A participle clause is a short way to add information about time, reason, result or condition. It has no subject and no tense of its own: at the start or the end of a sentence, its subject is the subject of the main clause. After a noun, it works like a short relative clause (see below).
| Form | Meaning | Example |
|---|
| -ing | active: at the same time, or the reason | Hearing a noise, she turned around. Knowing the city well, he offered to drive. (= because he knew) |
| -ing after the main clause | a result | The storm brought down power lines, cutting off electricity to thousands of homes. |
| past participle | passive | Recorded in just one afternoon, the song became a hit. (= it was recorded) |
| having + past participle | the earlier action (often the reason) | Having read the reviews, I decided not to go. |
| not + participle | the negative | Not feeling well, she stayed home from work. |
| after / before / since / when / while + -ing | time | After graduating, she found a job in Seattle. While jogging, I listen to podcasts. |
| when / if / once / unless + past participle | time or condition, passive | Once opened, the milk stays fresh for about a week. If invited, will you go? |
Short relative clauses (after a noun)
| Form | Meaning | Example |
|---|
| noun + -ing | who / which / that + an active verb | The kids playing outside are from next door. (= who are playing) |
| noun + past participle | who / which / that + a passive verb | Most of the vegetables sold at the market are grown nearby. (= that are sold) |
Notes
After a noun, use -ing for a state or a habit, even in the past: We found a path leading down to the beach (= that led; not led). For one finished action, keep the full clause: the man who called you yesterday (not the man calling you yesterday). · Only a clause where who / which / that is the subject can be shortened: a bus that goes to the airport → a bus going to the airport, but a bus (that) I take stays as it is. · For an earlier passive action, use having been + past participle: Having been warned about the traffic, we left early.
Keep the same subject. Not Running for the bus, my phone fell out of my pocket (the phone wasn't running), but Running for the bus, I dropped my phone, or While I was running for the bus, my phone fell out of my pocket. Participle clauses are more common in writing (stories, news, guidebooks) than in conversation.
SnappySchool