Exercises

The Objective Participial Construction (with Participle I)

Exercise 66. Point out the Objective Participial Construction with Participle I. State the syntactical function and translate the sentences into Ukrainian.

1. I saw him running across the field. (‘him running’ is the Objective Participial

Construction in the function of a Complex Object.)

2. I looked up and saw him watching my reflection in the looking-glass. 3. When

Mary opened her eyes, she saw Nina standing by her side. 4. Have you ever seen him playing football? 5. I saw him taking the book. 6. Then he looked out of the window and saw clouds gathering. 7. We saw the troops marching along the road. 8. As soon as I was outside the door, I heard her talking to herself. 9. She heard her heart beating. 10. We heard the door closing. 11. I heard the people exchanging their impressions of the play. 12. I have never heard them speaking English. 13. I heard the visitor walking restlessly backwards and forwards. 14. Then in the

complete silence of the night he heard somebody opening the door quietly. 15. As I

was looking this over, I heard the doors which led on to the main corridor being

opened. 16. As I looked out at the garden, I heard a motor-truck (грузовой автомобиль) starting on the road. 17. I’ve never heard you talking like this about him. 18. I felt him looking at me now and again. 19. He felt the bridge shaking under his feet. 20. The woman stood at the door and watched the children playing. 21. At that moment I noticed Charles sitting a little farther in the hall. 22. I can’t imagine her cooking. 23. Do you smell something burning? 24 I found the child crying bitterly. 25. When he arrived, he found me reading a book. 26. He found Dora reading a novel in their bedroom. 26 We’ll keep the old house going somehow. 27. Don’t shout. You will have the neighbours complaining. 28. One afternoon in August I saw something that surprised me and set me thinking. 29. What has set the dog barking? 30. You words set me thinking. 31. They soon got (started) things going. 32. He won’t have them going out so late.

Exercise 67. Re-word these sentences so as to use the Objective Participial Construction with Participle I.

Pattern: He could feel that his heart was throbbing weakly. →► He could feel his

heart throbbing weakly.

1. It was a black day when London heard how the enemy was bombarding Chatham. 2. In the evenings I used to hear how he was playing passages of his own compositions. 3. He saw that drinks were being served an hour after the permitted hours. 4. They noticed that the two small children were playing in the yard. 5. The flight attendant watched how the passengers were climbing the ramp. 6. They

heard how the public-address system announced it was necessary to fasten the

safety-belts. 7. He felt how the plane was losing altitude on the approach to the

aerodrome 8. I noticed that you were looking at the drawings upstairs. 9. He was allowed to watch how the instruments were being prepared for the operation.

Exercise 68. Use Participle I of the verbs in brackets to form a Complex Object:

Pattern: A moment later they heard her bedroom door (to shut) with a bang. →► A moment later they heard her bedroom door shutting with a bang.

1. She watched him (to work) for a long time. 2. I’ve never heard your canary (to

sing). Is there anything the matter with the bird? 3. She watched him (to pass) the

gate and (to walk) down the street. 4. Through the chink in the shutters she watched Emma (to pick) cherries in the orchard. 5. You can see him (to work) in his little garden every day. 6. She had never heard philosophy (to pass) those lips before. 7. Together they watched the old oak (to drop) its leaves. 8. He found them (to sit) together and (to talk) peacefully. They did not notice him (to approach).

9. He felt the water (to reach) his knees. 10. She felt her voice (to tremble) and tried to control herself. 11. We saw him (to open) the envelope and (to read)

something hastily. 12. I saw him (to unfold) the telegram slowly and hesitatingly

as though he expected it to contain some bad news. 13. He heard the

young people (to sing) and (to shout) from the opposite bank.

(B) The Objective Participial Construction with Participle II may be found:

a) after the verbs denoting sense perception: to see, to hear, to feel, to watch

• I have never heard him spoken of badly.

• Have you ever heard this opera sung in Italian?

• Despite himself Maurice felt his attention caught.

b) to find, to leave, to keep

• She found the picture damaged

• On arriving at the cottage she found it locked.

c) after the verbs of mental activity: to think, to believe, to consider, to understand

• I consider myself engaged to Mr. Brown.

• And yet, no one can believe himself utterly foredoomed

d) after the verbs denoting wish: to want, to wish, to desire, to prefer, would like

• I want it done quickly.

• Be careful washing those glasses! I don’t want them broken.

e) after the verbs of causative meaning: to have, to get, to make, won’t have, can’t have

• I had my tooth pulled out yesterday. (= My tooth was pulled out.)

• You should have your blood pressure tested.

• You’ll never guess where I had the suit made.

• They had coffee brought out into the garden after lunch.

• I got the piano tuned. (= I made someone tune the piano.)

_ Notes:

o to have something done

o to get something done

● After the verbs to have and to get the Objective Participial Construction shows that the action expressed by the participle is performed at the request of the person denoted by the subject of the sentence.

• We had/got the car delivered to the airport. (= it was delivered)

• While I was in Singapore, I had/got my eyes tested. (= they were tested)

(Got in this pattern is normally only used in conversation and informal writing.)

● In interrogative and negative sentences the auxiliary verb to do is used (in the

Present Indefinite Tense):

• When did you have your hair done? – I had my hair done yesterday.

• Why don’t you have your hair waved?

● In colloquial English the verb to have may be substituted by to have got.

• He has got his country house painted inside and out.

● Non-causative ‘have’ and ‘get’ can be used for accidents, disasters, etc. that happen beyond our control or if it is clear that the person referred to in the subject of the sentence is not responsible for or has no control over what happens:

In informal speech some people use get in sentences like this.

• King Charles had his head cut off.

• I’ve recently had my appendix removed.

• She had her house destroyed in an earthquake.

• They had their car broken into again.

●● Though ‘have’ and ‘get’ are often used interchangeably; in the causative ‘get’ is more limited.

• But even if you work hard, it takes a long time to write a novel. And you have to

get it published.

• How did she get herself invited?

● ‘Get’ is stronger than ‘have’.

We use ‘get’ when we say that the person referred to in the subject of the sentence

does something themselves, causes what happens, perhaps accidentally, or is to

blame for it:

• I’ll get the house cleaned if you cook the dinner. (= I’ll clean the house)

• I must get this car serviced soon.

● With ‘get’ there is a suggestion of difficulty, which would not be conveyed by

‘had’.

• I finally got my roof repaired.

• Do you have time to get the car washed this morning?

● ‘Get’ sounds more natural than ‘have’ in the imperatives:

• Get your hair cut!

• Get your eyes tested!

● In suggestion with: Why don’t you…?, ‘get’ is much stronger than ‘have’:

• Why don’t you have your hair cut? (neutral suggestion)

• Why don’t you get your hair cut? (almost an order)

● We prefer have if we want to focus on the result of the action rather than the action itself:

• I’ll have the house cleaned by the time you get home.

• Sue had her fingers trapped in the bike chain for half an hour.

● We use won’t have or will not have ( not get) if we want to say that we won’t allow something to happen to someone or something:

• I won’t have my name dragged through the dirt by the press.

• Once and for all, Salter, I will not have a barrier erected between me and my

staff.

● Notice that the word order is important. Compare:

• We had the car delivered to the airport. (=Someone else delivered the car) and

• We had delivered the car to the airport. (= Past Perfect; we delivered the car)