But sure, 2 is fine. What I want to ask is, is it OK to put a participle phrase that would modify "hands"? When participle phrase comes at the end of the sentence, it usually modifies the subject. Use a participle phrase to say something about your subject before you've even mentioned your subject. Participial phrases consist of a participle along with all of its modifiers and complements. 1. Before an opening quotation mark. Even with this pair, the comma (or lack of it) disambiguates: John walked towards the young girl, carrying a jug of water. If the past participial phrase provides . 3. Likewise, a regular past participle will end in a consistent ed. John walked towards the young girl carrying a jug of water. → While being on the boat, Bob got seasick. (The phrase modifies 'George', not 'residents'.) Because participles are adjectives, the modify a noun or pronoun in the sentence. These participial phrases should always be set off from the main clause with a comma. (max 2 MiB). EXAMPLE. If the participle phrase is essential to the meaning of the sentence, commas should not be used. The local residents often saw George wandering through the … Participial phrases are short phrases that appear at the beginning of a sentence or the end of the sentence. Remember that an adjective modifies a noun or pronoun. That is, they provide further information about the noun or nouns in a sentence. Irregular past participles, unfortunately, conclude in … (There is no comma when a participle phrase is placed immediately after its noun (Arthur in this example).) The loudly groaning door opened slowly. Kelly thanked Paul, touched by his generosity. You can also provide a link from the web. Darting suddenly, the cat escaped through the door. A participle phrase will begin with a present or past participle. The best I can figure, the problem occurs because the non-restrictive modifier tired by the long journey must be set off by commas, but a participle phrase at the end of a sentence and preceded by a comma usually attaches to the main subject. A participle phrase will begin with a present or past participle. Theysang happily, forgettingthe past an… Straight talking and methodical, "Smashing Grammar" (Our Grammar Book, 2019), Read more about this issue on the page about. I saw Arthur running for the bus. A participle is a verbal that is used as an adjective and most often ends in -ing or -ed.The term verbal indicates that a participle, like the other two kinds of verbals, is based on a verb and therefore expresses action or a state of being. Here, participle phrase "thinking that the end has come"modifies "he", not hands. Here, the mom is the one being modified by the verb-ed modifier, or generally the participial phrase, not the person the mom was scared at. Participial phrases or clauses consist of a present participle (a verbal ending in "ing") or past participle (a verbal ending in "en" "ed," "d," "t," "n," or "ne"), plus modifiers, objects, and complements. In this section, we are discussing this use of commas. Before we can explore the concept of a “dangling” participle, we must first understand participles themselves. By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service, privacy policy and cookie policy, 2020 Stack Exchange, Inc. user contributions under cc by-sa, 3 is not an appositive, but rather a reduced relative clause. He took a gardening class at the community college. Participles can either be active (e.g., taking) or passive (e.g., taken). If the participle is present, it will dependably end in ing. 2. John walked towards the young girl carrying a jug of water. The Participle Phrase Recognize a participle phrase when you find one. When a participial phrase occurs at the end of a sentence, a comma generally precedes the phrase if it modifies an earlier word in the sentence - but NOT if the phrase directly follows the word it modifies. Vocational rather than academic, "Grammar for Grown-ups" is packed with real-life examples and keeps you engaged with a wealth of great quotations from Homer the Greek to Homer the Simpson. Participial phrases are short phrases that appear at the beginning of a sentence or the end of the sentence. Participial phrases will always start with a participle. , of course of terminology here the going rate for freelancers is more than minimum wage verbs act. The modify a noun or pronoun in the sentence to ask is, they further... Or nouns in sentences, and are often set off by commas than wage... As … participles as adjectives sightseeing tour a present or past participle phrase should modify isn ’ t stick. 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