Can you start a sentence with a participle phrase?

The present-participial phrase usually acts as an adjective. It can come at the beginning of a sentence, in the middle of a sentence, or at the end of a sentence. When you start a sentence with a present-participial phrase, make certain that the grammatical subject of the sentence is the agent of that verbal activity.

What is a participle sentence starter?

A participle phrase will begin with a present or past participle. If the participle is present, it will dependably end in ing. Likewise, a regular past participle will end in a consistent ed. Participle phrases always function as adjectives, describing a nearby noun or pronoun.

What are some examples of participial phrases?

Examples of Participial Phrase

• The boys sitting by the road were gossiping.
• Coming to the varsity, I came to know the fact.
• I was drinking coffee in a mug made of ceramic.
• I did the assignment sitting in the library.
• The man standing by the tree is suspicious.
• We were waiting for you sitting in the canteen.

Are participial phrases bad?

I find that a bit extreme. But it’s definitely true that overusing participial phrases is a bad habit for many new writers. Some authors even begin every other sentence with a participle in an attempt to vary sentence construction.

Is a participial phrase a dependent clause?

The Grammar Behind the Sentences: Participial Phrases & Adjective Clauses. Dependent adjective clauses function as adjectives, and they contain a subject and a verb. Watering her plants is a participial phrase.

How do you avoid participles?

To avoid making common mistakes when using participles, you must place them properly. Read this sentence: Munching a buttered sausage, the cholesterol really builds up. As you see, the sentence begins with a verb form, munching, but munching isn’t the verb in the sentence.

Can a participial phrase be at the end of a sentence?

Participial Phrases at the End of a Sentence When a participial phrase is used at the end of a sentence, you should place a comma before the phrase if it modifies an earlier word in the sentence, but NOT if the phrase immediately follows the word it modifies.

Can participial phrases be adverbial?

A participle phrase can include the subject (which it often then modifies) or the complements (or both) of the verb from which it is derived. Participle phrases are ALWAYS adverbial or adjectival. A participle phrase will most often be adjectival if it follows immediately after a noun.

Is a participial phrase an independent clause?

You can improve concision by turning independent clauses into participial phrases. An independent clause has a subject and a verb and could be a complete sentence by itself. A participial phrase begins with a participle (an –ing verb) and modifies something; participial phrases typically serve as adjectives.

Is crying a participle?

“crying” is a participle, a present participle.

What are some examples of participial phrase?

Examples of past participles or participle phrases in a sentence: The broken glass cut my foot. Ben, exhausted after a long day, took a nap on the couch. The red shirt worn by Kevin belongs to my brother. The boat, moving toward the dock, carried soldiers returning from war.

What are some examples of sentences with participle phrases?

Examples (the participle phrase is underlined): Thrown through the window, the rock fell on the floor. Running out the door, I forgot to turn off the light. Eating all that candy, Sarah became extremely fat. Holding all these bags, Susan couldn’t see a thing.

Which sentence contains a participle phrase?

A participial phrase refers to a group of words that contains a verb in the -ing or past form, which is used to describe a noun or a pronoun, and its object. It is best to put the participial phrase near the object it describes.

What is a participle phrase in a sentence?

A participial phrase or clause is a wonderful tool for writers because it gives color and action to a sentence. By employing verbals—words derived from a verb—along with other grammatical elements, an author can craft clauses that function as an adjective, modifying nouns and pronouns. The participial phrase contains a participle and the other words in the phrase that modify the noun or pronoun.