The Subjective Participial Construction (spc)

The participle is in predicative relation to the subject of the sentence expressed by a noun or a pronoun:

She was seen running away.

The nominal part of the construction performs the function of the subject, while the verbal part expressed by the participle performs the function of part of a compound verbal predicate.

This construction is mostly used with perceptual verbs (SPC with participle I) and verbs of encounter (SPC with participle II):

He was found talking to himself in a whisper.

The girl was discovered crouched under the table.

In rendering this construction in Russian a complex sentence is generally used, the principle clause is of the type which in Russian syntax is called “indefinite personal” (неопределенно-личное предложение).

The horse was seen descending the hill. – Видно было, как лошадь спускалась с холма.

The Absolute Participial Construction (apc)

1. In the APC, participle I or participle II is in a predicative relation to a noun in the common case or pronoun in the nominative case. The APC is used, along with adverbial clauses, to introduce a subject different from the subject of the finite form:

The weather being cold, they decided not to go to the lake. (C.f.: As the weather was cold they decided not to go to the lake)

Participle I indefinite is used in this construction to refer something that is going on at the same time as the event described by the finite verb or to mention a fact that is relevant to the fact stated by the finite verb:

Her voice trembling, she asked him, “Where am I to go now?”

The door being locked, he could not get in.

Participle I perfect or participle II are used to refer to something which happened before the event described by the finite verb:

The question having been asked, the minister had to answer it somehow.

The absolute participial construction can function as an adverbial modifier of time, cause, attendant circumstances and condition. Participle I perfect is used mostly in the first two functions which very often overlap:

The text having been analyzed, she proceeded to write the summary (adverbial modifier of time).

The lights having gone out, they had to go to bed (adverbial modifier of cause).

She slowly went to the door, her leg still aching (adverbial modifier of attendant circumstances).

Time permitting, I will stay there longer (adverbial modifier of condition).

The door locked, she put the key in her pocket (adverbial modifier of reason).

2. When the APC functions as an adverbial modifier of attendant circumstances, the preposition with can be used with it, so that we have the prepositional absolute participial construction:

The old woman stood up, with tears running down her face.

I wonder if you could do that with your eyes closed.

Participle I indefinite and participle II are generally used after with.

Both the absolute construction and the prepositional absolute construction can be used without a participle:

She stood very erect, her body absolutely stiff with fury.

She came into the room, her face pale.

He walked by, with his dog by his side.

Apart from a few stereotyped phrases like everything considered, present company excepted, weather permitting, god willing, absolute constructions are rare in Modern English and occur mostly in written descriptive language.

Ex.3. Point out participial constructions; analyze and classify them. Translate into Russian.

1. I don’t want him made unhappy. 2. Then I went away – left her in the chapel praying. 3. Madame de Grenet had a priest hidden outside the door. 4. She tried to have her patient moved upstairs, where there was running water. 5. Hearing him spoken of by Cordelia as someone she had seen a month ago I was greatly surprised. 6. I heard it said that his dealings were badly looked on by orthodox Conservatives. 7. He had had more copies of his portrait printed than he knew what to do with. 8. Even on this convivial evening I could feel my host emanating little magnetic waves of social uneasiness. 9. I feel the past and the future pressing so hard on either side that there’s no room for the present at all. 10. As I stood on the platform I saw my luggage and Julia’s go past, with Julia’s sour-faced maid strutting beside the porter. 11. I must get the pictures unpacked and see how they’ve travelled. 12. We stood thus embraced, in the open, cheek against cheek, her hair blowing across my eyes. 13. I looked in at my wife, found her sleeping and closed the door. 14. When we got to the place we found it almost deserted. 15. I heard Julia across the table trying to trace the marriage connexions of her Hungarian and Italian cousins. 16. My wife first impressed the impressionable with her chic and my celebrity and, superiority firmly established, changed quickly to a pose of almost flirtatious affability. 17. Lord Flyte found him starving in Tangier. 18. I spoke loudly to make myself heard above the dance music. 19. We crossed together, expecting to find unfolding before us at Dover the history from all parts of Europe. 20. You have to sleep with your feet pointing East because that’s the direction of Heaven. 21. We all began talking at once, so that for a moment Mr Samgrass found himself talking to no one. 22. I am not going to have your painting in the gallery. 23. Everything was left unsaid. It was only dimly and at rare moments that I suspected what was afoot. 24. When we have guests, I see him thinking, “Will they speak of me to my wife?” 25. They watched the grave crowds crossing and recrossing the square. 26. All the catalogue of threats to civilized life rose and haunted me; I even pictured a homicidal maniac mouthing in the shadows. 27. He paused, his duty discharged. 28. People could often be heard talking about virtues of clear air. 29. The Dixons had guests coming at the weekend. 30. Jean was standing still on the exact spot where he had launched his curse, his enormous sides shaken with laughter. 31. If they want to wreck the performance by having the police tramping around the whole time, this is the way to do it. 32. Now, it being a melodrama, there was of course in the third act a murder and burglary scene. 33. Doris was left standing by the signpost at the cross-roads. 34. Mr Hutton, legs outstretched and chair tilted, had pushed the panama back from his forehead. 35. Half a mile on he found his way barred by yet another gate. 36. In theory she didn’t much care; let the dead bury their dead. But here, at the graveside, she found herself actually sobbing. 37. She went to a cupboard across the room and came back with four canvases. “I have to keep them hidden from Henry.”

Ex. 4. Translate into English, using participial constructions.

1. Она сидела и наблюдала, как люди спешат на работу. 2. Я видел, как он сидел у окна и читал газету. 3. Они слышали, как кто-то ходит в соседней комнате. 4. Я случайно подслушал, как они говорили о тебе. 5. Она заметила, как кошка пытается стащить рыбу со стола, и прогнала ее. 6. Войдя в комнату, я обнаружил, что она гладит белье. 7. Мы оставили их играть в шахматы. 8. Когда я уходил, они беседовали о только что вышедшем фильме. 9. Она пошла домой, оставив своих друзей танцевать и развлекаться. 10. Его застали за курением в общественном месте и оштрафовали. 11. Я вдруг поймал себя на том, что опять думаю об этом происшествии. 12. Услышав это, он невольно начал смеяться. 13. Невольно я стал задавать себе вопрос, где же я мог ее видеть. 14. Очень скоро фильм растрогал ее до слез. 15. Вот увидишь, у Джека телевизор заработает через 5 минут. 16. Он делал стрижку и укладывал волосы один раз в месяц. 17. Она остановилась у заправочной станции, чтобы заправить бензобак. 18. Я бы хотел вывести эти ржавые пятна. 19. Я видел, как их машину остановил полицейский. 20. Я считаю проблему решенной. 21. Он хотел, чтобы машину подали немедленно. 22. Им было нужно, чтобы дело было улажено как можно быстрее. 23. Видели, как он пытался открыть дверь. 24. Слышали, как она рассказывала о предстоящей поездке. 25. Если позволит погода, мы поедем кататься на лыжах. 26. Если принять во внимание все обстоятельства, мне кажется, мы не можем удовлетворить вашу просьбу.