The functions of Participle I in the sentence

Participle I may have different syntactic functions.

1. Participle I as an attribute.

Participle I Indefinite Active can he used as an attribute; in this function it corresponds to the Russian действительное причастие.

The fence surrounding the garden is newly painted.

Забор, окружающий сад, недавно покрашен.

We admired the stars twinkling in the sky.

Мы любовались звездами, мерцавшими на небе.

In some cases, Participle I in the function of an attribute is rendered in Russian by a clause.

He came back and stood irresolute on the steps leading down to the street.

(Cusack)

Он вернулся и стоял в нерешительности на лестнице, которая вела на

улицу.

In the function of an attribute Participle I can be in pre-position and in post-position, i. e. it can precede the noun it modifies and follow it. Participle I in pre-position hardly ever has accompanying words.

The gate-keeper surveyed the retreating vehicle. (Hardy)

Привратник смотрел на удалявшийся экипаж.

Participle I in post-position as a rule has one or several accompanying words.

They dined outside upon the terrace facing Vesuvius. (Hlchens)

Они пообедали на террасе, выходившей к Везувию.

Through the massive sunlight illuminating the hall at Robin Hill,the July

sunlight at five o’clock fell just where the broad staircase turned.

(Galsworthy)

Сквозь массивную стеклянную крышу, освещавшую холл в Робин

Хилле, лучи июльского солнца в пять часов падали как раз на поворот

широкой лестницы.

Participle I Indefinite Passive is very seldom used as an attribute.

There was one line being laid out to within a few blocks of his new home...

which interested him greatly. (Dreiser)

Его очень интересовала линия, которую прокладывали в нескольких

кварталах от его нового дома.

Participle I Perfect Active and Passive is not used attributively. Attention should be paid to the fact that Participle I in the function of an attribute cannot express priority; therefore it often happens that when in Russian we have причастие in English we find a finite verb. Such is the case with the Russian действительное причастие прошедшего времени expressing priority; it is rendered in English by an attributive clause.

Татьяна, с великим равнодушием переносившая до того мгновения все

превратности своей жизни, тут, однако, не вытерпела, прослезилась.

(Тургенев)

Tatyana, who had until that moment borne all the ups and downs of her life

with great indifference, broke down, however, on this and burst into tears.

(Translated by Domb)

Бульба повел сыновей своих в светлицу, откуда проворно выбежали две

красивые девки-прислужницы, прибиравшие комнату. (Гоголь)

Bulba bade his sons follow him into the little guest-chamber, whence two

pretty serving-wenches, who had been arranging the room, ran out.

(Translated by Baskervllle)

A clause, not a participle, is generally used in English even when the Russian действительное причастие прошедшего времени expresses an action simultaneous with that of the finite verb.

Базаров закурил трубку и подошел к ямщику, отпрягавшему лошадей.

(Тургенев)

Bazarov lit his pipe and went up to the driver, who was unharnessing the

horses. (Translated by C. Garnett)

Матушка, знавшаянаизусть все его обычаи... всегда старалась засунуть

несчастную книгу подальше. (Пушкин)

My mother, who knewall his habits, used to thrust the obnoxious volume into

some remote hiding-place. (Translated by J. and T. Litvinov)

Occasionally, however, in rendering the Russian действительное причастие прошедшего времени, a participle is used in English. This is often the case when действительное причастие прошедшего времени refers to no particular time.

Заря уже занималась на небе, когда Соломин постучался в калитку

высокого забора, окружавшегофабрику. (Тургенев)

Dawn was already beginning in the sky when Solomin knocked at the gate in

the high fence surroundingthe factory. (Translated by C. Garnett)

Потом он обратил внимание посетителей на висевшуюнад его головой

картину, писанную масляными красками. (Тургенев)

Then he drew the attention of his guests to a picture hangingabove his head,

painted in oils. (Translated by C. Garnett)

In many cases an attribute expressed by Participle I is detached, i. e. it acquires a certain independence in the sentence; the connection between the attribute and the word it modifies is loose. A detached attribute is usually separated by a comma.

It was the entrance to a large family vault, extending under the north aisle.

(Hardy)

Это был вход в большой фамильный склеп, простиравшийся под

северным приделом храма.

2. Participle Ias an adverbial modifier.

All the forms of Participle I may be used as an adverbial modifier. Participle I Indefinite expresses an action simultaneous with the action expressed by the finite verb and corresponds to the Russian деепричастие несовершенного вида; Participle I Perfect, expresses an action prior to the action expressed by the finite verb and corresponds to the Russian деепричастие совершенного вида. In some cases Participle I in the function of an adverbial modifier is rendered in Russian by an adverbial clause. Participle I can be an adverbial modifier:

(a) oftime.

Approaching Malta Street, Soho,Soames thought with wonder of those

years in Brighton. (Galsworthy)

Приближаясь к Мальта Стрит в Сохо, Соме с удивлением думал о годах,

проведенных в Брайтоне.

Having closed the drawing-room door on him,Isabel awaited a little,

absorbed in her own thoughts. (Collins)

Закрыв за ним дверь гостиной, Изабелла подождала немного,

погруженная в свои мысли.

Having reached the classroom, she became the object of many questions.

(Collins)

Когда она вошла в класс, ее стали засыпать вопросами.

As has already been stated, with some verbs of sense perception and motion, such as to see, to hear, to come, to arrive, to enter, to seize, to look out, to turn and some others, Participle I Indefinite is used even when priority is meant. In Russian деепричастие совершенного вида is used in such cases.

Anna... hearing his step, ran to the foot of the stairs to meet him. (Eliot)

Анна... услышав его шаги, побежала вниз по лестнице встретить его.

Arriving therethe visitor found everything that should be found at old

manors. (Coppard)

Приехав туда,гость нашел все то, что обычно находят в старых

поместьях.

Enteringher room that evening, Elfride found a packet for herself on the

dressing-table. (Hardy)

Войдя вечером в свою комнату, Элфрид нашла на туалетном столе

сверток.

Seizing ink and writing paper,she began to write... (Galsworthy)

Схватив чернила и бумагу, она начала писать.

Turning slowlyshe went to her room. (Eliot)

Медленно повернувшись, она пошла в свою комнату.

If the action expressed by Participle I Indefinite Active is simultaneous with the action expressed by the finite verb, the conjunction when or while is often used.

...it was possible for Urquhart, when making his toilet,to survey with pride

an original willow pattern tea service. (Cronin)

Экхарт мог, пока он одевался, с гордостью любоваться чайным сервизом

с настоящим китайским рисунком.

While waiting for the water to boil,he held his face over the stove.

(London)

Дожидаясь, когда закипит вода, он наклонился над печкой.

N o t e. — Participle I Indefinite of the verb to be is not used as an adverbial

modifier of time. Clauses of the type ‘Когда он был ребенком’, ‘Когда он

был в Ленинграде’, may be translated When a boy, When he was a boy,

When in Leningrad, When he was in Leningrad.

(b) of cause.