1. Participial Phrase
English II

2. Today’s Lesson
Today, I’m going to teach you a strategy that professional writers use all the time, but most students do not.
Once you master this strategy, you will be able to make your writing more descriptive, sophisticated, and professional!

3. Objective
You will understand participial phrases. You will be able to:
Identify one in a sentence
Write your own sentences with participial phrases
You need:
A pen / pencil
The handout
RAW Book

4. What is it?
Read the following examples of Participial Phrases and try to figure out what a Participial Phrase is.
Don’t say it yet – give everyone a chance to think.

5. Examples of Participial Phrases
Sitting up in bed eating breakfast, we could see the lake and the mountains across the lake on the French side.
–A Farewell to Arms, Ernest Hemingway

6. Examples of Participial Phrases
Sadao, searching the spot of black in the twilight sea that night, had his reward.
“The Enemy,” Pearl S. Buck

7. Examples of Participial Phrases
The sun rose clear and bright, tinging the foamy crests of the waves with a reddish purple.
Count of Monte Cristo, Alexander Dumas

8. Examples of Participial Phrases
Spencer took half an hour, swimming in one of the pools which was filled with the seasonal rain, waiting for the pursuers to catch up to him.
The Martian Chronicles, Ray Bradbury

9. What is a Participial Phrase?
What do you think a participial phrase is? Write first, then share out.
A PARTICIPIAL PHRASE IS:
A verb phrase that describes a noun or pronoun in the sentence
Present participles end in –ing
Past participles end in –ed

10. Sitting up in bed eating breakfast
IMPORTANT
A participial phrase cannot stand by itself. It is not the main verb in the sentence. For example:
Sitting up in bed eating breakfast
That is not a complete sentence. It is a phrase you add to a sentence.

11. Why? The sentence doesn’t need the participial phrase to be complete:
Sitting up in bed eating breakfast, we could see the lake and the mountains across the lake on the French side.
So, if they are not necessary, why do authors use participial phrases? What purpose do they serve?

12. Why? Participial Phrases can— Add action Add detail Describe
Create rhythm
Create an image

13. Identify the Participial Phrases
Directions
Underline the participial phrase in the sentence
Draw an arrow to the noun or pronoun it describes

14. Participial Phrase 1
She was quite far from the windows which were to her left, and behind her were a couple of tall bookcases, containing all the books of the factory library.
-- Hiroshima, John Hersey

15. Participial Phrase 1
She was quite far from the windows which were to her left, and behind her were a couple of tall bookcases, containing all the books of the factory library.
-- Hiroshima, John Hersey

16. Participial Phrase 2
Minute fungi overspread the whole exterior, hanging in a fine tangled web-work from the eaves.
“The Fall of the House of Usher” Edgar Allan Poe

17. Participial Phrase 2
Minute fungi overspread the whole exterior, hanging in a fine tangled web-work from the eaves.
“The Fall of the House of Usher” Edgar Allan Poe

18. Participial Phrase 3
Standing there in the middle of the street, Marty suddenly thought of Halloween, of the winter and snowballs, of the schoolyard.
“The New Kid” Murray Heyert

19. Participial Phrase 3
Standing there in the middle of the street, Marty suddenly thought of Halloween, of the winter and snowballs, of the schoolyard.
“The New Kid” Murray Heyert

20. Past Participial Phrases
The next participial phrases are in the past tense.
Underline the participial phrase in the sentence
Draw an arrow to the noun or pronoun it describes

21. Participial Phrase 4
In six months a dozen small towns had been laid down upon the naked planet, filled with sizzling neon tubes and yellow electric bulbs.
Ray Bradbury, The Martian Chronicles

22. Participial Phrase 4
In six months a dozen small towns had been laid down upon the naked planet, filled with sizzling neon tubes and yellow electric bulbs.
Ray Bradbury, The Martian Chronicles

23. Participial Phrase 5
The tent, illumined by candle, glowed warmly in the midst of the plain.
The Call of the Wild, Jack London

24. Participial Phrase 5
The tent, illumined by candle, glowed warmly in the midst of the plain.
The Call of the Wild, Jack London

25. Imitating Professional Authors
Write your own sentences with participial phrase.
Imitate the model sentences.
Why? We learn from professional authors.
By imitating, we learn the skill and can then incorporate it into our own writing.

26. Imitation 1
Whistling, he let the escalator waft him into the still night air.
--Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451
_________, s/he ___________________.

27. Imitation 2
Amazed at the simplicity of it all, I understood everything as never before.
-- “The Last Lesson” Alphonse Daudet
___________________, I understood ______________________________.

28. Imitation 3
The sight of Mick’s exploring beam of light, flashing and flickering through the submarine darkness a few yards away, reminded him that he was not alone.
Arthur C. Clarke, Dolphin Island
The sight of _________________, _______________________, reminded him/her that ____________________.

29. Write your own Participial Phrases
Look at the picture.
On the last page, write a sentence with a participial phrase. Underline the phrase.

30. Write a Participial Phrases
Example: Sailing through the air, Marco anticipated the pain of his inevitable belly flop.
Now, write your own:

31. 1. Write a Participial Phrase

32. 2. Write a Participial Phrase

33. 3. Write a Participial Phrase