Carrying a heavy pile of books, he caught his foot on a step.Carrying a heavy pile of books, his foot caught on a step.Placement: In order to prevent confusion, a participial phrase must be placed as close to the noun it modifies as possible, and the noun must be clearly stated. Having been (participle) a gymnast (subject complement for Lynn, via state of being expressed in participle) The participial phrase functions as an adjective modifying Lynn.

Having been a gymnast, Lynn knew the importance of exercise.

Shaken, he walked away from the wrecked car.Ī participial phrase is a group of words consisting of a participle and the modifier(s) and/or (pro)noun(s) or noun phrase(s) that function as the direct object(s), indirect object(s), or complement(s) of the action or state expressed in the participle, such as:.

Past participles end in -ed, -en, -d, -t, -n, or -ne as in the words asked, eaten, saved, dealt, seen, and gone. There are two types of participles: present participles and past participles. However, since they function as adjectives, participles modify nouns or pronouns.

The term verbal indicates that a participle, like the other two kinds of verbals, is based on a verb and therefore expresses action or a state of being. This handout provides a detailed overview (including descriptions and examples) of gerunds, participles, and infinitives.Ī participle is a verbal that is used as an adjective and most often ends in -ing or -ed. Writing Letters of Recommendation for Students.

What is a participle