Топик: Grammar

The subjective Participial Construction.

The construction in which the participle (mostly the PI) is in predicate relation to a noun in the common case or to a pronoun in the nominative case, which is the subject of the sentence.

In rendering this construction in Russian a complex sentence is generally used; the principal clause is of the type which in Russian syntax is called «неопределённо-личное предложение».

The peculiarity of this construction is that it doesn’t serve as one part of the sentence: one of its component parts has the function of the subject, the other forms part of a compound verbal predicate:

They were hard talking together.

This construction is chiefly used after the verbs of sense perception:

The horse was seen descending the hill-Видно было, как лошадь спускалась с холма.

1. Suddenly they heard a shout & the noise of falling stones.

Falling is an attribute in preposition expressed by PI Ind Act used to denote an action performed by the noun stones.

2. A channel is a stretch of water, joining two seas of separating two bodies of land. Joining & separating are attributes in postposition expressed by PI Ind Act used to denote an action referring to no particular time.

3. The soil being cultivated now is rich & fertile. Being cultivated is an attribute in postposition expressed by PI Ind Pas used to denote an action in progress simultaneous with that of the finite verb.

4. The children sat round the fire, Friendly stars ere twinkling overhead, but dark hills round the valley seemed frightening. Seemed frightening is a compound nominal predicate which consists of the link verb to seem in its Past Ind tense form & the predicative frightening expressed by PI Ind Act.

5. Judging by their happy faces they enjoyed the scenery. Judging by their faces is a participial phrase used as parenthesis.

6. The party who had settled everything with Bob set off North-West towards the hills & the mountains of the Lakeland. Who had settled everything with Bob is an attributive clause in which the finite verb denotes an action prior to that of the finite verb of the principal clause, that’s why PI is not used here.

7. While walking to the pond across the meadow, the two friends saw a lot of funny grasshoppers hopping here & there. Walking is an adverbial modifier of time expressed by PI Ind Act used to denote an action simultaneous with that of the finite verb.

8. When in Lake District, the tourists saw lots of lovely lakes. PI Ind of the verb to be is not used as an adverbial modifier of time. The clause of time when in Lake District is used instead.

9. Being asked to give his impressions of the Lake District he did it willingly. Being asked is an adverbial modifier of time expressed by PI Ind Pas.

10. Hearing the drumming of the rain on the roof of the house in the night, the children woke up. Hearing is an adverbial modifier of time expressed by PI Ind Act of the verb of sense perception to hear used to denote an action prior to that of the finite verb as the actions expressed by PI & the finite verb closely follow each other.

11. Having crawled into his cozy sleeping bag, he fell fast asleep. Having crawled is an adverbial modifier of time expressed by PI Perf Act used to denote an action prior to that of the finite verb.

12. Having been given two loaves of bread, they left the bakery. Having been given is an adverbial modifier of time expressed by PI Perf Pas.

13. Knowing well the English landscape, she wasn’t struck by its “park-like” appearance. Knowing is an adverbial modifier of cause expressed by PI Ind Act.

14. Being covered with leaf & flower in summer, the hedges look very beautiful. Being covered is an adverbial modifier of cause expressed by Part I Ind Pas.

15. Having studied the map of Great Britain, she began to learn the topic. Having studied is an adverbial modifier of cause expressed by PI Perf Act.

16. Having been joined by the canals, they make it possible to travel by water from one end of England to the other. Having been joined is an adverbial modifier of cause expressed by PI Perf Pas.

17. They sat down in the heather for a rest enjoying the view. Enjoying is an adverbial modifier of attendant circumstances expressed by PI Ind Act.

18. He went carefully down as if being afraid to get lost. Being afraid is an adverbial modifier of comparison expressed by PI Ind Act.

Participle II:

1. “Don’t you think your wife & family miss you greatly?” thought ashamed he asked of the unwanted visitor. “I never thought about it,” replied the latter delighted, “but now you put it so nicely, I will wire for them to come down to join us.” Retired is an attribute in pre-position, expressed by PII of the intransitive verb to retire used to denote passing into a new state. Though ashamed is an adverbial modifier of concession expressed by PII. Unwanted is an attribute in pre-position expressed by PII of the transitive verb to want used to denote a passive meaning. Delighted is an attribute in post-position expressed by PII.

2. Arriving at the Washington Zoo one day just as the monkey house was being closed for the day, the sightseers were surprised when they heard some terrific screams coming from the building. When asked, one of the keepers smiled & said, “The monkeys always act like that when we shut out the visitors. I think they get so much fun of watching people.” Were surprised is a compound nominal predicate which consists of the link-verb to be in its Past Ind tense-form & the predicative surprised expressed by PII. Some terrific screams coming is a complex object expressed by the Objective Participial Construction in which PI Ind Act coming denoting a process is in predicate relation to the doer of the action expressed by the participle. When asked is an adverbial modifier of time expressed by PII used to denote a pas meaning.