Participles and
Participial Phrases!
8th Grade English
Clauses and Verbals Unit
Today…

We are going to focus just on the first
one…the Participle and its phrase!
So, what is a participle?

A participle, as you learned about in the
verb unit, is formed by adding something
to the verb.
add –ing to a present participle
 You add –ed to a past participle
 You

A participle can act as the main verb in a
verb phrase or as an adjective to describe,
or modify, nouns or pronouns.
Examples…

The player has kicked the ball (Main verb
in a verb phrase)

The kicked ball soared
(adjective modifying
ball)
Exercise A.

Find the participle in each sentence.
Exercise A.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Soccer can be a challenging game.
Many young people are participating in the
sport.
The size of the playing field for soccer may
vary.
Have rules for the sport changed over the
years?
A player on our team has scored
the winning goal.
Sometimes…
A participle that is used as an adjective is
part of a phrase.
 This kind of phrase is called a participial
phrase!
 A participial phrase is a group of words
that includes a participle and other words
that complete its meaning!

Examples…

Cheering for the home team,
the fans were on their feet.

The ball kicked by Donnie soared into the
goal.
Commas and Participial Phrases
A participial phrase that is placed at the
beginning of a sentence is always set off
by commas.
 Running from the law, a burglar slipped in
the mud.
 Other participial phrases may or may not
need commas.

Do they or don’t they?





If the phrase is necessary to identify the
modified word, do not set it off by commas.
The player kicking the ball is Donnie.
If the phrase simpley gives additional
information about the modified word, set it off
with commas!
Donnie, kicking the ball, scored the
final point.
Essential v. Nonessential, duh!
One Last Note
A participial phrase can appear
before or after the word it describes.
 Place the phrase as close as
possible to the modified word;
otherwise, the meaning of the
sentence may be unclear!

Exercise B.
Find the participial phrase.
 Identify the word the participial phrase
describes (they are all used as adjectives!)

Exercise B.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Attracting huge crowds, soccer is a popular sport.
The game consists of two teams competing for
goals.
Playing within certain areas, the goalkeepers can
touch the ball with their hands.
For other players, the only contact permitted by
the rules is with their feet, heads, or bodies.
The two teams playing the game kick off.
The teams, moving almost constantly during play,
kick the ball back and forth.
Varying their formations, players move about the
field.
Remember…


The word verbal is a collective term for a verb
form used as another part of speech.
A participle, as you learned about in the verb
unit, is formed by adding something to the verb.
 You
 You


add –ing to a present participle
add –ed to a past participle
A participle can act as the main verb in a verb
phrase or as an adjective to describe, or modify,
nouns or pronouns.
A participial phrase is a group of words that
includes a participle and other words that
complete its meaning!
Great!
^^^ NOT SO GREAT ^^^