C1 · Lesson 8 · 25 min
Participle clauses and shared subjects
In this lesson
- I can connect related actions using present, past and perfect participle clauses.
- I can make the understood subject of an opening participle clause clear.
Grammar in context
Having checked the route, Noura packed a small bag. Walking towards the station, she noticed a broken sign. Delayed by a signal failure, the train arrived twenty minutes late.
Who checked the route and who was walking? What was delayed in the final sentence?
An understood subject
A participle clause can add information about time, reason or an accompanying action without repeating a subject and a finite verb. In the opening clauses practised here, its understood subject should be the subject of the following main clause. Walking home, I saw a fox means that I was walking. Do not let a nearby object accidentally appear to perform the opening action. If the subjects differ, use a full clause that names each one.
- Waiting outside, Karim checked his messages.
- While Karim was waiting outside, a taxi arrived.
Active and passive meanings
A present participle ending in -ing commonly gives an active meaning; a past participle often gives a passive meaning. Surrounded by trees, the cottage was difficult to see means that trees surrounded the cottage. The participle itself does not show tense in the way a finite verb does. Use the main clause and context to establish time, and check that an active or passive reading makes logical sense for the shared subject.
- Knowing the answer, I raised my hand.
- Written in pencil, the note was difficult to read.
Show an earlier completed action
Having plus a past participle makes the earlier completion of an action explicit. Having been plus a past participle gives the corresponding passive pattern. These forms are useful when the order of events matters; they are not a way to attach unrelated actions. A full clause is often clearer when the relationship could be misunderstood. Keep the same understood subject and choose punctuation that clearly separates the opening clause from the main statement.
- Having finished the survey, the students compared their results.
- Having been repaired, the gate opened smoothly.
Common mistakes
Compare the incorrect and corrected forms.
Avoid
Walking into the room, the painting caught my attention.
Use
Walking into the room, I noticed the painting.
The person walking must be the main-clause subject in this opening pattern.
Avoid
Having finish the report, she sent it.
Use
Having finished the report, she sent it.
Having takes a past participle: finished.
Put it into practice
Try the exercises, write your own examples and check your understanding.