Fun · Friendly · Flexible · Online · All ages · All levels ·
Participle Clauses
Look at this sample situation:
A conversation between two friends:
Anna: Walking through the park yesterday, I saw a man talking to a group of tourists.
Ben: Oh yes, I saw them too. Surprised by how many people were listening, he seemed quite nervous at first.
Anna: Maybe he wasn’t used to speaking in public. Encouraged by the crowd, though, he started to relax and even made some jokes.
Ben: Sounds like he ended up enjoying it!
You can see from these examples that the present participle (walking, talking) describes actions happening at the same time as another action. On the other hand, the past participle (surprised, encouraged) describes actions that have been completed or that have a passive meaning; something that happened to the subject.
Meaning and Use
Participle clauses are a shorter, more elegant way of connecting ideas without using linkers like because, while, when, after or if. They make your writing more concise and formal.
Compare:
When she heard the news, she started crying.
You can express the same idea using a present participle clause:
Hearing the news, she started crying.
Because he was tired, he went home early.
You can express the same idea using a past participle clause:
Tired, he went home early.
After he had finished dinner, he went for a walk.
You can express the same idea using a perfect participle clause:
Having finished dinner, he went for a walk.
Present participle clauses (-ing forms)
These describe active actions that happen at the same time as the action in the main clause or to express reason, result or manner. They make sentences sound more natural, fluent and less repetitive. Let's look at some examples from the sample situation:
Walking through the park, Anna saw a man talking to tourists.
This means: While Anna was walking through the park, she saw a man. The participle clause (Walking through the park) and the main clause (Anna saw a man) share the same subject, so the subject is not repeated.
Talking to a group of tourists, the man seemed confident.
means The man seemed confident while he was talking to the tourists.
Let's have a look at other uses:
To express the reason or cause
Feeling tired, he went to bed early.
means Because he was tired, he went to bed early.
To show the result of an action
He slipped, hitting his head on the table.
This means: He slipped, and as a result, hit his head.
To describe the manner of an action
She ran out of the room laughing.
means She ran out and she was laughing as she did it.
To add extra information about the subject
The man talking to the tourists is a guide.
This is a reduced relative clause: The man (who is) talking to the tourists is a guide. It's a shorter version of the relative clause as the relative pronoun who and the verb is are omitted.
Past participle clauses (3rd form of the verb)
These describe passive or completed actions. They often give background information or explain the reason for something. Let's look at some examples from the sample situation:
Surprised by how many people were listening, he seemed nervous.
means He was nervous because he was surprised by the number of people.
Encouraged by the crowd, he started to relax.
means Because the crowd encouraged him, he started to relax.
In both examples the past participle clauses (Surprised by..., Encouraged by...) express a reason or cause.
Let's have a look at other uses:
To show passive meaning
Built in 1920, the museum attracts thousands of visitors.
means The museum was built in 1920.
To show a completed action before the main verb
Finished with his work, he went home.
means After he finished his work, he went home.
To describe condition
Given more time, we could complete the project.
means If we were given more time, we could complete it.
To add extra passive information
The documents signed by the director are on the desk.
This is a reduced relative clause: The documents (that were) signed by the director are on the desk. It's a shorter version of the relative clause as the relative pronoun that and the verb were are omitted.
Perfect participle clauses
These are used to show that one action happened before another. The form is having + past participle:
Having studied all morning, she decided to take a break.
means After studying all morning, she decided to take a break.
Having been told the news, he felt relieved.
means After he was told the news, he felt relieved.
In the FCE exam
Reading and Use of English
You may find participle clauses in part 4, key word transformations.
Because she had been given a scholarship, she could afford to study abroad.
HAVING
_______________________ a scholarship, she could afford to study abroad.
Answer: Having been given
When she realised she had lost her passport, she called the police immediately.
REALISING
_______________________ her passport, she called the police immediately.
Answer: Realising she had lost
Writing
In essays or reports, you could use participle clauses to make your writing sound more formal and connected:
Written in clear language, this report presents the results effectively.
Concerned about the environment, many young people are changing their habits.
In reviews, they can help describe reactions and impressions:
Surprised by the ending, I couldn’t stop thinking about the film.
In articles, they can make your writing more fluid and natural:
Travelling around Europe, I met lots of interesting people.
Speaking
In part 2 (photo comparison) you could use participle clauses to describe what people are doing:
The woman sitting under the tree is reading a book.
The man wearing a suit looks tired.
In part 3 (discussion), you can show cause or condition fluently:
Feeling confident, students perform better in exams.
Given more support, people would recycle more.
In part 4 participle clauses make your answers sound more sophisticated:
Having studied abroad, you learn to be more independent.
Faced with difficult choices, people often act emotionally.