Oxford_Guide_to_English_Grammar

7 The pattern my success in finding out

Some verbs and adjectives can take a preposition + gerund, e.g. succeed in doing, gratefulfor having. We can also use a preposition + gerund after a related noun.

I noticedJeffs success in getting the price reduced.

We expressed our gratitudefor having had the opportunity.

Some other nouns can also take a preposition + gerund.

How would you like the idea ofliving in a caravan?

There's a small advantage in movingfirst.

We can use these expressions:

8 The pattern before leaving

aPlease switch off the lights before leaving.

Instead oflanding at Heathrow, we had to go to Manchester. The picture was hung upside down without anyone noticing it. She succeeded in business by being completely single-minded. How about coming round this evening?

I still feel tired in spite ofhaving slept eight hours.

Despite your reminding me, Iforgot.

We can use a gerund after these prepositions:

On turning the corner, I saw a most unexpected sight.

(=As soon as I had turned the corner,...)

In building a new motorway, they attracted new industry to the area.

(= As a result of building a new motorway,...) c We cannot use a passive participle.

The new drug was put on the market after being approved by the government.

NOT after approved and NOT after been approved

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16

Participles

134 Summary

Participle forms • 135

A participle can be an ing-form like playing (active participle), or a form like played, written (past or passive participle).

Participle clauses • 136

We can put an object or adverbial after the participle.

Katefell asleep watching television last night.

A participle can also have a subject.

I waited, my heart beating fast.

Participle + noun • 137

flashing lights recorded music

Verb + participle • 138

Well, I mustn't stand chatting here all day.

Participle clauses of time, reason etc • 139

I went wrong adding up these figures.

Having no money, we couldn't get in.

Verb + object + participle • 140

I saw you talking to the professor.

NOTE

For participles in finite verb phrases, • 60.

For There was a bag lying/left on the table, • 50(3).

For The bag lying/left on the table is Sadie's, • 276.

135 Participle forms

2 An active participle is the ing-form of a verb, e.g. laughing, waiting. I heard you laughing. We sat there waiting patiently.

This form is the same as a gerund. • 129(2)

3A passive or past participle is a form such as covered, annoyed, broken, left. Although covered by insurance, Tom was annoyed about the accident.

I stepped on some broken glass.

There were two parcels left on the doorstep.

A regular form ends in ed. For irregular forms, • 300.

4 A passive participle can be simple or continuous.

Simple: They wanted the snow cleared away.

Continuous: We saw the snow being cleared away.

5 A participle can also be perfect.

Having waited an hour, the crowd were getting impatient.

Having been delayedfor an hour, the concert started at nine o'clock.

6 In the negative, not comes before the participle.

He hesitated, not knowing what to do.

Not having been informed, we were completely in the dark.

136 Participle clauses

1 A participle clause can be just a participle on its own.

Everyonejust stood there talking.

There can be an object or adverbial.

We saw a policeman chasing someone.

Cut above the right eye, the boxer was unable to continue.

An adverbial usually comes after the participle, and an object always comes after it. NOT Wesawapoliceman someone chasing.

NOTE For adverb + participle + noun, e.g. rapidly rising inflation, • 137(2).

2 A participle can sometimes have a subject.

The lights havinggone out, we couldn't see a thing.

If there is no subject, then it is understood to be the same as in the main clause.

The men sat round the table playing cards.

(The men were playing cards.)

NOTE

The understood subject is usually the same as in the main clause.

Walking across the field, we saw a plane fly past.

(= As we were walking..., we saw...)

We cannot use a main clause without we, the understood subject of the participle. NOT Walking across the field, a plane flew past.

This suggests that the plane was walking across the field, which is nonsense. Now look at this example.

Sitting at a table, the band played for them.

This might lead to a misunderstanding because it suggests that the band was sitting at a table. The following sentence is correct.

Sitting at a table, they listened to the band.

(= As they were sitting..., they listened...)

PAGE 169 137 Participle + noun

Here the understood subject of the participle is the same as the subject of the main clause. But sometimes the subjects can be different when there is no danger of misunderstanding.

Knowing how little time she had, this new delay infuriated her.

(= Because she knew..., she was infuriated ...)

When adjusting the machine, the electricity supply should be disconnected.

(= When you adjust..., you should disconnect...)

Here the understood subject of the participle can also be understood as the subject of the main clause.

The subjects do not need to be the same when we use following (= after), considering (= in view of) and regarding (= about).

Following the lecture, we were able to ask questions.

Considering the awful weather, our Open Day was a great success. No action has been taken regarding your complaint.

The subjects can also be different with strictly speaking, having said that and talking of. • 139(7)

137 Participle + noun

1 We can use an active or passive participle before a noun.

Active: Boiling water turns to steam. (= water which is boiling)

The team was welcomed by cheering crowds.

Passive: I had a reserved seat. (= a seat which had been reserved)

The experiment must be done under controlled conditions. The terrorists used a stolen car.

This pattern is often neater than using a finite clause such as When water boils, it turns to steam, or The terrorists used a car they had stolen. The participle modifies the noun, like an adjective. Compare hot water, enthusiastic crowds, a special seat. But we cannot always use the pattern. For example, we can say a barking dog but NOTaneatingdog.

NOTE

aCompare the passive and past participles.

Passive: the injured prisoner (The prisoner has been injured.) Past: the escaped prisoner (The prisoner has escaped.)

bFor special participle forms, e.g. a sunken ship, • 301.

16 PARTICIPLES

4 We can sometimes add ed to a noun to form a similar kind of modifier. a walled city (= a city with a wall)

This happens mostly with compounds.

a dark-haired man (= a man with dark hair)

a short-sleeved shirt (= a shirt with short sleeves)

138 Verb + participle

1 The pattern We stood watching

We can use a participle after stand, sit, lie, go and run. The wholefamily stood waving in the road.

Karen sat at the table reading a newspaper.

The girl lay trapped under the wreckagefor three days. People ran screamingfor help.

The two actions, for example the standing and the waving, happen at the same time.

NOTE

We also use busy + active participle.

Angela was busy doing the accounts.

2 Go shopping and do the shopping

aWe use go/come + active participle to talk about some activities away from the home, especially leisure activities.

b We use do the + gerund for some kinds of work, especially housework.

I usually do the washing at the weekend. Someone comes in to do the cleaning for us. Have you done the ironingyet?

NOTE

Go shopping usually means leisure shopping, for example for clothes. Do the shopping usually means buying food.

c We can use do some..., do a lot of/a bit of... etc for both leisure and work.

I once did some surfing in California. Jeffdoes a lot ofcooking, doesn't he? I don't do much fishing these days.

I'm afraid we've got a lot oftidying up to do.

We can also use do + gerund.

I can't do sewing. I always make a mess ofit.

We did trampolining once a week at school lastyear.

139 Participle clauses of time, reason etc

1 Time

aA clause with an active participle (e.g. playing, serving) means an action at the same time as the action of the main clause.

Mike hurt his hand playing badminton.

We were rushing about serving tea to everyone.

NOTE For conjunction + participle, e.g. Mike hurt his hand whileplayingbadminton, • (3).

b The participle clause can come first, but this is rather literary.

Coming up the steps, Ifell over.

NOTE

But a gerund clause as subject of a sentence is not literary.

Comingupthestepstiredtheoldwomanout.

cWe can also use a participle clause when two short, connected actions are close in time, even if they do not happen at exactly the same time.

Taking a note from her purse, she slammed it down on the counter. Opening the file, the detective took out a newspaper cutting.

This pattern is rather literary. It is more neutral to use two main clauses.

She took a note from her purse and slammed it down on the counter.

NOTE

We mention the actions in the order they happen. The participle usually comes in the first clause, but it can sometimes come in the second.

Shetookanotefromherpurse,slammingitdownonthecounter.

Theycomplainedabouttheroom,thewifepointingoutthattheywerepromised aseaview.

dWe can also use a perfect participle for an action which comes before another connected one.

Having filled his glass/Filling his glass, Max took a long drink.

But when the first action is not short, we must use the perfect.

Having dug a hole in the road, the men just disappeared.

NOT Digging a hole in the road, the menjust disappeared.

The clause with the perfect participle can come after the main clause.

They left the restaurant, having spent two hours over lunch.

e In the passive we can use a simple, continuous or perfect participle.

The old woman walked slowly to the lift, assisted by the porter. I don't want to stay out here being bitten by insects.

A hole having been dug, the men just disappeared.

2 Comparison of patterns

aAfter he had left the building, the man hailed a taxi.

bAfter leaving the building,...

cAfter having left the building,...

dHaving left the building,...

eLeaving the building,...

Sentence (a) is the most neutral in style and the most usual of these patterns in everydayspeech. (b) is alsofairlyusual, althoughalittlemoreformal. (c) isless usual because after and having both repeat the idea of one action following the other. (d) and (e) are ratherliterary. (e) means that the two actions were very close in time.

3 Conjunction + participle

We can use an active or passive participle after when, whenever, while, once, until, if and although.

You should wear gloves when using an electric saw.

Once opened, the contents should be consumed within three days. Although expecting the news, I was greatly shocked by it.

This pattern is a little more formal than a finite clause such as when you use an electric saw. It is common in instructions.

NOTE

aWe can also use a passive participle after as, e.g. as seen on TV.

bA similar pattern is preposition + gerund. • 132(8)

4 Reason

a A participle clause can express reason.

Crowds were waiting at the airport, hoping to see Madonna arrive.

(= ... because they were hoping to see her arrive.)

Not feeling very well, James decided to lie down. Having lost my passport, I have to applyfor a new one.

The restaurant having closed, there was nowhere to eat.

Being rather busy, I completelyforgot the time.

The participle clause can be rather literary. For other ways of expressing reason, • 2 5 1 .

b In the passive we can use a simple, continuous or perfect participle.

He died at thirty, struck down by a rare disease.

In summer the ducks have it easy, always being fed by tourists.

Having been renovated at great expense, the building looks magnificent.

c We can use with before a participle clause with a subject.

With prices going up sofast, we can't afford luxuries.

It was a large room, with bookshelves covering most ofthe walls.

PAGE 173 140 Verb + object + participle

5 Result

An active participle after the main clause can express result.

They pumped waste into the river, killing all the fish.

The film star made a dramatic entrance, attracting everyone's attention.

6 Conditions

A participle clause can express a condition.

All being well, we should be home about six.

(= If all is well, ... )

We plan to eat outside, weather permitting.

Taken daily, vitamin pills can improve your health.

7 Idioms

We can use a participle clause in some idiomatic phrases which comment on a statement or relate it to a previous one.

Strictly speaking, you can't come in here unless you're a club member. Things don't look too good. But having said that, there are still groundsfor optimism.

I'm going on a computer course next week. ~ Talking ofcomputers, ours broke down yesterday.

140 Verb + object + participle l The pattern I saw you doing it

a I saw two men cutting down a tree.

We heard you arguing with your brother. Can you smell something burning?

We can use an object + active participle after these verbs of perception: see, watch, notice, observe; hear, listen to;feel;smell.

b A verb of perception can also take an object + bare infinitive.

I saw two men cut down a tree.

We didn't notice anyone leave the building.

A bare infinitive means the complete action, but the participle means action for a period of time, whether or not we see the whole action.

I saw them cut the tree down. It didn't take long.

(= I saw them. They cut it down.)

I saw them cutting the tree down as I went past.

(= I saw them. They were cutting it down.)

But when we talk about a short action, we can use either pattern.

Bernard watched the horse jump/jumping the fence. We didn't notice anyone leave/leaving the building.

NOTE

We can use these passive forms.

We saw the lions fed. We saw the lions being fed.