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progress. 10. People consume electricity every day. 11. Electronic devices have
revolutionized life.
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Present participial phrase
A present participial phrase can sometimes replace a clause or sentence
when two actions by the same subject take place at the same time, or one action
follows immediately after, or as a result of, another. The present participle ends
in -mg, and is active in meaning.
The photons move up and down inside the ruby crystal. They travel at the
speed of light - The photons move up and down inside the ruby crystal,
travelling at the speed of light.
The blowout preventer was automatically activated. (As a result,) it shut
down the well. - The blowout preventer was automatically activated, shutting
down the well.
When events happen in a clear sequence, before or after can precede the
present participle:
The water flows through a network of pipes before finally entering the
storage tank. - After flowing through a network of pipes, the water finally
enters the storage tank
Past participial phrase
The past participle can sometimes replace subject * passive verb. This
method of linking clauses or sentences is very common in technical writing as it
helps to make it more concise. The past participle is passive in meaning.
The
oilfield is located 90 km off the coast of Brunei. It is an important resource. -
The oilfield, located 90 km off the coast of Brunei, is an important resource.
The past participial phrase can also occur at the beginning of a sentence:
Located 90 km off the coast of Brunei, the oilfield is an important resource.
Past participial phrases are sometimes also called ‘reduced relative
clauses’, because which / who + is / are / was / were are omitted from a relative
clause:
Sensors which are buried deep beneath the seabed send information to
the surface. - Sensors buried deep beneath the seabed send information to the
surface.
Perfect participial phrase
The perfect participial phrase can be used when two actions by the same
subject take place in sequence. It has the same meaning as after + present
participle. It is commonly found in both active and passive forms.
