Participial Clauses 2

SUBJECT OF BOTH CLAUSES	REDUCED MODIFYING CLAUSE	PREDICATES
The subject of a clause can be modified with a clause whose subject is the same.	The subject of the clause is omitted and an active verb form is reduced to the present participle (-ing) Omit the relative pronoun. Add commas if it is non-identifying.	The active verb forms: present, past, present perfect — progressive and nonprogressive— are changed to the -ing form in the reduced clause.
NOUN (NP)	IDENTIFYING CLAUSE
The Island	→	served as the site for a federal prison from 1933 until 1963.
The Island	→	sits in the center of San Francisco Bay.
The Island	sitting in the center of San Francisco Bay	served as a federal prison from 1933 until 1963.
PROPER NOUN (NP)	NON-IDENTIFYING CLAUSE
Alcatraz Island	→	held some infamous inmates, such as Al Capone, "Machine Gun" Kelly, and Robert Stroud, "The Birdman of Alcatraz".
Alcatraz Island	→	sits in the center of San Francisco Bay.
Alcatraz Island,	sitting in the center of San Francisco Bay,	held some infamous inmates, such as Al Capone, "Machine Gun" Kelly, and Robert Stroud, "The Birdman of Alcatraz".

SUBJECT OF BOTH CLAUSES

REDUCED MODIFYING CLAUSE

PREDICATES

The subject of a clause can be modified with a clause whose subject is the same.

The subject of the clause is omitted and an active verb form is reduced to the present participle (-ing) Omit the relative pronoun. Add commas if it is non-identifying.

The active verb forms: present, past, present perfect — progressive and nonprogressive— are changed to the -ing form in the reduced clause.

NOUN (NP)

IDENTIFYING CLAUSE

The Island

→

served as the site for a federal prison from 1933 until 1963.

The Island

→

sits in the center of San Francisco Bay.

The Island

sitting in the center of San Francisco Bay

served as a federal prison from 1933 until 1963.

PROPER NOUN (NP)

NON-IDENTIFYING CLAUSE

Alcatraz Island

→

held some infamous inmates, such as Al Capone, "Machine Gun" Kelly, and Robert Stroud, "The Birdman of Alcatraz".

Alcatraz Island

→

sits in the center of San Francisco Bay.

Alcatraz Island,

sitting in the center of San Francisco Bay,

held some infamous inmates, such as Al Capone, "Machine Gun" Kelly, and Robert Stroud, "The Birdman of Alcatraz".

SUBJECT	MODIFYING CLAUSE	PREDICATE
The subject of a clause can be modified with a clause whose subject is the same.	The subject of the clause is omitted and an active verb form is reduced to the present participle (-ing) and a passive verb is reduced to a past participle. (-ed). Omit the relative pronoun.	The clause is set off from the subject and the remainder of the sentence with commas if it is non-identifying.
NOUN (NP)	IDENTIFYING CLAUSE
Prisoners	who were serving time on "The Rock" (present participle)	hated the weather.
Prisoners	who were imprisoned on "The Rock" (past participle)	hated the fog.
PROPER NOUN (NP)	NONIDENTIFYING CLAUSE (add commas)
Al Capone,	who was doing time for numerous crimes, (present participle)	thought he would never be caught.
Al Capone,	who was convicted on tax evasion, (past participle)	was also involved in murder prostitution, bootlegging and racketeering.

SUBJECT

MODIFYING CLAUSE

PREDICATE

The subject of a clause can be modified with a clause whose subject is the same.

The subject of the clause is omitted and an active verb form is reduced to the present participle (-ing) and a passive verb is reduced to a past participle. (-ed). Omit the relative pronoun.

The clause is set off from the subject and the remainder of the sentence with commas if it is non-identifying.

NOUN (NP)

IDENTIFYING CLAUSE

Prisoners

who were serving time on "The Rock" (present participle)

hated the weather.

Prisoners

who were imprisoned on "The Rock" (past participle)

hated the fog.

PROPER NOUN (NP)

NONIDENTIFYING CLAUSE (add commas)

Al Capone,

who was doing time for numerous crimes,
(present participle)

thought he would never be caught.

Al Capone,

who was convicted on tax evasion,
(past participle)

was also involved in murder prostitution, bootlegging and racketeering.

ERROR	SOLUTION
The London Bridge located in England is now in Arizona. It is not clear that the bridge was relocated (rebuilt) in a new place.	The London Bridge that was in England is now in Arizona. Do not reduce the clause if the verb tense expressed by be is needed to make sense.
Michele Obama demonstrating her hula hooping skills on the White House lawn. The sentence is missing a verb. This is acceptable as a picture caption in a news story, however.	Michele Obama was demonstrating her hula hooping skills on the White House lawn. (Change the participle form to a complete verb form.) Michele Obama, demonstrating her hula hooping skills on the White House lawn, promoted healthy activities. (Use the present participle to introduce a modifying clause AND add a main verb to complete the sentence.)
Michele Obama known for her healthy lifestyle. This is an incomplete sentence - missing the verb or misusing the verb form.	Michelle Obama is known for her healthy lifestyle. (Change the participle form to a complete verb form.) Michelle Obama, known for her healthy lifestyle, was pictured on the front of "Life Style" magazine. (Use the past participle to introduce a modifying clause AND add a main verb to complete the sentence.)

ERROR

SOLUTION

The London Bridge located in England is now in Arizona.

It is not clear that the bridge was relocated (rebuilt) in a new place.

The London Bridge that was in England is now in Arizona.

Do not reduce the clause if the verb tense expressed by be is needed to make sense.

Michele Obama demonstrating her hula hooping skills on the White House lawn. The sentence is missing a verb. This is acceptable as a picture caption in a news story, however.

Michele Obama was demonstrating her hula hooping skills on the White House lawn. (Change the participle form to a complete verb form.)

Michele Obama, demonstrating her hula hooping skills on the White House lawn, promoted healthy activities. (Use the present participle to introduce a modifying clause AND add a main verb to complete the sentence.)

Michele Obama known for her healthy lifestyle. This is an incomplete sentence - missing the verb or misusing the verb form.

Michelle Obama is known for her healthy lifestyle. (Change the participle form to a complete verb form.)

Michelle Obama, known for her healthy lifestyle, was pictured on the front of "Life Style" magazine. (Use the past participle to introduce a modifying clause AND add a main verb to complete the sentence.)

TRADITIONAL DESCRIPTION	LINGUISTIC DESCRIPTION
That + Be Deletion Rule: In a modifying clause with a be verb form (prepositional phrase, a passive verb or a progressive verb): 1) The relative pronoun that, who / whom, which can be omitted 2) The be verb can be omitted. Modified clause: The federal agency — that was locating the prison on Alcatraz — preferred the isolation of the island.	A finite clause (containing a verb marked with tense) can be changed to a nonfinite subordinate clause (containing a verbal form – a past participle, gerund-participle, or infinitive) which becomes a modifying part of another sentence element —adjectival, adverbial, or nominal. Finite clause — which was locating the prison on Alcatraz — the clause has the internal structure of a sentence--it has a subject and a verb marked with tense. Nonfinite clause —locating the prison on Alcatraz — the clause has a verbal form, a participle, not marked by tense. The clause becomes part of another sentence element, in this case, the subject— The federal agency locating the prison on Alcatraz Modified clause: The federal agency — locating the prison on Alcatraz — preferred the isolation of the island. "Non-finite clauses as modifiers and supplements" (CaGEL 14 §9, 1264)
ADJECTIVE CLAUSE	PARTICIPIAL MODIFIER – FINITE CLAUSE
REDUCED — ADJECTIVE PHRASE	PARTICIPIAL MODIFIER – NONFINITE CLAUSE

TRADITIONAL DESCRIPTION

LINGUISTIC DESCRIPTION

That + Be Deletion Rule: In a modifying clause with a be verb form (prepositional phrase, a passive verb or a progressive verb):

1) The relative pronoun that, who / whom, which can be omitted
2) The be verb can be omitted.

Modified clause: The federal agency — that was locating the prison on Alcatraz — preferred the isolation of the island.

A finite clause (containing a verb marked with tense) can be changed to a nonfinite subordinate clause (containing a verbal form – a past participle, gerund-participle, or infinitive) which becomes a modifying part of another sentence element —adjectival, adverbial, or nominal.

Finite clause — which was locating the prison on Alcatraz — the clause has the internal structure of a sentence--it has a subject and a verb marked with tense.

Nonfinite clause —locating the prison on Alcatraz — the clause has a verbal form, a participle, not marked by tense. The clause becomes part of another sentence element, in this case, the subject— The federal agency locating the prison on Alcatraz
Modified clause: The federal agency — locating the prison on Alcatraz — preferred the isolation of the island.
"Non-finite clauses as modifiers and supplements" (CaGEL 14 §9, 1264)

ADJECTIVE CLAUSE

diagram of present participle clause

PARTICIPIAL MODIFIER – FINITE CLAUSE

The federal agency that was building the prison

REDUCED — ADJECTIVE PHRASE

diagram of a reduced present participle clause

PARTICIPIAL MODIFIER – NONFINITE CLAUSE

Tree diagram of a nonfinite clause

Today, people can visit the Alcatraz island. People want to visit Alcatraz Island.

Visitors are ferried to the island by boat. Visitors are given a brief orientation by the National Park representative.

Tours are self-guided audio tours. The tours allow visitors to choose where they want to go.

Most tourist want to see the cell block where Al "Scarface" Capone was kept. Most tourists are influenced by Hollywood movies.

Prisoners included George “Machine Gun” Kelly, Arthur “Doc” Barker, Alvin “Creepy” Karpis (Ma Barker Gang), and “Bumpy” Johnson (the Godfather of Harlem). Prisoners were often known by nicknames.

Robert “Birdman” Stroud was the subject of the film Bird Man of Alcatraz with Burt Lancaster. He is described as a homicidal sociopath.

Tours are offered to visitors. The tours are recorded on audio devices. The visitors want to learn about nature on the island

The island is home to thousands of birds. They are nesting on the hillsides of the island.

Some visitors prefer a night tour to get a more realistic feeling of what it was like to be imprisoned on the island. The island usually is surrounded by fog.

Numerous development plans have been rejected. The plans include a resort hotel. Alcatraz is currently under the protection of the National Park Service.

Grammar-Quizzes.com

PRACTICE ON POINTS OF ENGLISH GRAMMAR

Present-Participle Clauses

Present-participle clause (nonfinite clause)

Participle Clauses

Review – Present & Past

Reducing a active or passive clauses

Common Mistakes

Errors and Solutions

Grammar Notes

Traditional and Linguistic Description

Resources

Practice 1

Alcatraz – The Early Years

Read the Context

Select the correct verb form for the modifying clause.

Practice 2

Alcatraz – Prison Years

Read the Context

Decide whether the reduced clause should use the past or the present participle.

Practice 3

Alcatraz – Today

Read the Context

Combine the sentences using a reduced modifying clause.