Participle as adverbial modifier participle I as adverbial modifier

All four forms of participle I can function as adverbial modifiers of different semantic types (time, reason, manner, attendant circumstances and sometimes condition, concession, comparison).

1) Participle I as adverbial modifier of time may denote a simultaneous or a prior action. Non-perfect participle I active, when used as an adverbial modifier of time, usually conveys some specific action or state. Most often it is a participle of the verbs of motion (come, walk, go), position in space (sit, lie, stand).

Walking along the track, towards Buckmaster's Bowen burst into song. Standing there now on the corner of the stage he went on as before. Lying in the hospital with his rotting wound, he dictated his farewell letter to his brother.

The notion of time is expressed by the conjunctions when and while. He felt horrible while saying this.

Don't forget articles when speaking English.

Perfect participle I as adverbial modifier of time, always denotes a prior action:

They wrote because they had to, and having written, thought only of what they were going to write next.

2) Participle I as adverbial modifier of reason can be expressed by all the four forms. The most frequently used non-perfect participles I are those of verbs denoting mental perception and emotions, for example, knowing, realizing, remembering, expecting, hoping, fearing; also the participles being and having.

Hoping to catch the train, we took a taxi. She knew that we were guilty. And knowing it, the child in her was outraged.

Being hungry, I ate. He's very conceited, you know, having parades and things all the time.

Having decided on this course of action some time ago, I was unable to stay at home.

Another characteristic feature of participles functioning as adverbials of reason consists in their combinability with negation.I turned back, not knowing where to go. Even then he hadn't been able to watch her, not having eyes in the back of his head.

3) The meaning of attendant circumstances is considered to be the main grammatical meaning of non-perfect participle I. Participle I denotes some action or event parallel to the action or state denoted by the main verb.

Deb was silent, fidgeting with the spoon in her saucer. I laughed, and still laughing turned away eastward.

4) Participle I as an adverbial modifier of manner is akin to an adverbial of attendant circumstances. The difference consists in the fact that an adverbial of manner characterizes the action of the main verb.

He came in limping (jumping). He came in carrying a big parcel.

5) As an adverbial of comparison the participle is always preceded by the conjunction as if, as though:

As if obeying him, I turned and stared into his face.

Participle II as adverbial modifier

The adverbial function and meaning of participle II can be seen only from the general meaning of the sentence. Thus, if considered by itself the participle phrase, arrived there does not suggest any idea of time, but in the context of the sentence Arrived there, he went into a shop the phrase acquires the function and meaning of an adverbial modifier of time. In the vast majority of cases, when used adverbially, participle II is preceded by a conjunction, which indicates the semantic type of the adverbial modifier.

Participle II may serve as an adverbial modifier of:

time, usually with the conjunction when or until: He is very affable when spoken to, but naturally silent.

He won’t stop arguing until interrupted.

reason: Deprived of his wife and son by the Spanish adventure, Jolyon found the solitude at Robin Hill intolerable.

condition, mostly with the conjunctions if or unless: I shall certainly give evidence on your behalf, if required.

John will speak for hours, unless interrupted.

concession, with the conjunctions though or although: Though asked in disarming sociability, Haldone’s question was loaded.

comparison, with the conjunctions as if or as though: “I get off the train,” he repeated as if hypnotized.

ADVERBIAL MODIFIER OF TIME+ REASON

-ing clauses (Feeling tired, I went to bed early.)А A clause is a part of a sentence. Some sentences have two of more clauses:

• Jim hurt his arm playing tennis.• Feeling tired, I went to bed early. 'Playing tennis' and 'feeling tired" are -ing clauses.

If the -ing clause is first (as in the second example), we write a comma (,) between the clauses.

B When two things happen at the same time, you can use -ing for one of the verbs. The main clause usually comes first:

• I've just seen Carol. She's in the bar having a drink. (= she is in the bar and she is having a drink)

• A man ran out of the house shouting. (= he ran out of the house and he was shouting)

We also use -ing when one action happens during another action. We use -ing for the longer action. The longer action is the second part of the sentence:• Jim hurl his arm playing tennis. ( = white he was playing)• Did you cut yourself shaving? (= while you were shaving) You can also use -ing after while or when:• Jim hurt his arm while playing tennis.

• Be careful when crossing the road. (= when you arc crossing)

С When one action happens before another action, we use having (done) for the first action:

• Having found a hotel, we looked for somewhere to have dinner.• Having finished her work, she went home. You can also say after -ing:• After finishing her work, she went home.

If one short action follows another short action, you can use the simple -ing form (doing instead of having done) for the 1^st action:

• Taking a key out of his pocket, he opened the door.

These structures are used more in written English than in spoken English.

D You can use an -ing clause to explain something or to say why somebody does something. The -ing clause usually comes: first:

• Feeling tired, I went to bed early. (= because I felt tired)• Being unemployed, lie hasn't got much money. (=because he is unemployed)• Not having a car, she finds it difficult to get around. (= because she doesn't have a car)• Having already seen the film twice, I didn't want to go to the cinema. (= because I had already seen it twice)

These structures arc used more in written English than in spoken English.

F Non-perfect participle may also denote a posterior action, immediately following the first action being its result.

*Lizzy left the room, banging the door shut. *John fell, hurting his knee. HOMEWORK

Exercise 1. Join a sentence from Box A with one from Box B to make one sentence. Use an ~ing clause.

A

1. Carol was in the bar

2. Emma was sitting in an armchair.

3. Sue got home late.

4. Sarah went out.

5. Linda was in London for two years.

6. Mary walked round the town.

B

She was feeling very tired.

She looked at the sights and took

photographs.

She said she would be back in an hour.

She was reading a book.

She was having a drink.

She worked as a tourist guide.

1. Carol was in the bar having a drink.2. Emma was sitting ---3. Sue ---

Exercise 2. Make one sentence from two using a non-perfect participle:

1. Jim was playing tennis. He hurt his arm. - Jim hurt; his arm playing tennis.2. I was watching television. I fell asleep. I ---

3. The man slipped. He was getting off a bus. The man ---4.I was walking home in the rain. I got wet. I ---5.Margaret was driving to work yesterday. She had an accident. ---6.Two firemen were overcome by smoke. They were trying to put out the fire. ---

Exercise 3. Make one sentence from two using a perfect participle:1. She finished her work. Then she went home.

_Having finished her work, she went home._ 2. We bought our tickets. Then we went into the theatre.3. They continued their Journey after they'd had dinner.4. After Lucy had done all her shopping, she went for a cup of coffee.

Exercise 3. Make one sentence from two using a non-perfect or perfect participle (like those in Section D):

MODEL: I felt tired. So I went to bed early - Feeling tired I went to bed early.

1. I felt tired. So I went to bed early.2. I thought they might be hungry. So I offered them something to eat.3. She is a foreigner. So she needs a visa to stay in this country.4. I didn't know his address. So I wasn't able to contact him.5. Sarah has travelled a lot. So she knows a lot about other countries.6. The man wasn't able to understand English. So he didn't know what I wanted.7. We had spent nearly all our money. So we couldn't afford to stay in a hotel.

HOMEWORK 10. Use participles to join the sentences. (Thomson E1,Unit 80)Join each of the following pairs of sentences, using either a present participle e.g. knowing, a past participle e.g. known, or a perfect participle e.g. having known. 1. I knew that he was poor. I offered to pay his fare. 2. We barricaded the windows. We assembled in the hall. 3. She became tired of my complaints about the programme. She turned it off. 4. He found no one at home. He left the house in a bad temper. 5. She hoped to find the will. She searched everywhere. 6. The criminal removed all traces of his crime. He left the building. 7. He realized that he had missed the last train. He began to walk. 8. He was exhausted by his work. He threw himself on his bed. 9. He had spent all his money. He decided to go home and ask his father for a job. 10. He escaped from prison. He looked for a place where he could get food. 11. She didn't want to hear the story again. She had heard it all before 12. They found the money. They began quarrelling about how to divide it. 13. She entered the room suddenly. She found them smoking. 14. I turned on the light. I was astonished at what I saw. 15. We visited the museum. We decided to have lunch in the park. 16. He offered to show us the way home. He thought we were lost.17.He found his revolver. He loaded it. He sat down facing the door.