10. English Grammar Lesson. Participial Phrases Set Off by Commas

[moksshhh]

hi Yossarian

you said ... "when a participial phrase is separated from subject by comma, it modifies the subject."

isn't that true for all participial subjects, weather it is separated by comma or not?

[mrthoth]

@moksshhh I can't really answer because I don't know what you mean by "participial subject." Rephrase? Perhaps with an example of what you mean?

[moksshhh]

@mrthoth Sorry i mean "Participial Phrases" :p

[mrthoth]

@moksshhh A participial phrase separated by a comma from the main clause modifies the subject of the main clause. So in "People cast their ballots, believing in the justice of the cause," "believing in the justice of the cause" modifies "people" (the subject of the main clause). In "I put my faith in people believing in the justice of the cause," the participial phrase still modifies "people," but "people" is no longer a subject at all. (The subject of the clause is "I".) (Continued)

[mrthoth]

@moksshhh Now if the sentence were "I put my faith in people, believing in the justice of the cause," now "believing in the justice of the cause" modifies "I", the subject of the main clause. So the comma makes a difference.

[regan4000]

@mrthoth Could you answer this question please. I too am confused why the PP in "I put my faith in people, believing in the justice of the cause", doesn't modify the subject, which is "I" (me)....

[mrthoth]

@regan4000 In "I put my faith in people, believing in the justice of the cause," the present participle "believing" DOES modify "I", the subject.

[timothypjohnson]

Here we see a lecturer commit a common grammatical fallacy!

"Hoping for rain" in the exercise is a PARTICIPIAL CLAUSE (not phrase). More precisely, it is an adverbial participial clause giving us the reason for (or manner of) the action in the main clause.

This is easily demonstrated by turning the clause thus, "Because they hoped for rain..." or "While they hoped for rain..." - both unmistakable adverbial clauses.

[TMSxHITMAN]

i though danced would be a participle phrase to in your first sentence?

[mrthoth]

@TMSxHITMAN In "The Germans danced in a ring," "the Germans" is the subject and "danced" is a verb. No verb is ever part of a participial phrase, although participles can be verbs. In "I had danced with him before," "danced" is a participle, but it is not part of a participial phrase. (In that sentence, "danced with him before" is not a phrase at all, of any kind.) In "The Germans danced in a ring," "danced" is the past tense, not the past participle.

[Ubadidoo]

Mrthoth ,

1) the guy wearing a tie is a loser -*wearing a tie* is participle phrase which describes guy

2) The Germans, hoping for rain, danced in a ring -* hoping for rain* is participle phrase which describes The Germans

Why in 1-st case you wrote commas but in 2-nd you did not?

[mrthoth]

@Ubadidoo For the answer to your question, see my videos on restrictive and non-restrictive elements.

[student9891]

Can you make something to explain absolute phrases?

[superdupersonic]

It's not boring! It's good. He throws a bit of humor in it too.

[TheLarssan]

Thanks. :)

[Archer6633]

booring make ur lessons more interesting

[tdog661]

are u german?

[chauchhaida]

it's good

[naslghiwanenglish]

rob0tO , Inexpungnabil , you should see Arabic grammar . It is extremely complicated ,though ,very fastinating .

[mah927]

thanks you so much!

[karantrera189]

Wow, ur videos have been so useful, I had a English test (writing) and I remembered this video and ur other videos. I pass my test with flying colors! Thank you!

[ColossalFilms]

ty, this realt helps!

[focker91]

The, hoping for rain Germans, danced in a ring  ha

[robertlewisvazquez]

you are a great teacher and your videos are great!

[1228am]

thank you so much for posting this video. you are really a very good teacher. clarified many things in just one video.

[kook2222]

English Grammer is really complicated.

[Sweeborg]

False.

[Backin65]

Fact.

[rob0t0]

Even though it is a bit tricky at times,English Grammar is nowhere near as complicated as Romanian Grammar.

[Inexpugnabil]

rob0t0 is saying a very true truth.

[MeowMix9989]

I'm learning so much more in these few minute videos then in my forty-five minute classes, thank you!!

[twilightfun]

MeowMix9989, I might be wrong, and do feel free to correct me if you have noted an error in what I present.

Instead of what you typed in your comment, using "than in my forty-five minute classes" would, I think, be more appropriate.

I believe "than" is used for comparison, where as "then" is used in regard to placement in time (ex. first, second, next, then).

[MeowMix9989]

twilightfun,

I think you're right. From what an internet source says -

"Then is used either as a time marker or with a sequence of events."

"Than is not related to time. Than is used in comparative statements."

So yes, "than" is the right word. Thank you for the correction!

[WhatInThe2007]

Hoping for a better understanding of the English language and being German, I'm happily hopping up and down now that I've seen this video! It clarified a point or two on particple constructions for me. Thanks.

[esperanzaLMPBZKT]

i'm your biggest fan !!!

[mazzimi]

I want to let you know how useful I've found all your videos!

I hope you'll continue to publish new videos to help people like me to learn English

Thank you anain

[wanmus]

I just want to say how grateful i am on all the videos that you have posted on youtube. Recently i really had problem with my english; and i was struggling to find solution to my problem. And you know what, i discovered you videos. It really help me tremendously. thank you ...thank you