What is a Participial Phrase?
A participial phrase is a group of words that acts like an adjective, modifying a noun or pronoun. It begins with a participle, which is a verb form that acts as an adjective (ending in -ing or -ed).
Steps to Identify Function:
1. Locate the Participle: Find the verb form ending in -ing or -ed (or its past participle form like "broken" or "seen").
2. Identify the Noun/Pronoun Modified: Ask yourself, "What noun or pronoun does this participial phrase describe?"
3. Determine the Function: The participial phrase will act as an adjective, adding information about the noun or pronoun it modifies.
Examples:
* "Bouncing the ball," the child ran down the street.
* Participle: "Bouncing"
* Noun Modified: "child"
* Function: Describes the way the child is running.
* "Covered in snow," the mountain looked majestic.
* Participle: "Covered"
* Noun Modified: "mountain"
* Function: Describes the condition of the mountain.
* "Seen by millions," the artist's painting became famous.
* Participle: "Seen"
* Noun Modified: "painting"
* Function: Describes the experience of the painting.
Common Functions:
* Adjectival Modifier: The most common function. They modify nouns or pronouns, like adjectives do.
* Phrases with a Comma: Sometimes a participial phrase will be set off with a comma and function as an introductory element in a sentence.
Important Note:
* Dangling Participles: A participial phrase can be misplaced, leading to confusion. This occurs when the phrase is not directly modifying the noun/pronoun it should. For example, "Walking down the street, the dog barked." This is incorrect because it sounds like the street is walking. The correct sentence would be: "Walking down the street, *I* heard the dog bark."
Let me know if you'd like to practice identifying participial phrase functions with more examples!