Participle I as Part of the Compound Verbal Predicate

Non-perfect participle I can be part of a compound verbal predicate. Within this type of predicate the participle follows verbs of sense perception in the passive voice, such as to see, to hear, to feel, to find, to catch, also some causative verbs, such as to keep, to leave.

Jane was heard playing the piano.

Paul was found working in the garden.

The boy was caught teasing the cat . -.

I was kept waiting an hour or so.

I was left standing on the stage.

Occasionally non-perfect participle I passive is to be found in this type of predicate:

He flicks the switch and "Roll Out the Barrel" is heard being whistled.

Sentences with this type of predicate are translated into Russian by indefinite personal or impersonal sentences, complex or simple, depending on the verb in the passive voice.

Слышали (слышно было), как Джейн играет на рояле.

Меня заставили ждать почти целый час.

Participle I as Predicative

In the position of predicative only non-perfect participle I active occurs, its adjectival character being predominant. Although keeping the form of the participle, it is treated as an adjective or an adjectivized participle, or a deverbal adjective.

The participle in this position gives the qualitative assessment of the subject (or the object, in the case of the objective predicative).

The story is amusing,—I find the story amusing.

Your answer is suiprising.—I consider your answer surprising.

As seen from the above examples the verbal traits of the participle are not manifested there at all. In many cases participle I may have a synonymous adjective: deafening-loud, amusing-funny.

However, these -ing forms have one feature that keeps them within the sphere of participles, viz., their active meaning as opposed to the passive meaning of participle II: amusing-amused, surprising-surprised, etc.

Participle I as predicative can be distinguished from participle I as part of the continuous form with the help of its distribution:

The children are amusing— they seem amusing to me. But: They are amusing me.

The music is deafening= it seems deafening to me, I find it deafening.

But: The music is deafening me.

Participle I as predicative may be used with other link verbs, in which case it may keep its verbal character, as in:

Isadora remained standing.

Participle I as Independent Element (Parenthesis)

Participle I as parenthesis forms the headword of a participial phrase, the meaning of which is a comment upon the contents of the whole sentence or sometimes part of-it. The commenting may take the form of a logical restriction or personal attitude. Here we find such participial phrases as generally (properly, roughly, legally, strictly) speaking, putting it mildly, judging by (from), allowing/or, taking everything into consideration, etc:

Judging from what you say, he ought to succeed.