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AlcatrazParticipial Phrases 2

Reducing Clauses to Modifying Phrases

 

 

 

That + (be) Deletion

A relative pronoun that, who, which + be  (is, are, was, were...) can be deleted from a modifiying clause to shorten it to a participial phrase. 

 

Present vs. Past Participle Clause

PRESENT-PARTICIPLE MODIFYING CLAUSE PAST-PARTICIPLE MODIFYING CLAUSE

That + an active verb can be replaced with a participial phrase – ing.   

That + a passive verb can be replaced with a participial phrase – ed.

The members of the Federal agency [that were] locating a prison on Alcatraz knew that it would be impossible to escape from it. (that + past progressive)

Alcatraz Island, [that is] located in San Francisco Bay, served as a Federal prison for several years.  (that + present passive)

The government forces [that surrounded] surrounding the island forced the Native Americans to leave. (that + past)

Alcatraz Island, [that was] surrounded by fog, was a depressing place to serve time in prison.  (that + past passive)

Law enforcement agencies [who knew] knowing about the isolation of Alcatraz chose it as the ideal site for their new prison. (who + past)
 

Alcatraz Island, [which was] known as "The Rock", was a maximum security prison. (that + past passive)

Commas are used if the modifying clause adds extra, nonidentifying information. punctuating clauses

 

 

Shortening a clause with a present participle phrase
ACTIVE VERB SENTENCES PRESENT PARTICIPLE MODIFYING CLAUSE

A sentence with an active verb can be shortened to a modifying clause by using a present participle modifying phrase.

Delete the pronoun and change the active verb to its -ing form.

People want to see this iconic landmark. 
They can walk across it from 9 am to 9pm daily.

People [who want] wanting to see this landmark can walk across it from 9 am to 9pm daily.

Drivers are crossing the Golden Gate Bridge daily.
They have to keep their eyes on the road.
 

Drivers, [who are crossing] crossing the Golden Gate Bridge daily, have to keep their eyes on the road.

Adding a Modifying Clause

 

 

 

Shortening a clause with a past participle phrase
PASSIVE VERB SENTENCES PAST PARTICIPLE MODIFYING PHRASE

A sentence with a passive verb can be shortened to a modifying clause by using a past participle modifying phrase.

Delete that + (be).

The Golden Gate Bridge is located at the entrance to San Francisco Bay.
It was designed by Joseph Strauss.

The Golden Gate Bridge, [that is] located at the entrance to San Francisco Bay, was designed by Joseph Strauss.

The Golden Gate Bridge has two towers and it is painted a bright orange.

The Golden Gate Bridge, [that is] painted a bright orange, has two towers.

 

Commas are used if the modifying clause adds extra, nonidentifying information.

 

London Bridge in Arizona

 

 

 

 

Exception
CANNOT DELETE CAN DELETE

The tense of be is needed to make sense.    

The phrase still makes sense without the be verb. 

The London Bridge [that was] located in England is now in Arizona.
The London Bridge  located in England is now in Arizona.   (It is not clear that the bridge was relocated or rebuilt in a new place.)

Solution - lightbulb  Pop-Q -4/12/2009

The London Bridge  [that is] located in Arizona used to be in England.

 

Hula hooping

 

 

 

 

Common Mistakes
ERROR FIX

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.

Solution - lightbulb  Pop-Q -10/25/2009

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 acitivities. (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 healty 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.)
 

 

 

 

 

 

AlcatrazPractice

Alcatraz

 

 

 

Join the two sentences using either a past or present participle modifying phrase.
  1. Select the word from each menu that best completes the sentence. 
  2. Compare your response to the answer by clicking the "check" button to the right. 

 

# YOUR RESPONSE CHECK ANSWER
Ex. JOIN: Alcatraz Island served as a Federal prison from 1934  to 1963.
WITH: It is located in San Francisco Bay. 		 
1. JOIN: Alcatraz Island is a small, 18 acre, island.  (7.3 hectares)
WITH: It was discovered by Juan Manuel de Ayala.
2. JOIN: Juan de Ayala named the island "La Isla de los alcatraces". (Island of Pelicans).
WITH: He charted San Francisco Bay.
3. JOIN: Alcatraz housed several infamous criminals.
WITH: It served as a Federal prison.
4. JOIN: Robert Stroud became known as the "Birdman of Alcatraz". 
WITH:He spent 17 years on "the rock".

5. JOIN: Al Capone continued running his rackets from behind bars by buying off guards.  (racket = illegal operations; behind bars = in prison)
WITH: He arrived in 1934.
6. JOIN: Prisoners knew that escape from the island was impossible.
WITH: They were held in Alcatraz.
7. JOIN:  The prison was *corroded, aged and too expensive to operate.
WITH: The prison was closed in 1963.

corroded = worn by chemical reaction to the salt air
 
8. JOIN: In 1969, Native Americans moved onto the island.
WITH: They were relocated from other areas.

9. JOIN: The Native Americans wanted to turn the island into an education, culture and ecology center. 
WITH: They were claiming the island under the *Under the Treaty of Fort Laramie 1868.


*An agreement between the Sioux and the U.S. to return all un-used Federal land to the tribe.
 
10. JOIN: Fires made the occupation of the island difficult for the Native Americans. 
WITH: The fires were set by unknown causes.
11. JOIN: The Native Americans had gotten enough public support to renegotiate the U.S. treaty. 
WITH: They were forced off the island.

12. JOIN:  Currently, Alcatraz island serves as a cultural center, tourist destination and site for filming movies. 
WITH: The island is designated as a National Historical Landmark.

   


Wikipedia, "Alcatraz: history", http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcatraz#History