Its features and forms
The participle is intermediate between the verb and the adjective and partially between the verb and the adverb.
Like the adjective participle I can function as an attribute to the noun. Participle I in this function corresponds to the Russian причастие:
The rising sun was hidden by the clouds. (восходящее солнце)
Like the adverb participle I can function as an adverbial modifier corresponding to the Russian деепричастие:
Having no time I couldn’t get there. (не имея времени)
Having finished my lessons I went home. (окончив уроки)
Having slept for two hours he felt rested.
Having been warned about the bandits, he left his valuables at home.
Like the verb participle I
can take a direct object:
She sat in the armchair reading a newspaper.
can be modified by an adverb:
The captain walked up and down looking straight before him.
has voice and tense distinctions.
The forms of participle I
Active Passive
Indefinite running ---------
sending being sent
Perfect having run -----------
having sent having been sent
Like the infinitive and the gerund the tense distinctions of participle I are relative, not absolute (the indefinite form expresses simultaneity, the perfect form expresses priority).
Note 1. When used as an adverbial modifier of time Participle I non-perfect denoting short terminative actions (to arrive, to close, to open, to reach, to pass, to see, to think, to come, etc.) can express priority. In these cases the action of the predicate closely follows that of the participle:
Arriving at the station I called a porter.
Hearing a noise in the yard, I looked out of the window.
Entering the room that evening Mary found a letter from her son.
Taking off our shoes, we tiptoed into the nursery.
Participle I perfect expresses an action prior to the action of the predicate and functions as an adverbial modifier of reason:
Having failed twice, he didn't want to try again.
Having seen the girl long ago, I didn't recognize her.
Not having seen her for a long time I didn't recognize her.
THE FUNCTIONS OF PARTICIPLE I IN THE SENTENCE
Participle I can be used in two syntactic functions:
1. as an attribute
In this function single participle I is always used in pre-position to the noun:
They looked at the flying plane.
When used in post-position to the noun it is part of an attributive participle phrase:
The student answering the question is the best in his group.
In this function it corresponds to the Russian действительное причастие настоящего времени.
Participle I Indefinite Passive is very seldom used as an attribute.
Note. Participle I perfect is never used in this function. To express priority an attributive subordinate clause is used:
The boy who broke the window has left.
I've just talked to the students who came back from London yesterday.
Compare:
I looked at the girl sitting at the window. (a simultaneous action)
The
girl who had been sitting at the window went away. (a prior action)
(having
sat)
2. as an adverbial modifier (corresponds to деепричастие)
All forms are used here.
of time
Approaching home I saw him.
Having finished his work he left home.
In this function Participle I Indefinite Active can be preceded by the conjunctions when or while:
While reading the text I noticed some mistakes.
Don't forget articles when speaking English.
Note. Participle I Indefinite of the verb to be is not used as an adverbial modifier of time. Clauses of the type Когда он был в Лондоне,.., Когда он был ребенком,.. are translated When in London..., When a child.... It means When he was in London,.., When he was a child..
b) of cause (or reason). All forms of Participle I are used here.
Having left school at twelve he had no qualifications.
The most frequently used Non-Perfect Participle I of verbs denoting mental perception and emotions are: knowing, realizing, remembering, hoping, expecting, fearing and also being and having.
Hoping to meet her, he left the house.
Being hungry, he rushed to the fridge.
Having plenty of time we didn't hurry.
Not knowing where to go I turned back.
Note. Participle I of the verb to be (being) when used as an adverbial modifier will always be an adverbial modifier of cause.
Being a stranger in the town, he had to ask the way - As he was a stranger in the town, ...
c) of manner or attending circumstances. In this function Participle I Indefinite is mostly used.
She began to walk carefully counting her steps.
He was silent, looking at his hands.
d) of unreal comparison (as if; as though)
She looked at me as though seeing me for the first time.
He spoke as if translating from a foreign language.
PARTICIPLE I AND THE GERUND
1. Used as an attribute
a) in pre-position to the noun a single gerund denotes the function (purpose) of the noun it modifies, while participle I denotes an action fulfilled by the noun:
GERUND PARTICIPLE I
a sitting-room a sitting girl
a swimming pool a swimming man
a sleeping car a sleeping child
a skating-rink
a washing machine
a looking glass
b) in post-position to the noun it modifies participle I is never prepositional while the gerund is always preceded by either of or for:
I don’t see any chance of getting there before sunset. (a gerund)
There was no reason for telling him about it.
The house had two windows looking over the street. (participle I)
2. Used as an adverbial modifier
a) of time participle I is never prepositional while the gerund always is:
Closing the door he went downstairs. (participle I) = On closing the door he went downstairs (a gerund).
Having said it he stood up and went out. = After saying it he stood up and went out.
A
fter
+ a gerund = Participle I there
is a short interval between the action denoted perfect
by
the verbal and the action of the predicate verb
O n (upon) + a gerund = Participle I the action of the verbal takes place
indefinite active of terminative verbs immediately after thet of the predicate verb, denoting short actions without any pause
A t, in + a gerund = when, while +Participle I during
At seeing me there he burst out laughing.
b) of manner gerund is always found with a preposition (by/without) while participle I is non-prepositional:
He sat reading a book.
He left without saying good-bye.
She warned me by leaving me a message.
Mind the difference between:
Not + Participle I (why?) |
Without + a gerund (how?) |
It is used as an adverbial modifier of reason: Not knowing his address he couldn’t write. Not being used to such kind of work he soon got tired. |
It is used as an adverbial modifier of manner or condition: He left without saying good bye. The boys couldn’t leave the school without asking for permission. |
THE COMPLEX OBJECT AND THE COMPLEX SUBJECT WITH PARTICIPLE I
They are used only with the verbs of sense perception. The Complex Object follows the verbs to hear, to see, to watch, to find (=to see), to feel:
He found Nora reading a novel in their bedroom.
I saw him crossing the river.
The Complex Subject with participle I is used with three verbs only - to hear, to see, to find (=to see). The corresponding Russian translation is «видели, как», «слышали, как» + a verb in the imperfective aspect (несовершенный вид).
A car was heard arriving.
He was found sleeping.
Unlike the complex object and the complex subject with the infinitive that express completed actions the complexes with participle I express actions in progress and correspond to the Russian verb in the imperfective aspect:
We watched him approaching the gate slowly. – Мы наблюдали, как он медленно подходил к калитке.
We saw him approach the gate and enter the house. – Мы видели, как он подошел к калитке и зашел в дом.
PARTICIPLE II. ITS FORM AND FUNCTIONS
It has one form. It is always passive in meaning (which makes it identical in meaning to participle I passive). The functions of participle II: