today.
12. Many males are losing their hair before they graduate from high school.
13. Losing his cool, Mr. Edwards fussed at Brandon for laziness.
14. I dislike losing my cool with my brother.
15. The debating student was sent to the office.
16. Debating with your mother is not a good idea.
17. Several students were debating the pros and cons of the new rule.
18. We listened to the panel debating the issue.
19. Broiling meat is better than frying meat.
20. The meat broiling in the oven will be ready soon.
Ex. 6: Circle the gerund phrase or participial phrase. Identify it as G or P. If it is a gerund, write the sentence part it serves as (S, Do, IO, OP, PrN, App). If it is a participle, write the word it modifies.
1. I dislike talking loudly in the corridor. G-OP
2. I saw Bill fishing contentedly from the dock. P-Bille
3. Tackled on the one-yard line, he fumbled the ball.
4. Slipping down on the ice can hurt your back.
5. Wildly yelling cheers for the team, we celebrated the victory.
6. Dad discouraged our quarrelling about driving the car.
7. We admired the tree decorated with streamers of crepe paper.
8. The plant, kept in a sunny spot behind the couch, bloomed in its pot.
9. By studying hard for your exams, you will make a good grade.
10. One of Steve’s bad habits is boasting about his many accomplishments.
11. Will, confused by the wording of the question, missed number five.
12. My new job is waiting tables at the restaurant.
13. The sheriff captured the criminal standing with one foot in the rowboat.
14. We voted for Ethan destined for a political career.
15. Without looking out the window first, Jill opened the door to the stranger.
16. My hobby has now become surfing the Internet and chatting to my friends.
17. Excusing me from the test, my teacher left the room.
18. We listened to Marty speaking about his experiences in Asia.
19. One requirement for cheerleading is yelling loudly in very cold air.
20. Dr. Frederick gave creating her semester exam a great deal of time.