Grammar-Quizzes › Verb Phrases › Verb Complements › Participles › Past Participle Clauses
Past Participle Clauses
Reduce modifying clauses that have passive verb forms
Passive-verb Sentence vs. Past-participial Modifying Clause
| TWO SENTENCES WITH THE SAME SUBJECT | |
|---|---|
Two sentences that share the same subject can be merged (joined) into one sentence to avoid wordiness. A clause with a passive verb is reduced to a past participle (-ed, -en, -t) clause, and it is placed directly after (but sometimes before) the noun it modifies. |
|
| SUBJECT | PREDICATE |
The Golden Gate Bridge |
is painted a bright red-orange color. (passive) attracts millions of tourist each year. |
The bridge (identified) |
was designed by Charles Ellis. (passive) is located in in San Francisco. |
A bridge (any)
|
is designed with safety features. (passive) has guard rails on the sides. |
The London Bridge |
was located in London. is located in Havasu, Arizona now. |
| JOINED SENTENCES | ||
|---|---|---|
The passive verb form is reduced to the past participle (i.e., that + [be] is removed; the verb is no longer marked for tense or number.) The subject is understood from the main clause. Commas are placed before and after the clause if the information is non-identifying. |
||
| SUBJECT | NON-ID CLAUSE | PREDICATE |
The Golden Gate Bridge, commas] |
which is painted a bright red-orange color, |
attracts millions of tourist yearly. |
The bridge |
that was designed by Charles Ellis |
is located in San Francisco. |
A bridge(any)
|
that is designed with safety features
|
has guard rails on the sides. |
The London Bridge, |
located¹ in London, which was located in London, |
is located in Havasu, Arizona now. |
In linguistic description, a finite (full) clause is changed to a nonfinite (reduced) clause. The secondary verb form of the nonfiite clause is not marked for tense or number. The subject is understood from the main clause.
¹ Do not shorten a clause if the verb supplies important information
Related pages: Present Participle Clauses, Clause Reduc 1, Clause Reduc 2
(Azar 13-11) (Swan 411.1-7) (Huddleston14 §9, 3 §1.4, 12 §4.1[7] ) (Lunsford 234, 355)
Reduced participle clause
Punctuation
| IDENTIFYING | |
|---|---|
|
|
| SUBJ + MODIFIER | PRED & COMP |
Any bridge damaged in the earthquake |
will be repaired and reopened soon. |
Any bridge that was damaged¹ Any bridge damaged |
will be repaired and reopened soon. |
A clause that is necessary to identify | NON-IDENTIFYING / EXTRA COMMENT | ||
|---|---|---|
|
||
| SUBJECT | COMMENT | PRED & COMP |
The Bay Bridge, |
damaged in the earthquake, |
will be repaired and reopened soon. |
The Golden Gate Bridge, |
closed for safety inspection, |
will be repaired and reopened soon. |
A clause that adds extra "nice to know" but not necessary information is set off with commas. ¹Do not shorten a modifying clause if the verb tense supplies important identifying information. For example, perhaps only bridges damaged in the past event will be repaired.
pred & comp (predicate and complement) – the verb and elements that are required to complete the meaning of the clause
Grammar Notes (Advanced)
Traditional and Linguistic Description
Traditional / ESL and Linguistic Descriptions
| TRADITIONAL 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 Modified clause: The Golden Gate Bridge — which is located in S.F. Bay — was designed by J. Strauss. ___________________ "An adjective phrase is a reduction of an adjective clause. It modifies a noun. It does not contain a subject and a verb." (Azar "Reducing Adjective Clauses to Adjective Phrases" 13-11) "A participle is often used intead of a relative pronoun and full verb." Swan "Reduced relative clauses" 498.10) |
| ADJECTIVE CLAUSE |
|
| REDUCED ADJECTIVE CLAUSE |
|
| LINGUISTIC DESCRIPTION |
|---|
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 is located in S.F Bay — the clause has the internal structure of a sentence--it has a subject and a verb marked with tense. Nonfinite clause — located in S.F Bay — 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 Golden Gate Bridge located in S.F Bay Modified clause: The Golden Gate Bridge — located in S.F. Bay — was designed by C. Ellis. |
| PARTICIPIAL MODIFIER – FINITE CLAUSE |
|
| PARTICIPIAL MODIFIER – NONFINITE CLAUSE |
|
Clause; Word Functions; Finite / Nonfinite; NP –noun phrase; N – noun; VP – verb phrase; V – verb; Det. – determiner
"Non-finite clauses as modifiers and supplements" (Huddleston 14 §9, 1264)
Works Cited
- Azar, Betty Schrampfer, and Stacy A. Hagen. Understanding and Using English Grammar. 4th ed., Pearson Education, 2009.
- Huddleston, Rodney D., and Geoffrey K. Pullum. The Cambridge Grammar of the English Language. Cambridge UP, 2002.
- Lunsford, Andrea A., and Robert J. Connors. The New St. Martin's Handbook. 3rd ed., Bedford/St. Martin's, 1999.
- Swan, Michael. Practical English Usage. 3rd ed., Oxford UP, 2005.
- Wikipedia contributors. "Participle." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 5 Apr. 2014. Web. 22 May. 2014.
Practice 1
Planning the Span
Read the Context
In the late 1800s, San Francisco, which was situated on a peninsula, was mostly reached by ferry boat. The southern route, which required a long drive, was impractical for people coming from the North or the East. The ferry trip, which cost $1, took about twenty minutes. One dollar in 1860 is approximately equal to $23 dollars today.
A bridge, which was needed for increasing traffic, was being considered. However, a bridge, which spanned the entrance to the bay, would need to be strong enough to withstand the strong ocean currents.
The Bridge and Highway District, which was formed in 1923, planned the financing and the construction of the bridge. The War Department, which controlled traffic on the bay, issued the final construction permit in 1930.
Joseph Strauss, who was well-known as a bridge builder, was selected as chief engineer for the Golden Gate Bridge. Charles Ellis, who collaborated with Leon Moisseiff, was the principal engineer and the source of the suspension design. A team of engineers, who were dedicated to their work, oversaw the creation of a structure that is known around the world.
Adapted from — Thompson, Laurie. "Travel between San Rafael and San Francisco in the 1860s." Anne T Kent. Kontribune. 22 Jun 2012. Web. 02 Jan 2014. <http://annetkent.kontribune.com/articles/1088>.
calculation (N) – problem solving using mathematics
collaborate (V) – work with another person or in a group
currents (N) – large movement of ocean water in a circular direction
credit (N) – thanks or recognition for work
estimate (V) – guess using calculations
impractical (Adj) – not practical
obsessed (Adj) – unable to stop thinking about or walk away from something
permit (N) – an official paper that gives a person or group the right to do something
self-centered (Adj) – ego centric, self promoting
situate (V) – to put in or on a particular site or place; locate
span (V) – reach across; (N) something that reaches across; a bridge
withstand (V) – endure, last, hold strong against
Decide if the clause can be reduced.
- Select the response from the list that best completes the sentence.
- Compare your response to the feedback by clicking the "Check 1-10" button at the bottom, or click the "Check" button to the left as you go.
Practice 2
The Golden Gate Bridge
Read for Errors
The Golden Gate Bridge, it built from 1932 to 1937, spans the entrance to San Francisco Bay. This spectacular landmark, Charles Ellis designed, measures 1.7 miles (2.7 km) long.
The Golden Gate, painted a bright red-orange called "International Orange", requires repainting every year because of the salty, corrosive air. The bright color, which can be seen even in dense fog, gives the bridge high-visibility.
The observation area, locates at the northern end of the bridge, offers an amazing view of San Francisco, Alcatraz, the East Bay, Angel Island and the Pacific Ocean. The roadway, is suspended 500 feet above the water, has the most beautiful view of the area.
The ferry boats, still used today, used to be the only method to cross the opening of the Bay in the early 1900s. Now, the Golden Gate Bridge connects Marin on the north to San Francisco on the south. The span completes Highway 1 from north to south. A toll is required for southbound traffic only. The toll is now collected electronically.
The Golden Gate Bridge is recognized as a symbol of San Francisco. The bridge attracts tourist from around the world. It is visited by 9 million people yearly.
Its design, it is unchanged since its opening, has proved to be strong enough to withstand storms, ocean currents and a strong earthquake.
corrosive (Adj) – harmful, destructive of the metal
ocean current (N) – the strong movement of the water in and out of the bay
dense (Adj) – heavy, closely compacted together
observation area (N) – a park where someone can stop to see the view
recognize (V) – identify something as known
spectacular (Adj) – marked by or given to an impressive, large-scale display; thrilling
used to – a habit not continued now
visibility (N) – the relative ability to be seen under given conditions of distance, light, atmosphere
withstand (V) – endure, last, hold strong against
Correct or Incorrect?
- Determine whether the sentence is correct. Select your response correct or incorrect.
- Compare your responses to the answers by clicking the "Check" or the "Check 11-20" button at the bottom.
Practice 3
Guard Rail Design
Read for Errors
Just three months after the bridge, which was opened in 1937, a man jumped off. To date, another 1,300 people have chosen to end their lives by jumping off the bridge.
This sad statistic, which it was revealed last week, has prompted the Bay Area's transportation committee to take final action. Now, more than 70 years later, the committee will consider the redesign of the guard rails.
The guard rails stand only 4 feet (1.2 m) high. They were designed not to obstruct the view. At the current height, there is no real physical barrier to prevent the loss of people contemplating suicide at this site.
On average, thirty suicides occur each year. Security cameras, bike patrols and hot-line phones prevent some but not all attempts. These have been placed along the sidewalks.
Five million in federal funds has been raised to engineer and design a suicide barrier, a steel net, which will be suspended 20 feet below the bridge to catch and cocoon jumpers in midair.
Much of the resistance to this plan comes from purists who are opposed to changing the design. They love their bridge and don't want it changed.
The original architect designed a higher rail but the builder, who was short, insisted on the shorter railing. Considering aesthetics ahead of saving lives is pretty heartless.
Soon the Golden Gate Bridge will join the Eiffel Tower, the Empire State Building and other world landmarks, which are fitted with protective barriers, in the prevention of suicide.
Adapted from — Webley, Kayla. "Why is the Bay Area Building a Suicide Barrier?" TIME US. 03 Aug 2010. Web. 02 Jan 2014. <http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,2008158,00.html>.
attempt (N) – try, effort
barrier (N) – something to stop movement in a direction; a railing, fence or wall
cocoon (V) – to surround, wrap or envelop protectively
contemplate (V) – think over, consider
obstruct (V) – block, hinder, stop
reveal (V) – to make known, show something publicly
resistance (N) – the act of opposing, being against something
senseless (Adj) – without logic
statistic (N) – a numerical fact or datum, especially one computed from a sample
suicide (N) – ending one's own life
Edit — add and reduce clauses when possible.
- Edit the sentence(s) in the text box.
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