Practice
Participle clauses: add information concisely
Sign in to saveA report can say The team checked the figures and then sent the update. With a participle clause, it can say Having checked the figures, the team sent the update. The second version connects the actions in a more compact way.
Use present, past, and perfect participle clauses when their understood subject is the same as the subject of the main clause.
Read and practice
Read the examples and try the written questions in this guide. Listening recordings are not available for this lesson yet.
Try the written questions
Having finished the draft, Noor sent it to her editor. /ˈhævɪŋ ˈfɪnɪʃt ðə drɑːft nʊə sent ɪt tə hə ˈedɪtə/
The short answer
Use an -ing clause for an action happening at the same time or as a result, a past participle clause for a passive meaning, and having plus a past participle for an earlier completed action. Make sure both parts of the sentence have the same understood subject.
Walking home, I called my sister.
Why it works: I was walking and I called my sister, so I is the understood subject of both parts.
5 more examples
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Looking at the map, we found a shorter route.
The same people looked at the map and found the route. The -ing clause links the actions.
Not this:We
looked at the mapand found a shorter route. What changes: This full version states both subjects and verbs instead of using a participle clause. -
Surprised by the result, Omar read the email again.
Omar received the surprise. The past participle gives the clause a passive meaning.
Not this:Because Omar
was surprisedby the result, he read the email again. What changes: The full clause makes the reason explicit with because and a finite verb. -
Having saved the document, Mei closed her laptop.
Mei saved the document before she closed the laptop. Having saved marks that earlier completed action.
Not this:After Mei
had savedthe document, she closed her laptop. What changes: The full version uses a time linker and past perfect to show the order. -
The hikers followed the path, guided by a local map.
The hikers received guidance from the map, so the past participle has a passive meaning.
Not this:The hikers followed the path while a local map
guided them. What changes: This version gives the map its own full clause. -
Not knowing the answer, Priya asked for more time.
Priya did not know the answer, and that situation explains why she asked for more time.
Not this:Because Priya
did not knowthe answer, she asked for more time. What changes: The full clause is useful when a reader needs the reason stated more directly.
Read the full guide
First, identify who does the action in the main clause. Then ask whether that same person or thing can logically do or receive the action in the shortened clause. Choose an -ing form for an active linked action, a past participle for a passive meaning, and having plus a past participle when the first action was already complete.
Check the shared subject first
A participle clause usually has no stated subject. The reader takes its subject from the main clause, so the two actions must belong to the same person or thing.
Walking home, I called my sister.
I was walking home and I called my sister. The speaker did both actions, so the shortened clause is clear.
Who was walking in the example?
I was walking. The subject I appears in the main clause and is understood in the participle clause.
Use an -ing clause for an active connection
An -ing clause can show two actions happening together, a reason, or a result. The exact relationship comes from the meaning of the whole sentence.
Not knowing the answer, Priya asked for more time.
Priya did not know the answer, so she asked for more time. The -ing clause gives the reason in a shorter form.
Which person did not know the answer?
Priya did not know the answer. Her name is the subject of the main clause and the understood subject of not knowing.
Use a past participle for a passive meaning
A past participle clause often describes something done to the main subject. It can give a reason or add a detail about that subject.
Surprised by the result, Omar read the email again.
Someone or something surprised Omar. Omar did not surprise the result, so surprised has a passive meaning here.
Did Omar cause the surprise or receive it?
Omar received the surprise. The past participle describes what happened to him.
Use perfect participles to show earlier action
Use having plus a past participle when the action in the participle clause was complete before the main action. This form is especially useful when order matters.
Having saved the document, Mei closed her laptop.
Mei saved the document first and closed the laptop later. Having saved makes that order clear without repeating Mei.
Which action happened first, saving or closing?
Saving happened first. Having saved introduces the earlier completed action.
Avoid dangling participle clauses
A dangling participle clause has no logical subject in the main clause. It can make a sentence sound as if an object or place performed an action. Rewrite the sentence so the real actor is the subject, or use a full clause.
After driving for three hours, we arrived at the hotel.
After driving for three hours, the hotel appeared is wrong because the hotel did not drive. The corrected sentence names we as the people who drove.
What is wrong with After reading the report, several errors were found?
Several errors did not read the report. Name the reader: After reading the report, the manager found several errors.
Before you go
Remember this
Use a participle clause to add a linked idea without repeating a full clause. Check the subject first. Use -ing for an active connection, a past participle for a passive meaning, and having plus a past participle for an action completed before the main clause. Choose a full clause when the shortened form could confuse the reader.
Practice with the written examples
You can practice with the written questions in the Learn tab. Each answer includes an explanation.
Try the written questionsListening test not available yet
This lesson does not have the recordings needed for a listening test. Use the written questions in the guide to check your understanding.
Try the written questionsQuestions about "Participle clauses: add information concisely"
What is a participle clause?
A participle clause is a shortened clause that uses an -ing form, a past participle, or having plus a past participle. It adds information to a main clause without repeating a full subject and verb. The reader usually understands the missing subject from the main clause.
Looking at the map, we found a shorter route.
When should I use an -ing participle clause?
Use an -ing participle clause when the main subject is actively doing the action in the shortened clause. It can show actions happening together, a reason, or a result. For example, Seeing the long line, Elena chose another cafe means that Elena saw the line and then made a choice.
We looked at the map and found a shorter route.
What does a past participle clause mean?
A past participle clause often has a passive meaning. It describes something that happened to the main subject. In Worried about the deadline, the team worked late, the team received the worry. The phrase does not mean that the team worried someone else.
Surprised by the result, Omar read the email again.
Why use having plus a past participle?
Use having plus a past participle when you need to show that one action finished before another action began. Having packed her bag, Sofia left for the airport makes the order clear: Sofia packed first and left later.
Because Omar was surprised by the result, he read the email again.
How can I avoid a dangling participle clause?
Check who performs the action in the participle clause. That person or thing should be the subject of the main clause. Instead of After reading the instructions, the task seemed easy, write After reading the instructions, I found the task easy.
Having saved the document, Mei closed her laptop.