Participial and Absolute Phrases

Participial and Absolute

Phrases: Enhancing

Writing Skills

Multiple Select

What makes you happy?

• Food

• Movies

• Excersie

• Going outside

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Introduction to Participial Phrases

▪A participial phrase is a group of words that begins with
a participle and modifies a noun or pronoun

▪Participles are verb forms that can function as
adjectives

▪Two types: present participles (ending in -ing) and past
participles (often ending in -ed)

▪Example: "Smiling broadly, Sarah greeted her friends."

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Present Participial Phrases

▪Begin with a present participle (verb + -ing)

▪Express ongoing or continuous action

▪Examples:

▪"Running quickly, Tom reached the finish line."

▪"Laughing at the joke, the students couldn't contain their
amusement."

Past Participial Phrases

 Begin with a past participle (often verb + -ed)

 Express completed action or a resulting state

 Examples:

 "Exhausted from the long hike, we collapsed on our beds."

 "Broken by the storm, the old oak tree lay across the road."

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Functions of
Participial Phrases

▪As adjectives: Modify nouns or pronouns

▪"The girl wearing a red dress is my
sister."

▪To show cause and effect:

▪"Startled by the loud noise, the cat
ran under the bed."

▪To compress information:

▪Instead of: "Because he was feeling
tired, John went to bed early."

▪Use: "Feeling tired, John went to bed
early."

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Introduction to
Absolute
Phrases

An absolute phrase is a
group of words that
modifies an entire
sentence

It consists of a noun or
pronoun followed by a
participle or other modifier

Not grammatically
connected to the rest of
the sentence

Adds detail or explanation
to the main clause

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Structure of Absolute Phrases

▪Basic structure: Noun/Pronoun +
Participle/Adjective/Noun

▪Examples:

▪"Her eyes shining with excitement, Sarah opened
the gift." (Noun: eyes, Participle: shining)

▪"The project finished, we celebrated our success."
(Noun: project, Participle: finished)

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Functions of Absolute Phrases

Provide

Provide additional
information:

•"The sun setting behind
the mountains, we made
camp for the night."

Cause or reason

Express cause or
reason:

•"His confidence boosted,
Mark approached the
interview with optimism."

Describe

Describe
accompanying
circumstances:

•"Hands trembling, she
dialed the emergency
number."

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Punctuation with Participial and
Absolute Phrases

▪Participial phrases:

▪At the beginning of a sentence: Use a comma

▪In the middle or end: Comma if non-essential, no comma if essential

▪Absolute phrases:

▪Usually set off by commas

▪Can use dashes for emphasis

Fill in the Blank

Select the entire absolute phrase in the sentence.

Multiple Choice

Read the sentence.

The cow standing in the meadow chewed contentedly on grass.

What is the participial phrase, and which word does it modify?

• standing in the meadow; modifies cow

• on grass; modifies chewed

• in the meadow; modifies standing

• chewed contentedly; modifies cow

Multiple Choice

Select the correctly punctuated absolute phrase to add it to the sentence.

...Senora Alvarez waited excitedly for her guests to arrive.

• Her house bedecked in garlands of flowers,

• Her house, bedecked in garlands of flowers

• Her house bedecked, in garlands of flowers

• Her house bedecked in garlands, of flowers

Multiple Choice

Select the absolute phrase in the sentence.

I flipped through the pages, my eyes filling with tears, of the old photo album

• i flipped through the pages

• my eyes filling with tears

• of the old photo album

Multiple Choice

Select the correctly punctuated participial phrase.

... Cortney found dozens of interesting seashells.

• Wading, in the shallow water

• Wading in the shallow water,

• Wading in, the shallow water

• Wading in the shallow, water

Multiple Choice

Read this sentence.

The huge crowd clapped enthusiastically when the musicians bowed.

Which answer adds a participial phrase to the sentence?

• The huge crowd listened intently and clapped enthusiastically when the musicians bowed.

• The huge crowd clapped enthusiastically when the musicians bowed, and they hoped for an encore.

• The huge crowd clapped enthusiastically when the musicians bowed dramatically.

• The huge crowd, moved by the emotional concert, clapped enthusiastically when the musicians bowed.

Multiple Choice

Choose the absolute phrase:

• the boy watched

• his eyes bulging in the dark

• the girl stopped

• the dog slept

Multiple Choice

Choose the participial phrase:

Her sister, using a calm voice, told us to stand still.

• Her sister

• using a calm voice

• told us to stand still

• stand still

Multiple Choice

Choose the participial phrase:

• calling the babysitter

• take the phone

• just falling

• bring the book

Multiple Choice

Choose the absolute phrase:

Their iPads restricted, the students could no longer play Clash of Clans.

• Their iPads restricted

• the students could

• no longer play

• no longer play Clash of Clans