Participial Phrases

Where is the participle or participial phrase in the following sentence?

"Frowning, he finally came out with a single marble" (Jeff Brumbeau, The Quiltmaker's Gift).

• Frowning

• He

• finally came out

• a single marble

Where is the participle or participial phrase in the following sentence?

"Turning a corner suddenly, they came upon two vans, a tent, and a company of gypsies encamped by the side of the road" (E. Nesbit, Five Children and It, 70).

• Turning a corner suddenly

• they came upon us

• a tent

• by the side of the road

Where is the participle or participial phrase in the following sentence?

"And then, tracing each word with his paw, he read the story of a beautiful princess and the brave knight who serves and honors her" (Kate DiCamillo, The Tale of Despereaux, 24).

• And then

• tracing each word with his paw

• he read the story

• of a beautiful princess

Where is the participle or participial phrase in the following sentence?

"A young physicist named Herb Anderson walked in, yawning, and helped do a few last-minute checks" (Steve Sheinkin, Bomb, 71.)

• A young physicist

• yawning

• Herb Anderson walked in

• a few last-minute checks

Select the TWO participial phrases in the following sentence.

"I remember the precise moment, crouching behind a crumbling mud wall, peeking into the alley near the frozen creek" (Khaled Hosseini, The Kite Runner, 1).

• I remember the precise moment,

• crouching behind a crumbling mud wall

• peeking into the alley

• near the frozen creek

Select the THREE participial phrases in the following sentence.

"Still in pajamas, Harry Gold raced around his cluttered bedroom, pulling out desk drawers, tossing boxes out of the closet, and yanking books from the shelves" (Steven Sheinkin, Bomb, 1).

• Still in pajamas

• pulling out desk drawers

• tossing boxes out of the closet

• yanking books from the shelves

What noun is the participle modifying?

"Frowning, he finally came out with a single marble" (Jeff Brumbeau, The Quiltmaker's Gift).

• marble

• he

• quilt

• frowning

What noun is the participial phrase modifying?

"Turning a corner suddenly, they came upon two vans, a tent, and a company of gypsies encamped by the side of the road" (E. Nesbit, Five Children and It, 70).

• corner

• they

• gypsies

• road

What is the purpose of adding a participle or participial phrase?

• to describe the imagery more clearly

• to evoke fear in the reader

• to persuade an audience

• to conclude the author's point