A participial phrase is a group of words that includes a participle (a verb form ending in โ-ingโ or โ-edโ) along with its modifiers and complements. Participial phrases function as adjectives, providing additional information about a noun or pronoun in a sentence.
Here are a few examples of participial phrases:
- The dog, barking loudly, scared the mailman. In this example, โbarking loudlyโ is a participial phrase that modifies the noun โdog.โ
- The girl, surprised by the news, couldnโt speak for a moment. โSurprised by the newsโ is a participial phrase modifying the noun โgirl.โ
- The book, written by a famous author, became an instant bestseller. โWritten by a famous authorโ is a participial phrase providing information about the noun โbook.โ
- The car, damaged in the accident, was towed away. In this case, โdamaged in the accidentโ is a participial phrase modifying the noun โcar.โ
Participial phrases can add description, detail, or background information to sentences. They function like adjectives and are often set off by commas when they appear at the beginning or end of a sentence.
