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the clause describes or modifies a verb, adjective, or another adverb. Unlike other types of clauses, an adverbial clause is always a dependent clause. This means that it cannot stand on its own as an independent sentence.

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A participle clause is a dependent clause which uses a participle form of a verb. These clauses are used to avoid making sentences overly complicated. They are used mainly in written English and they allow us to convey a great deal of information in a shorter form.

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English, at lower and intermediate levels, has a relatively simple grammar. However, today’s grammatical point is not one of them. If you think reporting verbs were tough, don’t get your hopes up with participle clauses, coz they ain’t easier, I’m telling ya! So pay attention, because this post is going to be a little complicated, but really, really useful for those of you seeking grammar at C1 or C2 levels. Here’s participle clauses explained to you. 🙂

1. What is a participle clause?

2. Types of participle clauses

Present Participle Clauses: gerund (-ing)

Perfect Participle Clauses: having + past participle

Past Participle Clauses: past participle form (-ed or irregular)

Past Participle Clauses replacing Relative Clauses

3. Participle clauses in PDF

What is a participle clause?

A participle clause is a dependent clause which uses a participle form of a verb. These clauses are used to avoid making sentences overly complicated. They are used mainly in written English and they allow us to convey a great deal of information in a shorter form.

Types of participle clauses

A participle clause is a dependent clause which uses a participle form of a verb. These clauses are used to avoid making sentences overly complicated. They are used mainly in written English and they allow us to convey a great deal of information in a shorter form.

Present Participle Clauses: gerund (-ing)

Example: Getting into the lift, I realised I had forgotten my keys.

Present participle clauses are used to talk about:

Actions happening at the same time

Tom lost his keys (while) walking through the park.
(Tom lost his keys while he was walking through the park.)

She left the room singing happily.
(She left the room as she was singing happily.)

Note: In literary styles, the participle clause can come first.

Whistling cheerfully, she left the compartment.

Actions happening consecutively

Opening the envelope, I found two concert tickets.
(I opened the envelope and I found two concert tickets.)

An action that is the result of another action

A bomb exploded, killing three people.
(A bomb exploded and it killed three people.)

When I entered the room, they all looked at me,
making me uncomfortable.
(When I entered the room, they all looked at me and made me uncomfortable.)

A reason for the action in the main clause

Having nothing left to do, Julie went home.
(Since Julie had nothing left to do, she went home.)

Knowing a little French, I had no difficulty making myself understood.
(As I knew a little French, I had no difficulty making myself understood.)

Working as salesman, I get to meet a lot of businessmen.
(I get to meet a lot of businessmen because I work as a salesman.)

Perfect Participle Clauses: having + past participle

Example: Having reached the ground floor, I went up the stairs to get my keys.

Perfect participle clauses are used:

To make it clear that an action happens before another one

Having brushed my teeth, I realised I hadn’t used my toothbrush.
(After I had finished brushing my teeth, I realised I hadn’t used my toothbrush.)

Having been nominated many times, Leo DiCaprio is her all-time favourite actor.
(In this case, we are using a passive perfect participle – having been + past part.)

To talk about two actions which are not consecutive, or when the first action happens over a period of time

Having read the book before, he knew how the film would end.

I knew how to move around the city, having lived there all my life.

Past Participle Clauses: past participle form (-ed or irregular)

Example: Surprised by my return, my wife asked me what I was doing back already.

Past participle clauses are used:

To replace passive voice finite clauses

Shocked by the explosion, the people ran for shelter.
(The people were shocked by the explosion and ran for shelter)

The musicians stood up, surrounded by thunderous applause.
(The musicians stood up while they were surrounded by thunderous applause.)

Past Participle Clauses replacing Relative Clauses

Present participle clauses can replace an active voice finite relative clause. The noun before the participle is the doer of the action

The man driving the car was not injured.
(The man who was driving the car was not injured.)

Present participle clauses can also replace state verbs in relative clauses

If you receive an e-mail containing a virus, delete it immediately.
(If you receive an e-mail which contains a virus, delete it immediately.)

Past participle clauses can replace a passive voice finite relative clause. The noun before the participle is its object

This is the last photograph taken of my grandmother.
(This is the last photograph that was taken of my grandmother.)

Participle clauses in PDF

If you want to download this clear explanation of participle clauses in PDF, simply choose how to do it: join my newsletter or contribute with 1,50€ so that this website keeps being free and without intrusive ads.

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Participle Clauses in English | KSE Academy®

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Participle clauses are an advanced grammatical point, especially useful for C1 and C2 students. Here's a clear explanation.

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Noun Phrase

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Purple Red Pink Productivity Time Tips Process Infographic

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Adjective Phrase

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Prepositional phrases consist of a preposition and the words which follow it. The complement is most commonly a noun phrase or pronoun, but it can also be, an adverb phrase (usually one of place or time), a verb in the -ing form or, less commonly, a prepositional phrase or a wh-clause.

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Prepositional phrases - English Grammar Today - a reference to written and spoken English grammar and usage - Cambridge Dictionary

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An adverb phrase consists of one or more words. The adverb is the head of the phrase and can appear alone or it can be modified by other words. Adverbs are one of the four major word classes, along with nouns, verbs and adjectives.

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-manner | how something happens
-place | where something happens
-time | when something happens
-duration | how long something happens
-frequency | how often something happens
-focusing | something specific
-degree | how much or to what degree something happens
-certainty or necessity | how certain or necessary something is
-evaluative | the speaker’s opinion of something
-viewpoint | the speaker’s perspective or reaction
-linking | relationships between clauses and sentences

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Phrasal Verbs List | Vocabulary | EnglishClub

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200 common phrasal verbs, with - meaning - example sentence get round to something finally find time to do (AmE: get around to something) I don't know when I am going to get round to writing the thank you cards.

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COMPARISONS BETWEEN ADJECTIVE PHRASE AND ADJECTIVE PREPOSITIONAL PHRASE

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COMPARISONS BETWEEN ADJECTIVE PHRASE AND ADJECTIVE PREPOSITIONAL PHRASE

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Adjective prepositional phrases follow the nouns they modify, unlike adjectives which generally go immediately before the nouns they modify. Like adjectives, they tell which one, what kind, how much, or how many.

The show \on television tonight is about snow leopards .
On television tells us which show. In Asia tells us which leopards.

Adverb prepositional phrases that modify adjectives and adverbs must go after the words they modify. Like intensifiers, they tell to what extent. They can also tell why or in what way or in what circumstances.

I am hungry ((\because of this diet. Because of this diet tells why I'm hungry.)
You can run pretty quickly\in those high heels. In those high heels tells when you run quickly.)

Adverb prepositional phrases that modify verbs can move about the sentence, just as adverbs do. Like adverbs they can tell where, when, how, and to what extent. Since they use more than one word, they can also tell why.

We will go snowboarding (\in the winter. In the winter tells when we will go snowboarding.)
\In the winter, we will go snowboarding.
We will,\in the winter, go snowboarding.

Hint:

Sometimes a prepositional phrase could make sense either as an adjective phrase modifying the noun before it or as an adverb phrase modifying the verb. In this case, it is usually considered an adjective phrase.

The plant \in the window gets lots of sunlight. (Tells which plant.)
\In the window, the plant gets lots of sunlight. (Tells where the plant gets lots of sunlight.)
The plant gets lots of sunlight\in the window. (Tells where the plant gets lots of sunlight.)

Practice What You've Learned

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Adjective or Adverb Prepositional Phrases

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Adjective prepositional phrases follow the nouns they modify, unlike adjectives which generally go immediately before the nouns they modify. Like adjectives, they tell which one, what kind, how much, or how many. The show \on television tonight is about snow leopards . On television tells us which show.

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A noun clause has a noun and a verb. In other words, a noun clause has a subject and a predicate, like a sentence, but because it is dependent, it doesn’t express a complete thought. A noun phrase is a group of words that includes a noun but no verb. A noun clause and a noun phrase have similar grammatical functions, but the composition is different.

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A noun clause serves the same purpose as a noun. Noun clauses are usually introduced by the subordinating conjunctions that, why, how, if and whether.

A noun clause can act as the subject or object of the verb in the main clause. It can also act as the object of a preposition.

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Dependent clauses add meaning to independent clauses in a variety of ways by acting like adjectives, adverbs, or nouns.

Relative clauses are dependent clauses that modify or give more information about a noun in the independent clause.

For example:

The dependent relative clause, who was Simba's jealous and wicked uncle , modifies or gives more information about the noun subject of the independent clause, .

For example:

When Timon and Pumba first meet Simba, they are afraid that Simba might eat them.

The dependent adverbial clause, when Timon and Pumba first meet Simba , explains when they are afraid , modifying the verb in the independent clause.

For example:

In this sentence, the noun clause, is acting as an indirect object of the verb, encouraged.

For this post, we will focus on , but you can learn more about and noun clauses relative clauses on the Albert blog.

When you're ready, test yourself with a quiz and practice with our high-quality, standards-aligned questions here .

For example:

In the sentence above, the noun clause what she had read is being used as the object of the preposition
1. Subject
Noun clauses can function as subjects of sentences.

For example:
2. Direct Object
Noun clauses can also function as direct objects of the verb in the independent clause.

For example:

3. Indirect Object
Noun clauses can also act as indirect objects of the verb in the independent clause.

For example:

In the sentence above, the direct object of the verb is the infinitive phrase to photograph. Just like a noun clause, this infinitive phrase is acting like the noun direct object. Therefore, the noun clause whomever was willing to pose for her is the indirect object of the same verb.
4. Object of the Preposition
For example:

I like to keep a schedule of when I have upcoming appointments.

In the sentence above, the noun clause when I have upcoming appointments is acting as the object of the preposition .
5. Subject Complement
For example:

In the sentence above, the noun clause whomever they want to be is the subject complement of the linking verb
Return to the Table of Contents

For example:

In the sentence above, the noun clause replaces the direct object of the verb,

For example:

As you can see, it is easy to confuse these different types of dependent clauses with one another. If you are unsure whether a clause is adverbial or nominal (noun), simply ask some questions:

This is the key distinction between noun clauses and relative or adverbial clauses. While relative clauses and adverbial clauses modify nouns and verbs respectively, noun clauses replace nouns altogether.

For example:

The underlined clause in the sentence above begins with the interrogative pronoun, , making it a true noun clause that is acting as the direct object of the verb,

Noun clauses can also begin with expletives (no, not cuss words!). In grammar, expletives are words that have no grammatical function in a sentence other than to signal the start of a noun clause. Common expletives are that, whether, and

Even though the expletive is necessary in understanding the noun clause, it still has no grammatical purpose in the sentence other than to connect the noun clause to the verb
Return to the Table of Contents

This list, obviously, does not include all possible examples of clauses; however, it is meant to be used as a guide while identifying sentence clauses.
Now that you know how to identify noun clauses, test your ability to find these in sentences.

Select the noun clause(s) in the sentences below. Remember, a noun clause can replace any noun in a sentence, but these clauses must answer the questions " or , and they must start with either an interrogative pronoun or an expletive.

1. No one from the outside world knew that Wakanda was so technologically advanced.

In this sentence, that Wakanda was so technologically advanced is a noun clause taking the place of the direct object of the verb, .

2. Kilmonger demanded to know why T'Challa refused to protect threatened people of African descent.

In this sentence, the noun clause why T'Challa refused to protect threatened people of African descent is acting as the indirect object of the verb,

3. M'Baku decides to help T'Challa in repayment for when T'Challa chose not to take his life .

In this sentence, when T'Challa chose not to take his life is a noun clause acting as the object of the preposition,

4. When they meet on the battlefield, W'Kabi must decide whether to join his wife, Okoye, or to continue to fight against T'Challa .

In this sentence, whether to join his wife, Okoye, or to continue to fight against T'Challa is a noun clause acting as the direct object of the verb,

5. Whoever ingests the heart-shaped herb receives the superhuman power of vibranium.

In this sentence, whoever ingests the heart-shaped herb is a noun clause acting as the subject of the sentence.

Pro tip: Remember, noun clauses can replace any noun in a sentence, and can function as subjects, objects, or subject compliments.

For additional practice, check out Noun Clauses content on Albert.
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Take this short six-question quiz to see what you've learned:

Start the quiz

1. Can a noun clause be used as a modifier?

Correct Explanation: That's right! Noun clauses do not act as modifiers; rather, they replace nouns in sentences from subjects to objects to subject complements.

Incorrect Explanation: Sorry, that's not right! Remember, noun clauses do not act as modifiers; rather, they replace nouns in sentences from subjects to objects to subject complements. Only adverbial and relative clauses can act as modifiers.

2. Are noun clauses considered dependent or independent clauses?

Answer: Dependent clauses

Correct Explanation: That's right! Noun clauses are always dependent because they depend on the independent clause to create a complete thought.

Incorrect Explanation: Sorry, that's not right! Remember, independent clauses contain a subject and a verb and create a complete thought, while dependent clauses cannot express a complete thought without the help of an adjoining independent clause.

3. In this sentence, is the underlined clause a noun clause or an adverbial clause?

When we go to Universal Studios , I want to visit Diagon Alley.

Answer: Adverbial Clause

Correct Explanation: That's right! The underlined clause is an adverbial clause because it answers when the verb takes place.

Incorrect Explanation: Sorry, that's not right! Remember, adverbial clauses modify verbs while noun clauses can replace any noun in a sentence.

4. In this sentence, is the underlined clause a noun clause or an adverbial clause?

How Disney World's creators made it so magical is something that I still wonder about.

Answer: Noun Clause

Correct Explanation: That's right! The underlined clause is a noun clause that is acting as the subject of the sentence.

Incorrect Explanation: Sorry, that's not right! Remember, adverbial clauses modify verbs while noun clauses can replace any noun in a sentence.

5. In this sentence, is the underlined clause a noun clause or a relative clause?

I am nervous that a lion escaped from the zoo last night .

Answer: Noun Clause

Correct Explanation: That's right! The underlined clause is a noun clause that begins with an expletive and acts as the subject complement of the linking verb, am.

Incorrect Explanation: Sorry, that's not right! Remember, relative clauses modify nouns while noun clauses can replace any noun in a sentence.

6. In this sentence, is the underlined clause a noun clause or a relative clause?

The zookeeper who rescued the lion found him taking a nap in the park.

Answer: Relative Clause

Correct Explanation: That's right! The underlined clause is a relative clause because it modifies the noun, zookeeper.

Incorrect Explanation: Sorry, that's not right! Remember, relative clauses modify nouns while noun clauses can replace any noun in a sentence.

For additional practice with Noun Clauses, check out our completely free practice on Albert: Noun Clauses .
Return to the Table of Contents
When students think of nouns and the roles that they play in sentences, they usually think of a singular word acting as the subject or a direct object. As grammar teachers know, it is not this simple!

Noun clauses allow entire phrases to be considered as objects or subjects in sentences, which is great for expanding our voice as writers, but not so great when it comes to understanding the syntax of more complicated sentences. The Common Core English Language Progressive Skills Chart is a helpful resource for teachers wishing to scaffold their students to help them understand first, the function of nouns in sentences, and secondly, how noun clauses also fit into these many functions.

For specific standards on the different types of clauses including noun clauses, check out the Common Core State Standards website.

Albert's Noun Clause Practice is a helpful tool in allowing students to practice identifying and using noun clauses in a variety of sentences. Whether you would like your students to complete pre-assessments, post-assessments, quizzes, or all of the above, Albert's question bank and grammar assessments and quizzes can be used by educators for many different purposes in the classroom.
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Noun clauses are dependent clauses that can replace any noun in the sentence: subjects, objects, and/or subject complements.

In all, there are five different functions that a noun clause can serve: subjects, direct objects, indirect objects, objects of the preposition, and subject complements.

Be sure to check out our free grammar course for more Dependent Clause practice.

You can also access over 3,400 free, high-quality questions that address nearly every grammatical concept.

Need help preparing for your Grammar exam?

Albert has hundreds of grammar practice questions with detailed explanations to help you master concepts.

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Noun Clauses: Definition, Examples, & Exercises | Albert.io

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Dependent clauses add meaning to independent clauses in a variety of ways by acting like adjectives, adverbs, or nouns. Relative clauses are dependent clauses that modify or give more information about a noun in the independent clause.

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Noun clauses describe something about the verb or the sentence. We use who, what, which, whose, whoever, whatever, when, where, why, whether, how and that in noun clauses.

Examples:

Do you know what the teacher said?
We don't know who they are.
Do you know what the time is?
Mia told him that she would go out.

Noun clauses as a direct object:

She knows what my name is.
I noticed where they were going.

Noun clauses as a subject:

What she is doing is not known.
What you said is not clear.
Where she lives is not considered.

Noun clauses as an indirect object:

I will give whoever gets the best mark a new calculator.
Martha will give whoever she sees there her old bag.

Noun clauses after linking verbs be, become, seem, look.
The taste of the soup wasn't as we expected.
That is not what they want.
You look what you claim to be.
She seems as if she is a poor woman.
You looked as if you made a mistake.

Combine the following sentences using noun clauses.
Quick Exercise

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Noun clauses explanations with examples and exercises-- We use who, which, whose, whoever, whatever, when, where, why, whether, how and that in noun clauses.

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Non-defining relative clauses

Non-defining relative clauses provide non-essential or extra information about the noun.

Unlike defining relative clauses, non-defining relative clauses are separated from the noun by commas. The pronoun cannot be omitted in a non-defining relative clause.

When the noun modified is a person and a subject of the clause, only the relative pronoun who can be used in non-defining relative clauses.

When the noun modified is a person and also an object of the clause, who or whom is used. Whom is the correct form, and it is used more in formal English. In spoken English, who is frequently possible.

When the modified noun is an object of a preposition, whom is used.

Possessive is expressed by whose.

In non-defining relative clauses, we mostly use which to modify nouns that are either subjects, objects, or objects of a preposition.

Connective relative clauses

Connective relative clauses (one of ..., two of ..., several of ...) do not define nouns, but rather continue the story. is used with persons and which with things.

Whoever and whichever can mean "the one who" or "no matter who."

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Relative Clauses | Effective Writing Practices Tutorial | Northern Illinois University

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Non-defining relative clauses provide non-essential or extra information about the noun. Unlike defining relative clauses, non-defining relative clauses are separated from the noun by commas. The pronoun cannot be omitted in a non-defining relative clause. When the noun modified is a person and a subject of the clause, only the relative pronoun who can be used in non-defining relative clauses.

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The Writing Center * University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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This handout will help you understand what relative clauses are and how they work, and will especially help you decide when to use "that" or "which."

What is a relative clause?

A relative clause is one kind of dependent clause. It has a subject and verb, but can't stand alone as a sentence. It is sometimes called an "adjective clause" because it functions like an adjective-it gives more information about a noun. A relative clause always begins with a "relative pronoun," which substitutes for a noun, a noun phrase, or a pronoun when sentences are combined.

The relative pronouns are:

Pronoun

Stands For

Uses

who

people

substitutes for subject nouns/pronouns (he, she, we, they)

whom

people

substitutes for object nouns/pronouns (him, her, us, them)

whose

people or things

substitutes for possessive nouns/pronouns (his, hers, ours, theirs)

that

people or things

can be used for either subject or object

can only be used in restrictive relative clauses (see below)

which

things

can be used for either subject or object

can be used in non-restrictive relative clauses

can also be used in restrictive relative clauses, though some people don't like this use

Relative pronoun as subject (in red):
I like the person. The person was nice to me.

I like the person who was nice to me.

I hate the dog. The dog bit me.

I hate the dog that bit me.

I am moving to Louisville, KY. It is home to the Muhammad Ali Museum.

I am moving to Louisville, KY, which is home to the Muhammad Ali Museum.
Relative pronoun as object (in red):
I like the bike. My father gave me the bike.

I like the bike that my father gave me.

Restrictive Relative Clauses

Restrictive relative clauses give information that defines the noun-information that's necessary for complete identification of the noun. Use "that" or "which" for non-human nouns; use "that" or "who" for human nouns. Do not use commas.

I like the paintings. (Which paintings? We can't clearly identify them without the relative clause.)

So we add the clause:

The paintings hang in the SASB North lobby.

I like the paintings that hang in the SASB North lobby.

OR

I like the paintings which hang in the SASB North lobby. (Again, this is acceptable, but some people object to using "which" in a restrictive relative clause. "That" is preferred.)

Students who study hard will do well in my class. (Only this group of students will do well.)

Students whose grades are low can drop one test score. (Only this group can drop a test score.)

When the noun is the object of the preposition, both the noun and the preposition move together to the front of the relative clause. In less formal English, it's common to move only the pronoun to the front of the clause.

I spent hours talking with a person last night. I hope to hear from her.

I hope I hear from the person with whom I spent hours talking last night. (more formal)

OR

I hope to hear from the person whom I spent hours talking with last night. (less formal)

Non-restrictive relative clauses

This type of relative clause merely provides extra information. The information may be quite interesting and important to the larger conversation, but it is not essential for precise identification of the noun. "That" cannot be used as a relative pronoun in a non-restrictive relative clause. Commas are always used at the beginning and end of this type of relative clause.

A non-restrictive relative clause can modify a single noun, a noun phrase, or an entire proposition.

My mother is thinking of opening a restaurant. My mother is an excellent cook.

"My mother" is already a clearly defined noun, so the second sentence becomes a non-restrictive relative clause set off by commas on both sides.

My mother, who is an excellent cook, is thinking of opening a restaurant.

I'm planning to grow roses. I find roses quite beautiful.

I'm planning to grow roses, which I find quite beautiful.

(not okay) I'm planning to grow roses, that I find quite beautiful.

I'm driving across the country with three small children.

Driving across the country with three small children is going to be stressful.

I'm driving across the country with three small children, which is going to be stressful.

Reducing relative clauses

Some types of relative clauses can be "reduced"- the relative pronoun and maybe other words can be removed. You might reduce the clause to make your writing more concise or to add sentence variety. We'll use the examples above to demonstrate how to reduce both restrictive and non-restrictive clauses.

Restrictive relative clauses can be reduced in two ways.

Subject pronouns can be deleted if -ing is added to the verb.

I like the paintings that hang in the SASB North lobby.

I like the paintings hanging in the SASB North lobby.

Object pronouns can be deleted.

I like the bike that my father gave me.

I like the bike my father gave me.

Non-restrictive relative clauses can be reduced in one way.

Subject pronouns with "be" verbs can be deleted in non-restrictive clauses.

>I am moving to Louisville, KY, which is home to the Muhammad Ali Museum.

I am moving to Louisville, KY, home to the Muhammad Ali Museum.

My mother, who is an excellent cook, is thinking of opening a restaurant.

My mother, an excellent cook, is thinking of opening a restaurant.

Subject-verb agreement in relative clauses

Remember that the relative pronoun is substituting for a noun, which could be singular or plural before the substitution. The verb in the relative clause must agree with the original noun.

People are lucky. People win the lottery.

People who win the lottery are lucky. (plural verb)

A person is lucky. She wins the lottery every year.

A person who wins the lottery every year is lucky. (singular verb)

Agreement can be tricky in "one of the..." constructions. The key is to find which noun the relative pronoun is referring to.

Homelessness is a problem. The problem needs to be addressed.

Homelessness is a problem that needs to be addressed. (singular problem)

Many problems need to be addressed. Homelessness is one of the problems.

Homelessness is one of the problems that need to be addressed. (plural problems)

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Relative Clauses - The Writing Center * University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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This handout will help you understand what relative clauses are and how they work, and will especially help you decide when to use "that" or "which." What is a relative clause? A relative clause is one kind of dependent clause. ... Read more

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Participle clauses are formed by using either the present participle (verbs using the suffix -ing), past participles (the past tense of a verb), or perfect participles (the perfect form of a verb).

We can use a participle clause when the participle and the verb in the main clause have the same subject. Here's an example:

Feeling tired, I had a nap.

The subject of 'feeling tired' and 'I had' is the same, so we can use a participle clause.

These types of clauses don't have a specific tense. The tense is decided by the tense of the verb of the main clause.

When do we use a Participle Clause?

Participle clauses are most often used in written texts, such as fiction, rather than in our day-to-day speech. They add more detail and meaning to the sentence, which is useful for written texts. They also tend to be perceived as formal, which is why they aren't used in spoken language as often as they are in written texts.

With the above example, we're much more likely to say 'I was feeling tired, so I had a nap' when speaking out loud. You're more likely to see the participle clause example in a story, for instance. Despite this, it's still important to learn how to structure a participle clause and how we can use them in writing.

When writing fiction, using a participle clause can help to add variety to your sentences and make things more exciting for the reader. They can add emphasis to the sentence.

Examples of Participle Clauses

To help you understand participle clauses even further, here are some examples of each type of participle clause, in the present, past and perfect tenses.

Each type of participle clause explains something different about the rest of the sentence.

Present Participle Clauses

Present participle clauses have a similar meaning to active verbs.

Gives the reason for an action.

Realising she'd forgotten her homework, she quickly ran back home.

Gives the result of an action.

The runner sprinted across the finish line, leaving his competition in the dust.

Explains an action that happened at the same time as another action.

Handing back the map, I admitted we were lost.

Adds information about the subject of the main clause.

Twinkl makes lots of useful resources, helping those who teach.

Past Participle Clauses

Past participle clauses usually have a passive meaning.

With a similar meaning to 'if'.

Watered the right amount, plants can grow big and tall. (with past participle clause)

If you water them the right amount, plants can grow big and tall. (used with 'if')

Gives the reason for an action.

Frightened by the noise, she turned on the light.

Gives information about the subject of the main clause.

Mentored by her father, she was an expert at chess.

Perfect Participle Clauses

The use of the perfect tense in a participle clause shows that the action described in the participle clause is finished before the action in the main clause.

Having settled her nerves, she walked onto the stage.

Having eaten already, he declined the food.

Having bought their tickets in advance, they headed straight into the cinema.

After Conjunctions and Prepositions

Participle clauses, especially those that use '-ing', often come after conjunctions and prepositions. The most common ones we use are:

Here are some examples of how to use these conjunctions and prepositions before a participle clause:

Before exercising, you should do a warm-up.

After searching for an hour, I found my glasses.

Instead of washing up by hand, just use the dishwasher.

On arriving at the library, she went to return her books.

Since reading the novel, he had felt inspired to write for himself.

While learning a new language, it's important to practise speaking and listening, as well as reading and writing.

When going to the beach, you should always remember to wear sun cream.

In spite of hearing his warning, she went ahead with it anyway.

Participle Clauses with a Different Subject

In some exceptional cases, a participle clause can have a different subject from the one that's in the main clause. This is used when the verb has one of the following verbs, plus an object:

feel, find, hear, listen to, notice, see, smell, and hear

Here is an example:

'You' is the subject of the main clause; however, 'anyone' is the subject of the participle clause.

Participle Clauses Replacing a Relative Clause

A present participle clause can replace a relative clause used in the active voice.

The girl, who was in the library, was doing her homework. → The girl in the library was doing her homework.

A past participle clause can replace a relative clause used in the passive voice.

We've eaten all the cookies that we baked this morning. → We've eaten all the cookies we baked this morning.

How do you teach Participle Clauses?

The best way to teach participle clauses is to give pupils the chance to practise, practise, and practise some more.

You could get your pupils to practise writing participle clauses in a range of different ways. You could ask them to write a story or write a set of instructions, such as for a recipe or directions to a holiday spot. Both of these activities give them lots of opportunities to form participle clauses.

For example, they could begin a story with a participle clause:

Exhausted by her day at work, the girl decided to take a shortcut through the woods.

In a set of instructions, they could write something like this:

Having gathered all your ingredients, begin by weighing 200 grams of flour.

These could even be translated into speaking exercises. A pupil can say the beginning of the story (using a participle clause), and then the next pupil has to carry on where they left off. They should try to use the participle clauses when talking.

A helpful video about Participle Clauses

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Participle Clauses | Twinkl Teaching Wiki

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Participle clauses are formed by using either the present participle (verbs using the suffix -ing), past participles (the past tense of a verb), or perfect participles (the perfect form of a verb). We can use a participle clause when the participle and the verb in the main clause have the same subject.

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The conditional clause usually begins with 'if' or 'unless' and can be placed either at the beginning or the end of a sentence.

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A brief summary of the number of dependent and independent clauses in the four types of sentences.

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A brief summary of the number of dependent and independent clauses in the four types of sentences.

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SUMMARY OF DIRECT AND INDIRECT SPEECH (2)