Example of a Participle Phrase in English

The participle phrase in English (participial phrase) is a grammatical structure composed of a verb conjugated in participle to which objects and complements are added. It has the function of an adjective with respect to a noun in the main sentence.

The verb can have a conjugation in the past participle, that is, with an ending similar to the past tense in regular verbs (ending in –ed) and with different forms in irregular verbs. The present participle conjugation, ending in –ing, is also used, so it can be confused with verbs conjugated in gerund.

Complements in the participle phrase are all those words that modify and add meaning to the verb. Nouns, adjectives, articles, and adverbs can be used.

When using the present participle, the structure of the participle phrase can be confused with a gerund phrase. Its specific difference is that the participle phrase comes immediately before or immediately after a noun, acting as an adjective, describing, limiting or specifying the noun. For its part, the gerund phrase can be in other parts of the sentence and has the function of a noun, either as a subject or as a direct object.

Example of the difference between the participle phrase and the gerund phrase:

Sentence: eating fast.
Participle Phrase: Robert, eating fast, leave home quickly (eating fast modifies the noun Robert).
Gerundial phrase: Eating fast is dangerous for healt (eating fast is the subject of the sentence).

When the phrase that contains in its structure a verb in participle, it is part of the predicate receiving the action of the verb (such as when it is placed immediately after the verb), then it works as an object direct.

Example of the difference between the participle phrase and the direct object:

Sentence: walking home.
Participle phrase: Yesterday María, walking home, saw a little kitten (walking home modifies the noun María).

Direct Object: Yesterday we were late, so we came walking home (walking home is a direct object, since the action of the verb falls on it came).

The noun phrase is written immediately before or after the noun it modifies. Also, depending on its place in the main sentence, it can be separated with a comma:

In relation to the noun that it modifies:

Noun + participle phrase
Participle phrase + noun

Regarding its place in the main sentence:

• Participle phrase + (comma) + main sentence (phrase before the main sentence)
• Main sentence + participle phrase (phrase after the main sentence)
• · Main sentence + (comma) + participle phrase + (comma) + main sentence (phrase in the middle of the main sentence; this rule has an exception when the noun it modifies is at the end of the main sentence)
• Main clause + (comma) + participle phrase (when the phrase works as a subordinate clause)

EXAMPLES OF PARTICIPLE PHRASE (PARTICIPIAL PHRASE):

Andrew, working late, forgot the hour of the party.
Ann, walking solemnly, receive the price.
Staying alive, the cat get off between the ruins.
In the school, I forgot my notebook wrote anywhere.
The milk, spiced with coffee and sugar, tastes well.
Sometimes, I miss the mixed color candies.
Talking phone, Joanne don't see when the wind closed the door.
Writing late night, my aunt don’t sleep.
The little duck, walking so clumsy, run behind his mother.
The fried and crispy chicken, was delicious.
The last time I saw a lost poor little child, was when I was a policeman.
Give, leaving unexpectedly the hospital, came to office and begin work.