5.5  Uses of Participles

A present participle is a verbal ending in –ing. A past participle is a verbal ending in
-ed, -en, -d, -t, or –n. A participial phrase is a group of words consisting of a participle
+ modifier(s), object(s), and/or complement(s). A participle or a participial phrase
functions as an adjective, modifying a noun or pronoun. Eg.

• The crying baby had a wet diaper.
  (present participle crying functions as an adjective modifying the subject baby.)

• Shaken, he walked away from the wrecked car.
  (past participle Shaken functions as an adjective modifying the subject he; past participle wrecked functions as an adjective modifying the noun car.)

• The burning log fell off the fire.
  (present participle burning functions as an adjective modifying the subject log.)

• Smiling, she hugged the panting dog.
  (present participle Smiling functions as an adjective modifying the subject she; present participle panting functions as an adjective modifying the direct object dog.)

• Removing his coat, Fitzgerald rushed to the bank of the river.
  (participial phrase Removing his coat functions as an adjective modifying the subject Fitzgerald; his coat is the direct object of action expressed in participle.)

• Peggy noticed her cousin walking along the shoreline.
  (participial phrase walking along the shoreline functions as an adjective modifying the noun cousin; along the shoreline is the prepositional phrase used as an adverb, modifying the present participle walking.)

• Children introduced to music early develop strong intellectual skills.
  (participial phrase introduced to music early functions as an adjective modifying children; here, introduced (to) is the past participle; music is the direct object of action expressed in participle; and early is the adverb modifying the verbal introduced.)

• Having been a gymnast, Mary knew the importance of exercise.
  (participial phrase Having been a gymnast functions as an adjective modifying the subject Mary; Having been is present participle in perfect form; a gymnast is the subject complement for Mary, via the state of being expressed in participle.)

問： Philip became acquainted with Kathy（菲力浦認識了凱西）這一句，兩個動詞為什麼連用，而且都用過去式？

答： Become/ get（成為）和 be（即 is、 were等，解作「是」）、 appear/ seem/ look/ sound（似乎是、看來或聽來似乎是）、 remain/ stay（仍然是）、 prove（結果證明是）等動詞，叫做 link verb（連繫動詞），其後都可用形容詞或作用等於形容詞的分詞 (participle，即 ing或 ed形式動詞），例如：（ 1） He appears/ appeared interested in the suggestion（他似乎對這建議感到興趣）。（ 2） He gets/ got tired very easily（他很容易感到疲倦）。讀者示下那一句的 became acquainted，就是用這構詞法。

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on + participle clause

古德明 2013.3.19

 

問：He seemed astonished too, on finding her alone（他見她獨自一人，似乎也覺驚訝）這一句，假如刪去on字，可不可以，意思有沒有不同？

答：說一先一後緊接着發生的事，英文可用on帶出先發生的事。留意這兩件事往往有因果關係，例如：（1）Pay on entering（進入時付款）。（2）On getting the news of her daughter's death, she passed out（她接到女兒的死訊，就昏了過去）。第一句寫一先（進入）一後（付款）發生的事；刪去on，就不能成句。第二句所說的兩件事，一為因，一為果，那on字也不宜刪去。

不用on帶出的分詞子句（participle clause），所說的事，或稍稍先於主要子句（main clause）所說的另一件事，或同時發生，例如：（1）Laughing, he slapped me on the shoulder（他笑着，拍拍我的肩膀）。（2）Opening the door, he seemed to see something slipping into the shadows（他一打開門，就似乎看見一些東西躲進了暗處）。第一句寫「笑着」和「拍肩膀」這兩件同時發生的事，laughing之前不可加on；第二句寫一先（打開門）一後（看見）的兩件事，opening之前可以加on。讀者示下那一句，和這一句差不多，雖然多了點一因一果含義，但那含義不強，刪去on是可以的。

最後要說的，是這個意思的on，其後不用ing動詞而用名詞也可以，例如：On his arrival, everyone booed him（他一到場，人人就喝倒彩）。