Participle clauses are elegant structures that can transform your writing from simple sentences into flowing, professional-level prose. Let’s go!
Level: higher
Categories: grammar, writing
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What are participle clauses?
Participle clauses are reduced relative clauses that help us combine ideas smoothly. They are common in academic and professional writing, and come in two forms:
- Present participles (-ing)
- Past participles (-ed)
Participle clauses
Present participle (-ing)
Instead of writing:
The man who was walking down the street saw the accident.
You can write:
Walking down the street, the man saw the accident.
Past participle (-ed)
The project, which was completed ahead of schedule, received high praise.
Completed ahead of schedule, the project received high praise.
Perfect Participle (having + past participle)
She, who have lived abroad for ten years, speaks several languages fluently.
Having lived abroad for ten years, she speaks several languages fluently.
These transformations eliminate unnecessary words, create dynamic sentences, maintain clear meaning and sound more natural.
Future actions
While English doesn’t have a future participle like some languages, we can express future meaning in participle clauses through context or by using other structures:
1. «About to»
About to leave for holiday, she checked her passport one last time.
Being about to graduate, the students felt both excited and nervous.
2. «Going to»
Going to attend the conference next week, I need to prepare my presentation.
3. Phrases with future meaning
Planning to launch the product in June, the team accelerated their testing.
Intending to study abroad, she started taking language classes.
Common patterns
Time Relationships
Arriving at the station, we realized we’d forgotten our tickets.
Cause and Effect
Exhausted from the long journey, we went straight to bed.
Additional Information
The document, written in legal language, required careful review.
Practise exercise
Now it’s time for you to practise. Transform the two sentences into a unique phrase with a participle clause.
- The student studied hard for the exam.
- The student achieved excellent results
- The company invested in new technology.
- The company saw immediate improvements in productivity.
Find more information and exercises in the British Council website.
Remember: The key to mastery is not just understanding the rules, but applying them naturally in your own writing. Keep practising, and you’ll see the difference in your English proficiency.
