Participles
 Participles are verbs that act like adjectives (crazy!)
 Two kinds:
 PRESENT participles (ALWAYS end in ‘-ing’)
 PAST participles (can have multiple endings, but often
end in ‘-ed’)
Present Participles
 Because participles act like adjectives, they always
modify NOUNS.
I hate the sound of crying babies.
Tim needs to buy some new hiking boots.
The neighborhood swimming pool opens next month.
Past Participles
 Past participles work like present participles to modify
nouns; they just have different endings:
 No one enjoys the smell of burnt popcorn.
 The ripped backpack is on the bench.
 I love chewing crushed ice.
Participle Phrases
 When we combine participles with multiple words to
modify a single noun, we create participle phrases.
The boy running through the hall is going to slip and
fall.
No one wants to swim in a pool filled with dead leaves.
Walking on the beach, I found many beautiful shells.
I found many beautiful shells walking on the
beach.
This literally states that the shells were
walking on the beach (how ridiculous!). The
modifier (the participle phrase) is misplaced.
Misplaced modifiers
 The participle phrase usually modifies the noun
immediately before or after it
 It’s easy for participle phrases to be put in the wrong
place in a sentence, making something mundane into
something hilarious and illogical.
Barking wildly, the mailman was chased by the dog.
This sentence claims that the mailman was barking…
Misplaced Modifiers (participles)
 Standing on the balcony, the ocean looked beautiful.
 Rising like a golden fireball over the hill, I watched the
sun come up.
 Playing checkers with my cousin, the birds outside
sang a beautiful song.
 Wearing a tanktop and cutoffs, my dad said I wasn’t
allowed to leave until I changed my outfit.