USE OF PARTICIPLE

USE OF PARTICIPLE

We have seen that participles qualify nouns or pronouns. They may be used:

(1) Attributively; as-

A rolling stone gathers no moss.

A lost opportunity never returns.

(2) Predicatively; as-

           The man seems worried.

           He kept me waiting.

(3) Absolutely with a noun or pronoun going before; as-

           The weather being fine, I went out.

           Many having arrived, we were freed from anxiety.

           Weather permitting; there will be a garden party at government house tomorrow.

           God willing, we shall have another good monsoon.

           The sea being smooth, we went for sail.

           The wind having failed, the crew set to work with a will.

           His master being absent, the business was neglected.

           The wind being favorable, they embarked.

It will be seen that in each of the above sentences the participle with the noun or pronoun going before it, forms a phrase independent of the rest of the sentence. Such a phrase is called an absolute phrase; and a noun or pronoun so used with a participle is called a Nominative Absolute.

An absolute phrase can be easily changed into a subordinate clause; as-

Spring advancing, the swallows appear.

The sea being smooth, we went for sail.

God willing, we shall have another good monsoon.