Unit 15

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• vwo
• Leerjaar 4

Unit 15

Participle, to-infinitie and reduced clauses

Exercise 1.1 (page 107)

Which of the problems does Sam talk about?

Exercise 1.2 (page 107)

Listen again and fill in the gaps

Answers

1. Having fallen over
2. Exhausted
3. Before leaving
4. Having left
5. But opening up
6. Having been woken up

Participle clauses

• Participle clauses are often used in writing to be more economical.
  
  
• In other words, you use less words.
  

How can you shorten this sentence without

losing any information?

I have spent hours working on English and now I am finally finished. (13 words)

Participle clauses

I have spent hours working on English and now I am finally finished. (13 words)

Having spent hours working on English, I am now finally finished. (11 words)

I decided to call it a day because I did not want to do my homework any longer. (18)

Not wanting to do my homework any longer, I decided to call it a day. (15)

• Do this 10 times in an essay and you save 20-30 words ;)

Why important?

Cambridge gives you a word limit (for example 220 - 260 words). By writing more economically, you can still convey your message, without using too many words.

Present Participle Clause

We can use a present participle clause to:

• Can be used to talk about something that takes place at the same time as, or just before, an action in the main clause:
  Opening up my sleeping bag, I discovered a scorpion.
  
  
• give background information about the subject in the main clause
  Living mainly in warm climates, scorpions are often found in deserts.
  
  
• say what someone was doing while they were talking (so after quoted speech)
  ‘Hold on, I just need to grab something’, said Susan, walking to her room.
  
  
• to talk about a reason or result
  Arriving late at the train station, I missed the train. (so in this case it is a reason for missing the train)

Past Participle Clause

We can use a past participle clause to talk about reasons or conditions

• Made from soft fabrics, this sweater feels amazing! (= reason; because it is made from those fabrics)
• Sold in China, these items would cost a lot less. (= condition; if they were sold in China)

Having + past participle (active)

We can use a having + past participle or a present participle clause to talk about events that follow one after another.

• Having climbed to the top of the hill, I could see all the way to the Mediterranean.
  This emphasises the fact that the action (climbing) is completed before the second clause (seeing) begins.
  
  
• Climbing to the top of the hill, I could see all the way to the Mediterranean.
  In this sentence you can still be climbing (but don't have to)

• These sentences are in their active form, in other words: you are doing the climbing.

Having + past participle (passive)

We can use a having been + past participleto talk about an action that was done by someone else.

• Having been woken up by the storm, I decided to close the shutters.
  In this sentence you say that you did something after something else happened. This can also done by using the word after, however, the structure changes slightly:
  
  
• After being woken up by the storm, I decided to close the shutters.
  In this sentence you see that we use a present participle and a past participle.

• Both sentences mean the same, and can be used interchangeably. 

Participle Clause after conjunctions and prepositions

So, we can use a present participle clause after a number of conjunctions and prepositions, like after, before, by, in, on, since, when, while, with, without, unless or until. These often describe the order in time or condition of a clause.

• Before leaving Rome, I visited the Colosseum.
  
• After having taken a bath, she put on her bathrobe.
  
• Without watching, she crossed the street.
  
  
• We can use with to introduce a reason for something in the main clause. (Note that the subject follows with.)
  With Rome being such a big city, I was surprised to find my way so easily.
  
  
• In formal writing we can use a past participle after (al)though, as, if, once, when, while, unless and until.
  I would help him if asked.

To-infinitive clauses

We can use the to-inifinitive to:

• talk about purpose
  I went to the teacher to talk about my final grade.

• talk about result
  We arrived early, only to find that we couldn’t check in until six.

• talk about conditions
  To see him struggling with his test last lesson, you’d think he was about to give up. (if you had seen that).

Reduced clauses

We can use a so called reduced clause. In this clause you leave out the subject and verb. This way it is more formal.

• While in Rome, I visited the Colosseum. (While I was in Rome…)
  
• Exhausted by a long day of work, she went to bed early. (Because she was exhausted by…)

Every, each

• We use every to talk about events at regular intervals:
  every kilometer, every single day, every week, every six months

• We use each when we talk about people or things in a pair
  each knee, each day of the weekend

• Easy way to remember:
  Have you got two or more people or things? each
  Have you got three or more people or things? every

Exercise 3.1 (page 110)

Complete the participle clause at the art of each sentence using the information in brackets.

Answers

2. Covered in oil

3. Written
4. Having beaten
5. Having been shown
6. Not having
7. Putting on / Having put on
8. Not being able to speak / Not speaking

I think I understand the different clauses and how to use them.

Yes

Mostly. but I don't need any help.

Mostly, but I still would like some help.

Not at all and need some help.

Continue

Exercises 3.2 - 3.4

Check your answers with the back of your book.

Want to practice more with Reading and Use of English part 3?
Do the exercise on page 112 as well!