Participle Clauses

What is a participle clause?

A participle clause is a short clause that starts with a participle instead of a subject and a full verb. (A clause = a group of words with a subject and a verb. A participle = a verb form like making, made or having made.) Participle clauses make writing shorter and more formal. They are common in reports, news, stories and academic English.

Feeling tired, I went to bed early.

This means "Because I felt tired, I went to bed early." The participle clause has no subject: we understand that the subject is "I", the same as in the main clause.

How to form participle clauses

There are three types. The choice depends on the meaning (active or passive) and the time (same time or earlier).

How to make one from a full clause

1. Check that both clauses have the same subject.
2. Remove the subject and the conjunction (because, when, after, if...).
3. Change the verb into the right participle.

Negative participle clauses

Put not before the participle: "Not having a car, we took the bus." / "Not wanting to wake the baby, I whispered."

When to use participle clauses

1. To show time

Use -ing for two actions at the same time or one right after another. Use having + past participle when the first action is clearly finished before the second.

• Opening the fridge, he realised there was no milk.
• Waiting for the bus, I checked my emails.
• Having lived in Montreal for ten years, she moved back to Vancouver.

2. To give a reason

The participle clause often means "because" or "since".

• Feeling unwell, she left the meeting early.
• Not knowing the way, we used the GPS.
• Having lost my keys, I had to call a locksmith.
• Worried about the cost, they cancelled the trip.

3. To show a result

A participle clause at the end of a sentence, after a comma, can show the result of the first part.

• The storm knocked down power lines, leaving thousands without electricity.
• The bus broke down on the highway, causing long delays.
• Prices rose sharply, making it harder to save.

4. To show a condition

A past participle often means "if it is / was...".

• Used correctly, this app can save you hours.
• Taken twice a day, the medicine works quickly.
• Stored in a cool place, the bread stays fresh for days.

5. After conjunctions: while, after, before, when, once, if

You can keep the conjunction to make the meaning clearer.

• While waiting for the doctor, I filled in the form.
• After finishing work, we went for a walk.
• Before signing the lease, read it carefully.
• When asked about the delay, the manager apologised.
• Once opened, keep the jar in the fridge.
• If needed, we can add another meeting.

6. Reduced relative clauses

A participle can replace who / which / that + verb after a noun. (See Relative Clauses for the full forms.)

• The woman sitting next to me works in IT. (= who is sitting)
• Anyone wanting tickets should email the office. (= who wants)
• The products made in this factory are sold in Europe. (= which are made)
• The bags left on the bus were taken to the lost and found. (= which were left)

The past participle in reduced relative clauses has a passive meaning, like the passive voice.

7. With their own subject: with + noun + participle

Sometimes the participle clause has its own subject. This is often introduced by with.

• With prices rising, many people are cooking at home.
• With the kids sleeping upstairs, we finally watched a film.
• Weather permitting, the party will be in the garden. (fixed phrase = if the weather is good)

Present, past or perfect participle?

Compare:

• Interviewing the candidates, the manager took notes. (the manager interviewed them)
• Interviewed by the manager, the candidates waited. (the candidates were interviewed)

Common mistakes

1. Dangling participle (different subject)

   • Wrong: Walking to work, the rain started.
   • Correct: Walking to work, I got caught in the rain.
   • The subject of the main clause must be the person doing the participle action. The rain was not walking.

2. Active -ing instead of passive -ed

   • Wrong: Writing in 1950, the book is still popular.
   • Correct: Written in 1950, the book is still popular.
   • The book did not write; it was written, so use the past participle.

3. Simple -ing for a finished earlier action

   • Wrong: Living in Toronto for five years, he moved to Ottawa.
   • Correct: Having lived in Toronto for five years, he moved to Ottawa.
   • Use having + past participle when one action is complete before the next.

4. Wrong place for not

   • Wrong: Knowing not what to say, I stayed quiet.
   • Correct: Not knowing what to say, I stayed quiet.
   • Not goes before the participle.

5. Wrong form after a conjunction

   • Wrong: After finished work, we went for a walk.
   • Correct: After finishing work, we went for a walk. / After we finished work...
   • After the words after, before and while, use the -ing form or a full clause.

6. Reduced relative clause for one past action

   • Wrong: The man calling yesterday was my landlord.
   • Correct: The man who called yesterday was my landlord.
   • An -ing reduced clause describes an ongoing situation, not a single finished action.

A few fixed phrases are accepted even when the subjects are different: judging by, generally speaking, considering, given. For example: "Judging by the sky, it's going to snow."

Quick reference

Common questions

What is a dangling participle?

It is a participle clause whose subject is not the same as the subject of the main clause. "Having checked the figures, the report was approved" sounds as if the report checked the figures. Say "Having checked the figures, the manager approved the report."

What is the difference between 'Doing' and 'Having done'?

Doing shows the same time or a quick sequence. Having done stresses that the first action was finished before the second: "Having saved enough money, they bought a house."

Are participle clauses formal?

They are more common in writing than in speech. In conversation, a full clause usually sounds more natural: "Because I was tired, I went to bed" or "I was tired, so I went to bed."

Practise next

• Relative Clauses — the full who / which / that clauses behind reduced relatives
• Passive Voice — the passive meaning of past participles
• Ellipsis and Substitution — other ways to make sentences shorter
• Complex Noun Phrases — participle phrases inside long noun phrases
• C2 Grammar: Ellipsis, Substitution and Participle Clauses — test participle clauses