A biography written by Parson Weems established Francis Marion as the Robin Hood of the Revolution

1.  A biography written by Parson Weems established Francis Marion as the Robin Hood of the Revolution.

A participle is placed partly on a slanting line, like an adjective, and partly on a horizontal line, like a verb. As an adjective, written modifies biography; as a verb, it is modified by the adverb phrase by Parson Weems.

2. Having served his country as a regular officer for five years, Marion began his career as a partisan in 1780.

The participle having served as an adjective modifies Marion; as a verb, it takes a direct object, country, and is modified by two adverbs phrases, as a regular officer and for five years.

PARTICIPIAL PHRASE A participle and the words that modify it or complete its meaning form a participial phrase.

Using his experience as an Indian fighter and his knowledge of the gloomy cypress swamps, Marion shrewdly planned his raids. (The participial phrase contains two prepositional phrases, as an Indian fighter and of the gloomy cypress swamps, and two direct objects, experience and knowledge.)

PRACTICE 20 Explaining Participles

Diagram the following sentences.

OR Copy every participle and explain its use in the sentence.

THE GREATES SHOWMAN

1. Born in1810, P.T. Barnum held a variety of jobs in his early years.

2.  Having studied people carefully, he soon discovered the power of curiosity.

3.  Barnum’s museum was a display of oddities collected from various places on earth.

4.  Some of the oddities were fakes manufactured by Barnum.

5.  Having joined the body of a monkey and the tail of a fish, Barnum exhibited a «mermaid.»

6.  He once exhibited a pickpocket caught by the police.

A. 1. General Tom Thump and the «Woolly Horse» were two other famous oddities exhibited by Barnum.

2. Barnum, having directed a parade of ten elephants on Broadway, kept one elephants for publicity purposes.

3.  Visitors to Bridgeport could watch this elephant plowing a field.

4.  Having brought the great singer Jenny Lind here, Barnum actually furthered the cause of music in America.

5.  Mark Twain thoroughly enjoyed the autobiography first written by Barnum in 1855.

6.  Having joined forces with J.A. Bailey, Barnum formed one of the greatest circuses in the world.

GERUND A verb form ending in ing may be used as a noun. This verbal noun is called a «gerund.»

Subject: Catching and taming a wild pony was an Indian horseman’s first concern. (Catching and taming is the compound subject of the verb was.).

The Plains Indians enjoyed racing horses for sport.

OBJECT OF PREPOSITION

The Indians trained a horse for a race by tying the animal to a stake or tree.

1. Crossing the Niagara gorge on a tightrope was first accomplished by the Frenchman known professionally as Blondin.

As a noun the gerund crossing is the subject of the verb was accomplished. As a verb it is modified by the adverb phrase on a tightrope and takes the object gorge. Known is a participle modifying Frenchman. When the subject, the direct object, or the predicate noun is a gerund phrase, it is placed on a platform as indicated in the diagram.

2. One of his spectacular feats was carrying a man on his back during a crossing.

Carrying is used as a predicate noun. Crossing, in the sense used here, is defined as a noun.

3. Blondin often thrilled spectators by turning somersaults on the swaying rope.

The gerund turning is the object of the preposition by and takes the object somersaults.

GERUND PHRASE A ground and the word which modify it or complete its meaning form a gerund phrase.

At the age of fine Blondin began experimenting on the tightrope.

PRACTICE 21 Explaining Gerunds

Diagram the following sentences.

OR Copy every gerund and explain its use.

THE GREAT SUBWAY MYSTERY

A. 1. Can you imagine building a tunnel in secret beneath a busy city street?

2 A surprise events for New Yorkers in 1870 was the opening of a mysterious new subway.

3. Cars were propelled by blowing air through a tube.

4. The builder, Alfred Beach, had received permission for constructing a pneumatic dispatch service.

5. Instead he built a subway by enlarging the tube.

6. For privacy, the builder chose working during the quiet hours of the night.

B 1. For removing dirt quietly the workers muffled the wheels of the wagons.

2. Tunneling through the soil did not disturb the street traffic.

3. The goal was providing a new method of transportation for New Yorkers.

4. Opening the first small stretch might encourage extension of the line.

5. By killing a transit bill, the political opposition delayed further progress.

6. In digging a subway in 1912 workers broke through the old tunnel and found the little car on its rails.

POSSESSIVE WITH A GERUND Use the possessive form of a noun or a pronoun before a gerund.

People gasped at (him, his) performing meredible feats 190 feet above the water. (People did not gasp at him; they gasped at his performing incredible feats. Performing is a gerund, object of the preposition at. His modifies performing.)

PRACTICE 22 Modifiers of Gerunds

Select the preferred or never – questioned form in each pair of parentheses, and tell how it is used.

1. Curt’s mother disapproved (him, his) deciding to drop orchestra.

2. The parents enjoyed (our, us) singing the old songs for the special music program.

3. Sandy’s sister object to (him, his) playing records during her telephone calls.

4. My parents were delighted at (me, my) becoming sports editor on the Clarion.

5. Congratulations! I’ve just heard of (you your) winning a trip to Washington.

6. The teacher approved (Tom, Tom’s) using the Reader’s Guide for his project.

PARTICIPLE AND GERUND The possessive is not used with a participle.

The sense of the sentence will determine whether a participle or a gerund is required.

Participle: We found him walking in the park. (His would not make sense. Walking is a participle modifying him. He is the object of found.)

Gerund: We disapproved his walking in the park while he should be doing homework. (Walking is a gerund, the object of disapproved. His modifies walking.

PRACTICE 23 Studying Participles and Gerunds

Select the preferred alternative tell why you think it is correct.

1.  We came upon (Ellen, Ellen’s) shaking her head and frowning.

2.  I like Al, but I dislike (him, his) forgetting the date of the picnic.

3.  They found (our, us) digging in the garden.

4.  The twins told of (their, them) finding a dollar bill on the sidewalk near.

5. I was (you, your) walking along the boardwalk at sunset.

PRACTICE 24 Studying Participles and Gerunds

Discuss the difference in meaning between the sentences in each pair.

1. a. I dislike you finding fault with me.

b. I dislike your finding fault with me.

2. a. I remember Sam forgetting the carfare.

b. I remember Sam’s forgetting the carfare

3. a. I could visualize him winning the oratorical contest.

b. I could visualize his winning the oratorical contest.

INFINITIVE An infinitive is a verb form ordinarily introduced by to. It is used as a noun, an adjective, or an adverb.

Some infinitives of carry are to carry, to have carried, to be carried, to be carrying, to have been carrying, to have been carrying.

Noun: In Colorado we plan to ride one of the last narrow – gauge passenger trains in America. (To ride is the object of the verb plan.)

Adjective: The first steam locomotive actually to work was built in 1801 by a Cornish mine operator. (To work modifies the noun locomotive.)

Adverb: Go to Alabama to find a wood-burning steam locomotive still in operation. (To find modifies the verb go.)

To, the sign of the infinitive, is often omitted after bid, dare, feel, hear, help, let, make, need, please, see, and sometimes after a few other verbs.

Please come. No one dares begin without you.

INFINITIVE PHRASE An infinitive and the words which modify it or complete its meaning form an infinitive phrase.