Participle Clauses: -ing, -ed & having + pp
Participle clauses let you combine two ideas into one shorter, more elegant sentence. They use a participle (-ing, -ed, or having + past participle) instead of a full clause, and…
Participle clauses let you combine two ideas into one shorter, more elegant sentence. They use a participle (-ing, -ed, or having + past participle) instead of a full clause, and are very common in written English.
The three types
| Type | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| -ing (present participle) | active; same time or cause | Feeling tired, she went to bed. |
| -ed (past participle) | passive meaning | Built in 1850, the house is old. |
| having + pp (perfect) | an earlier completed action | Having finished, he left. |
Same subject ruleThe participle clause and the main clause must share the same subject. “Walking home, I saw an accident” = I was walking and I saw. A “dangling” participle with a different subject is wrong: ✗ “Walking home, the accident happened.”
What they replace
| Full clause | Participle clause |
|---|---|
| Because she felt ill, she stayed home. | Feeling ill, she stayed home. |
| After he had eaten, he left. | Having eaten, he left. |
| The car, which was made in Japan… | The car, made in Japan… |
Examples from EduCareer
- Wanting to improve, Aisha joined an extra class.
- Having passed B1, Omar moved up to B2.
- Written clearly, the report was easy to follow.
Tutor tip for Arabic speakersChoose the participle by voice: if the subject does the action, use -ing (“Opening the door…”); if the action is done to the subject, use the -ed/past participle (“Shocked by the news…”). For an action that clearly happened first, use having + past participle.
Common mistakes
- Walking home, the rain started. → Walking home, I got caught in the rain. (same subject)
- Finished the test, she relaxed. → Having finished the test, she relaxed.
- Shocking by the news, he sat down. → Shocked by the news, he sat down.
Practise with the 20 questions below.
Check your understanding
Answer the questions below. You will see instantly if you are right.
1."___ tired, she went to bed early."
active, same time → -ing.
2."___ in 1850, the house is very old."
passive meaning → past participle.
3."___ his work, he went home." (earlier completed action)
earlier action → having + pp.
4.Participle clauses must share what with the main clause?
same subject.
5."___ the door, she noticed it was unlocked." (active)
active → -ing.
6."___ by the news, he sat down heavily." (passive)
done to the subject → past participle.
7.Replace 'Because she felt ill, she left' with:
reason, active → -ing.
8.Which is correct?
subject of both must match (I).
9."___ passed B1, Omar started B2."
completed earlier → having + pp.
10.The -ed participle clause has a ___ meaning.
passive.
11."___ clearly, the instructions were easy to follow."
passive → written.
12."___ what to do, she asked for help." (not knowing)
negative participle → not + -ing.
13."___ for hours, they finally arrived." (after driving)
earlier long action → having + pp.
14."The novel, ___ into 30 languages, sold millions."
passive → translated.
15.Which is correct?
earlier completed action → having + pp.
16."___ to save money, he cancelled the trip." (wanting)
active reason → -ing.
17."___ in a rush, the email had several errors."
passive (email was written) → written.
18."___ the lesson, the tutor set homework." (after explaining)
completed first → having + pp.
19."___ along the beach, we found shells."
active simultaneous → -ing.
20."___ properly, the dish tastes wonderful."
passive (the dish is cooked) → cooked.
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