Predicative Constructions with Participle I

Exercise 1.

Point out objective predicative constructions with Participle I in the following sentences. Translate the sentences into Russian.

1. I saw him walking briskly through the crowd wearing a tan raincoat … . (F.F.)

2. She could hear Bart moving about outside, whistling as he worked. (Cus.)

3. … he felt his heart pounding and his mouth was dry again, but it was excitement, not fear. (E.H.)

4. I’ve seen her sitting poring over her pass book. (A. Chr.)

5. “I hear you’ve seen Blanch,” he said. “How on earth did you find out?” “I was told by someone who saw you sitting with them.” (S.M.)

6. He felt Bill coming up to the fire. (E.H.)

7. He leaned back watching Jan working with passionate absorption on the pullover … . (Cus.)

8. … but I could hear two people talking in the room. (A. Chr.)

9. Aswald could feel his heart beating. (R. Ald.)

10. Then I heard someone weeping. (Gr. Gr.)

11. In the silence I could hear the clock ticking. (J. Ch.)

12. Then she heard the stranger laughing quietly, and his footsteps came across the room. (H.W.)

13. He found her watering some plants, her face expressed her surprise at his unusual presence. (Dr.)

14. At his home, he let himself in, and to his surprise, found his wife coming towards him in the hall. (Cron.)

15. They could hear the Invisible Man breathing. (H.W.)

16. Mike saw him standing in the doorway. (Lind.)

17. Then her charming face grew eager, and glancing round, young Jolyon saw Bosinney striding across the grass. (Galsw.)

Exercise 2.

Point out subjective predicative constructions with Participle I in the following sentences. Translate the sentences into Russian.

1. He was seen making his way to the house. (Cart.)

2. Here his nurse’s voice was heard calling from the top landing. (Cron.)

3. Many students with blood streaming down their faces were seen running down the side streets to avoid arrest. (M.S.)

4. He suffered from dyspepsia, and he might often be seen sucking a tablet of pepsin … . (S.M.)

5. At times he was seen driving with her by people who knew him in a social and commercial way. (Dr.)

6. The boots of Albert could be heard racing upstairs. (A. Chr.)

7. You’re found hanging around the grounds of a big house after dark … (Cron.)

8. … in a few moments during the launching of the boats, Danvers was seen speaking to a young American girl. (A. Chr.)

9. Jennie was seen wearing the gold watch. (Dr.)

10. He could often be seen walking with his eyes fixed anxiously on little Pablins Dartie’s sailing-boat. (Galsw.)

Exercise 3.

Define the type of predicative constructions with Participle I.

1. The car paused momentarily at the door of the commissary. Pat saw blank eyes staring at him and he stared back at them blankly from the rear seat. (F.F.)

2. Cokane and Sartorius are seen returning by the river gate. (B. Sh.)

3. I saw her going off in that direction about a quarter of an hour ago. (A. Chr.)

4. In a moment I heard Stroeve’s voice asking if I was in. (S.M.)

5. He braced himself against the slope and felt his feet moving within his swollen boots. (J. Ald.)

6. And in the slight pause young Nickolas was heard saying gently that Violet … was taking lessons in pastel … . (Galsw.)

7. He watched them eating, and decided that they ate like pigs. (J.L.)

8. My door happened to be ajar, and I heard her talking to some one in the passage. (A. Chr.)

9. Shut up in her room she could be heard chattering away hour after hour … (S.M.)

10. I don’t feel their absence, I don’t want them weeping around my deathbed and being polite about me afterwards, which I believe is the general notion. (Forster)

11. Don’t you remember, I said yesterday I’d overheard two people talking about a female called Jane Finn? (A. Chr.)

12. He felt his head trembling slightly with rage as he said this. (Amis.)

13. He could hear his wife breathing quietly, asleep. (E.H.)

14. She could hear him telephoning, stressing the gravity and urgency of the case. (Cron.)

15. I wondered if that was the reason I used to hear my father pacing up and down in his room long after the rest of the house had gone to bed. (H.R.)

16. It set her heart leaping … .(Cus.)

17. The hot east wind drove the flames, whipped them up and sent them racing. (Vickers)

Exercise 4.

Define the meaning of the verb with which objective predicative constructions with Participle I are used.

1. Passing into the picture gallery, as it was still called, he saw Irene standing nearby. (Galsw.)

2. It set him thinking. (Dr.)

3. We may suppose him representing the England of Napoleon’s wars, and general unrest. (Galsw.)

4. I thought I saw something moving along the track. (Vickers)

5. But he found his traps waiting for him in the porter’s lodge … . (S.M.)

6. I opened the door with extreme reluctance and found Morton standing outside. (R.Ald.)

7. The four soldiers noticed Christian watching them. (I. Sh.)

8. She ran up the drive … and I heard her fumbling for the key. (J.Ch.)

9. From where she stood she could hear everything going on at once. (A. Chr.)

10. I heard the guards moving behind us. (Gr.Cr.)

11. I felt him looking at me now and again, but I took no notice. (S.M.)

Exercise 5.

Form objective predicative constructions with Participle I out of the elements in brackets.

1. … he saw (a young girl, to be driven) away from the door in tears. (S.M.)

2. I turned my head over my shoulder and saw (she, to stand) in front of the house. (A. Chr.)

3. He felt (her eyes, to rest) on him with a strange, touching look. (Galsw.)

4. Renata watched (he, to smoke). (E.H.)

5. That set (one’s heart, to thump). (J.Ch.)

6. It would never do for her to come out and see (he, to talk) there with them. (J.L.)

7. And Michael saw (his father-in-law, to stare up) at the Lincoln statue. (Galsw.)

8. Jolly was anxious that they should see (he, to row) so they set forth to the river. (Galsw.)

9. June saw (Soames, to stand) just behind her. (Galsw.)

10. Wilkins had heard (we, to row), and looked at me, and motioned me on. (Cain)

11. She thought she heard (he, to groan). (S.M.)

12. Giving a side glance at Betty, he saw (she, to watch) him with a warm look of admiration. (Lind.)

13. I could feel (my breath, to tremble) as we drove along and I could feel (she, to look) at me too. (Cain)

14. Even in that first meeting I felt (he, to give) me some of his own courage. (Vickers)

Exercise 6.

Paraphrase the following using objective predicative constructions with Participle I.

Model:

The children were running towards the forest (she, to see).

She saw the children running towards the forest.

1. She was looking round eagerly (he, to see).

2. She was watching him (he, not to see).

3. Someone was shouting (I, to hear).

4. The water was sucking at the piles beneath the house (they, to hear)

5. She was scrutinizing me closely (I, to see).

6. My cheeks were going red (I, to feel).

7. His ears were glowing (he, to feel).

8. Her little maid was starching and pleating her linen dresses … (she, to watch).

9. The gardeners were watering beds of young lettuce (he, to watch).

10. My sister was signalling to me from another table (I, to see).

11. The corner of a three-penny detective novel was protruding from Albert’s pocket (he, to note).

12. The rain drops were pattering against the leaves (I, to hear).

13. His father was moving around in the living room (he, to hear).

14. He was standing there, the light glittering on his spectacles, his white cruel face expectant (they, to see).

15. He was waiting about five minutes (they, to keep).

16. They were sitting in the sunshine (she, to find).

Exercise 7.

Complete the following so as to use objective predicative constructions with Participle I.

1. They watched the children … .

2. He didn’t see her … .

3. I didn’t notice you … .

4. He liked to watch his father … .

5. He found himself … .

6. I’ve never heard you … .

7. I didn’t see anybody … .

8. The girl saw someone … .

9. He watched the theatre crowd … .

10. She watched the car … .

11. She heard the footsteps … .

12. I saw the door … .

13. She heard the children … .

14. He felt her … .

15. Did you overhear them …?

Exercise 8.

Make up sentences using the following objective predicative constructions with Participle I.

1. him listening;

2. the children playing;

3. the waves rolling;

4. them talking;

5. her looking round;

6. the crowd streaming;

7. the door slamming open;

8. him waiting outside;

9. her poring over a book;

10. you sitting here;

11. someone weeping;

12. the clock ticking;

13. a figure standing;

14. Pete working;

15. a voice saying;

16. my mother washing;

17. the box rattling down;

18. him smoking;

19. her grandmother knitting.

Exercise 9.

Recast the following sentences so as to use objective predicative construction with Participle I.

1. I noticed that now his eyes were resting on me with a faint smile of amusement.

2. At the corner of the street I now saw that a small crowd was collecting, attracted by the fire.

3. So as I strode now along Bake street I felt that I was doing something useful… .

4. Then Frank’s eyes lit up, he saw that Martha was cutting a cake, cutting an enormous wedge of plum cake.

5. When I opened my eyes I saw the others were dozing so I sneaked out.

6. I noticed that Constance was sitting close against Freddy’s chair, and that he broke across what he was saying.

7. I could see that Dave was still standing in the door-way.

8. I felt I was getting hot under the collar, and all my romantic humour was gone.

9. When he got on the sand he saw that Arthur was looking at the boat.

10. He could see that a man was standing on the pavement, facing the swing doors.

11. When he opened the window he heard how the birds were singing in the garden.

12. In a minute or two I noticed that her eyes were stealthily peeping at me over the top of the book.

13. I could feel that the room was rocking under my feet.

Exercise 10.

Point out the Objective and the Subjective Participial Constructions. Translate into Russian.

1. In the midday quiet of the bush she heard a small bird singing. (Young)

2. The taxi could be seen waiting outside. (Murdoch)

3. His face clouded when he heard his name spoken. (Greene)

4. She had the drawing-room redecorated. (Maugham)

5. All the while she felt her heart beating with a vague fear. (Eliot)

6. The darkness found him occupied with these thoughts. The darkness found Mr. and Mrs. Plornish knocking at his door. (Dickens)

7. Somewhere a long way off a telephone bell rang and a voice could be heard speaking. (Greene)

8. For their New Year’s Eve party she had all the furniture moved out of the parlor and sitting-room. (Stone)

9. Get your things packed. (Cronin)

10. Temple heard the woman fumbling at the wall. (Faulker)

11. The two men were heard descending. (Dickens)

12. Two days later she heard sleigh bells coming up the drive. (Stone)

13. They wanted the Committee convened over the week-end. (Snow)

14. She had her bed moved to the corner of the porch. (Buck)

15. Mary could feel Elizabeth reviewing their hopes and dreams, their relationship as sisters. (Stone)

16. She averted her eyes each time she found herself being stared at. (Caldwell)

17. The din in the entrance hall continued, and more vehicles could be heard arriving at the door. (Murdoch)

18. She heard the musicians tuning up in the back parlour. (Stone)

Exercise 11.

Translate into English, using the Objective or the Subjective Participial Construction.

(A)

1. Была тихая летняя ночь. Мы сидели в саду и наблюдали, как луна медленно поднимается из-за деревьев.

2. Мы услышали, что кто-то поет вдали.

3. В детстве я часто слышал, как моя мать пела эту песню.

4. Мы увидели, что по дорожке сада идет сын нашего соседа.

5. Мы не видели его уже много лет, но часто слышали, как его имя упоминалось в доме его родителей. Мы не раз слышали, как его мать говорила о нем и его работе.

(B)

1. Полчаса спустя Лаврецкий стоял уже перед калиткой сада (garden gate). Он нашел ее запертою и принужден был перепрыгнуть через забор. (Тургенев)

2. Слышно было, как он быстро встал … (Л. Толстой)

3. Подходя к церкви, увидел он, что народ уже расходился (to come out). (Пушкин)

4. Я видел, как вы садились на пароход (to come on board). (А. Толстой)

5. Видно было, как по переулку подбегали (to run up the alley) люди. (А. Толстой)