The Rule
Participle clauses use a participle (-ing, -ed, or having + past participle) instead of a full clause. They make writing more concise and formal.
| Type | Full clause | Participle clause |
|---|---|---|
| Present (-ing) | Because she works abroad, she travels a lot. | Working abroad, she travels a lot. |
| Past (-ed) | Because it was written quickly, the report had errors. | Written quickly, the report had errors. |
| Perfect (having + pp) | After she had reviewed all the data, she wrote the report. | Having reviewed all the data, she wrote the report. |
| Negative | Because he didn't prepare, he struggled. | Not having prepared, he struggled. |
Important rule — the subject of the participle clause must be the same as the main clause subject:
✗ Walking into the office, the phone rang. (The phone didn't walk in.)
✓ Walking into the office, I heard the phone ring.
A wrong subject like this is called a dangling participle — very common, always incorrect.
✗ Walking into the office, the phone rang. (The phone didn't walk in.)
✓ Walking into the office, I heard the phone ring.
A wrong subject like this is called a dangling participle — very common, always incorrect.
Common Mistakes
Walking into the building, the meeting had already started.
Walking into the building, I found the meeting had already started. (dangling participle)
Having been approved the proposal, we moved to the next stage.
Having had the proposal approved, we moved to the next stage.
Being written in a hurry, she made several errors in the report.
Written in a hurry, the report contained several errors. (passive participle)
Exhausted by the negotiations, the decision was postponed.
Exhausted by the negotiations, the team postponed the decision.
Gap Fill — Press Enter to Check
Error Correction
Multiple Choice
Put the Words in the Correct Order
Sentence Transformation — Press Enter to Check
Conversation Practice
1
Describe your professional background using participle clauses: 'Having worked in...', 'Based in...', 'Having studied...'
2
Talk about a project using before and after stages: 'Having completed X, we then...'
3
Write 3 sentences from a formal report about a recent decision, using participle clauses.
Homework
Rewrite this paragraph replacing underlined subordinate clauses with participle clauses: 'Because she had read the brief carefully, she understood the requirements. After she had spoken to the client, she drafted the proposal. Because it was written clearly, the proposal was accepted immediately.'