ГРАММАТИКА ЭКЗАМЕН / 10 PARTICIPLE I

PARTICIPLE I

Participle I can also be called an Active Participle as it forms an active structure which can be seen if you transform it into a clause:

The girl sitting next to me.  The girl who is sitting next to me.

The forms of Participle I

Forms	Indefinite			Perfect
Active	doing	Knowing that Paul was in the city I phoned him.	having done		Having passed my driving test I was able to buy my first car.
Passive	being done	The report being typed now is very long.	having been done		Not having been asked Tom didn’t want to interfere.
Distinctions	denotes an action simultaneous with, posterior to, immediately prior to that of the finite verb			denotes an action prior to that of the finite verb

Notes:

Participle I Indefinite denotes an action immediately prior to that expressed by the finite verb, when the action expressed by the finite verb closely/immediately follows the action expressed by the Participle, with the verbs of:

• sense perception (to see, to hear, to look, to notice, to find, etc.) Looking out of the window, she saw a man working in the garden.

• motion (to come, to arrive, to enter, to pass, to cross, to leave, to turn, etc.) Entering his house, Robert saw the policeman.

• certain specific actions associated with motion (to put(on), to take (off), to switch, to seize, to close, to open, to grasp, etc.)

Switching off the light, I turned over and buried my head in the pillow.

• some other verbs (to smile, to say, to realize, to understand, etc).

Realizing that, she left the room.

Participle I Perfect of the same verbs is used when there is a lapse of time between the two actions.

Seeing Jane, I rushed to greet her. vs Having seen the girl only once, I didn’t recognize her.

The Functions of the Participles

There are several common functions of the Participles:

1) Attribute: Participle I: I know the reporter covering the news.

Participle II: The news covered in the report deal with the

situation in the Middle East.

2) Predicative: Participle I: Your offer sounds embarrassing.

Participle II: He sounds embarrassed.

3) Complex Object:

Participle I: I heard him playing the tune.

Participle II: I heard the tune played.

4) Adverbial Modifiers of:

a) Time Participle I: (While/when)/ Asking about the accident the

girl started crying.

Participle II: When asked about the accident the girl

started crying.

b) Comparison:

Participle I: She looked as if waiting for an answer.

Participle II: He stopped as if struck by the news.

5) Parenthesis:

Participle I: Frankly speaking, I don't know the answer.

Participle II: As mentioned above, there are three main types of companies.

There are some functions of the Participles that do not coincide. Only Participle I performs the functions of:

a) Manner: She stopped looking at the ad.

b) Cause: Being ill at ease, he couldn't utter a word.

Only Participle II performs the functions of:

1. Condition: If broken, her heart wouldn't stand it.

2. Concession: Though surprised, she didn't show it.

NB: 1.When a prior action is meant no Participle I can be used as attribute, only an attributive clause is used:

The diplomat addressed the students who had filled the lecture hall (Дипломат выступил перед студентами, собравшимися в зале).

Compare: Женщина, стоявшая на крыльце, вошла в дом → The woman who had been standing on the porch went into the house (the action expressed by the participle is prior to that of the finite form); Я обратился к женщине, стоявшей на крыльце → I addressed the woman standing on the porch (simultaneous actions);

2. Participle I of the verb to be is not used as adverbial modifier of time. Thus the sentence Будучи в Петербурге, я посетил несколько раз Эрмитаж should be translated with the help of the when-clause When in Petersburg (or When I was in Petersburg) I visited the Hermitage several times.

3. If the Russian adverbial participle (деепричастие) with the negative particle не is used in the function of an adverbial modifier of cause/reason, it is translated by the Participle with the negative particle not.

Не сообщив им об этом, он чувствовал себя виноватым. –

Not having informed them about it, he felt guilty. (why?)

If the Russian adverbial participle (деепричастие) with the negative particle не is used in the function of an adverbial modifier of manner (or attendant circumstances), it is translated by the Gerund with the preposition without.

Он уехал, не сообщив им об этом. –

He left without informing them about it. (how?)