Unit V. Constructions with the Participle

Both participle I and participle II can be used singly (She went away crying; The tree was cut down), in a phrase (Do you know the man standing at the entrance? Shaken by the news, she stood motionless), or in a predicative construction (I saw them stealing apples in my garden; She found the lock broken).

The participle can form four predicative constructions:

the objective participial construction (OPC);

the subjective participial construction (SPC);

the absolute participial construction (APC);

the prepositional absolute participial construction (PAPC).

The Objective Participial Construction (opc)

As with other non-finite constructions, the participle in a OPC is in predicate relation to a noun in the common case or an object pronoun which denotes a person or a thing performing the action denoted by the participle:

I heard them talking loudly.

The OPC with participle I is used after the following groups of verbs.

1. Verbs of perception: feel, hear, notice, observe, overhear, perceive, see, smell, spot, spy, watch:

They noticed a ship approaching the island.

Suddenly he spied a shark coming towards them. (formal)

I overheard them quarrelling.

The participial construction is used instead of the infinitive construction to refer to part of an event, to emphasize the idea of process.

2. Verbs of encounter: catch, discover, find:

She caught them eating jam.

The infinitive construction after find refers to something found out by investigation:

They found him to be innocent.

The participial construction denotes something discovered by chance:

They found a man lying in the ditch.

Note that it is sometimes very difficult to distinguish between the participial construction and an attributive phrase with a participle as attribute.

3. Causative verbs: get, have:

I will get/have the house looking nice.

He had me swimming in a week.

The OPC with participle II is used after the following verbs.

1. Perceptual verbs: see, hear, feel:

She heard her name mentioned.

2. Volitional verbs and expressions: would like, need, want:

I want this watch repaired quickly.

You need your eyesight tested.

3. Causative verbs: get, have:

She had her car serviced.

4. The verb consider:

I consider the case closed.

The objective participial construction always functions as complex object in a sentence.

Ex.1. Underline the Objective Participial Constructions and translate the following sentences into Russian.

I saw her leaving the institute.

We watched the plane disappearing in the blue sky.

We heard somebody crying next door.

I feel my heart hurting.

I must have my shoes cleaned.

She has her dress made here.

We’ll have to get the car repaired before Tuesday.

Do you think you can get the radio working?

The governor wants it done quick.

I consider myself engaged to him.

Ex. 2. Translate into English.

Я видела, как они украшали елку в центре города.

Я был на балконе и наблюдал, как демонстрация направлялась к мосту, а потом к Дворцовой площади.

Я не видел и не слышал, как отец открывал дверь.

Мы слышали, как они нам что-то кричали, но не поняли это.

Мы хотели, чтобы о нас забыли.

Ей покрасили забор.

Она заказала себе новую мебель.

Здесь можно отдать в чистку брюки?

Обычно я делаю прическу в парикмахерской рядом со своим домом.

Я должен постричь волосы.