The Objective Participial Construction
It is a construction in which the participle is in predicate relation to a noun in the Common Case or a pronoun in the Objective Case, e.g.: I saw the children/them playing in the garden.
The relation between the noun or pronoun and the participle is that of secondary subject and secondary predicate the children/them playing
The syntactical function of this construction is that of a complex object, e.g.: I never heard him spoken of badly.
It is used:
1. after verbs denoting sense perception: to see, to hear, to feel, to watch, to smell, to look at, to listen to, etc., both Part.I and Part.II are used, e.g.: He looked out of the window and saw clouds gathering. I smell the pie burning. She heard herself called. He felt himself clutched by the collar.
With verbs denoting sense perception both the Objective Infinitive and the Objective Participial Constructions may be used. The difference between these two constructions is as follows:
a) the infinitive merely states the fact of an action taking place, e.g.: I saw him walk along the street. - Я бачив, що він пройшов по вулиці. The participleviews the action in its progress, e.g.: I saw him walking along the street. - Я дивився, як він йшов по вулиці.
b) if the homogeneous infinitivesare used, they denote two actions in succession, e.g.: I heard him leave the room and lock the door. - Я чув, як він вийшов з кімнати та замкнув її. If two Participles Iare homogeneous, they suggest two simultaneous actions, e.g.: Soames saw Bosinney watching her and smiling to himself. - Соумс побачив, що Босіні спостерігав за нею та усміхався про себе.
2. after some verbs of mental activity, such as to consider, to understand, to notice, to observe, to perceive, to discover, etc., both Part.I and Part.II are used, e.g.: I noticed the sink leaking. She considered herself engaged to Mr.Johnes.
3. after verbs denoting wish and emotion: to want, to wish, to desire, to prefer,etc., both Part.I and Part.II are used, e. g.: I don’t want you talking back to me. They didn’t like me leaving so early. He prefers your hair curled. The father desires it done quickly. I want my film developed.
4. after verbs of declaring: to report, to declare, to pronounce,only Part.II is used, e.g.: He reported the dog lost. She declared the watch stolen.
5. after various verbs of causative meaning: to catch, to have, to hold , to find, to get, to keep, to leave, to set , to start, etc., both Part.I and Part.II are used, e.g.: I caught him stealing money. The drill left the team exhausted. I won’t have you smoking at your age. – Я не допущу ...
6. after the verbs to have, to get.
In this case the Objective Participial Construction shows that the action expressed by the participle is performed at the request of the person denoted by the subject of the sentence. - I had the piano tuned means I made (asked) someone (to) tune the piano. Only Part.II is used, e. g.: I had my coat altered. She had her blood tested. He had several bottles of wine brought. You can get your clothes made in Europe. I must get my shoes cleaned. She has her dresses made here.
Sometimes to have, to get have the meaning to experience, to witness, e.g.: I got my window-pane broken yesterday. He had his horse killed under him in the battle. The wounded man had his leg amputated.
In interrogative and negative sentences the auxiliary verb to do is used. Why don’t you have your hair waved? By whom did you have your exercises corrected? Where did you have your watch mended? Where do you get your linen washed?
The Nominative Absolute Participial Construction
It is a construction in which the participle stands in predicate relation to a noun in the Common Case or a pronoun in the Nominative Case; the noun or pronoun is not the subject of the sentence. The door and window of the vacant room being open, we looked in. - Оскільки двері і вікно в пустій кімнаті були відчинені, ми зазирнули до неї.
The difference between a participial phrase and a nominative absolute participial construction may be illustrated as follows: Having read the novel, Jane (she) put it aside. - In a participial phrase the subject of the sentence is as a rule related both to the predicate verb and to the participle.
The novel having been read, Jane (she) put it aside. In a sentence with a nominative absolute participial construction the subject of the sentence is related only to the predicate verb.
Occasionally for the sake of emphasis or clarity the subject of the sentence and of the construction refer to the same person or thing, as in: The wholebuilding being of wood, it seemed to carry every sound like a drum.
In the Nominative Absolute Participial Construction Participle I (in all its forms) or Participle II is used. This construction is generally rendered in Ukrainian by means of an adverbial clause, e. g.: The letter being written, I went to post it. - Коли лист був написаний, я пішов опустити його у поштову скриньку. Circumstances permitting, we shall start tomorrow. - Якщо дозволять обставини, ми вирушимо завтра
It is used only in the functions of an attributeandan adverbial modifier. It can be:
1. a complex attribute, e.g.: Artists and plumbers and doctors, mechanics and salesmen and students, many carrying shortguns and rifles, axes and scythes. They passed old villages, some of them deserted and forlorn, and saw an ancient abandoned castle high on a hill.
2. a complex adverbial modifier of time, e.g.: The question being settled, we went home. This duty completed, he had a three months leave.
3. a complex adverbial modifier of cause, e.g.: The ship’s band did not play in the morning, it being Sunday. We began to talk, but my attention distracted by my surroundings, I took small notice of him.
4. a complex adverbial modifier of attending circumstances or manner (in this function the Nominative Absolute Participial Construction is mostly placed at the end of the sentence), e.g.: Mabel hurried out of the car and walked away, tears streaming down her face. He sat on the sofa, his legs crossed. She was smoking now, her eyes narrowed thoughtfully.
5. a complex adverbial modifier of condition, e.g.: Weather permitting, the ship will leave the harbour at dawn. He was a gentleman, but he was passionate, the cup once sipped, would he consent to put it down?
The Nominative Absolute Participial Construction very often occurs in fiction and scientific literature; the use of this construction in colloquial English is rare.
The Nominative Absolute Construction
It is a construction in which we find no participle. The second element of the construction is an adjective, a prepositional phrase or an adverb, e.g.: The lecture over, we left the hall. He stood on deck, pipe in mouth.
It is used in the function of:
1. a complex attribute, e.g.: Moderly stood out like an enchanted house, every window aflame.
2. a complex adverbial modifier of time, e.g.: Everybody at home, we sat down to dinner.
3. a complex adverbial modifier of attending circumstances, e.g.: There he stood, his face to the south-east, … his cap in his hand.
Mind the difference between the meanings of the following constructions:
The lesson (concert, lecture) over … and
The lesson (concert, lecture) being over …
The lesson over …has a temporalmeaning, whereas the lesson being over has as a rule a causal meaning.
The Prepositional Absolute Participial Construction
A Prepositional Absolute Participial Constructiondiffers from a Non-prepositional Participial Construction in that it is introduced by the prepositions “with”and “without”. Its nominal part is usually a noun in the Common Case, or very rarely a personal pronoun in the Objective Case. It is not necessarily set off by a comma, e.g.: Andrew went into the house with his heart beating fast. She went on reading with her eyes fixed on the pages of the book.Without a word more spoken, they went away.
It is used as:
1. a complex attribute, e.g.: The girl slept on a couch in a tiny room, with only a thin worn curtain separating it from the bedroom. The walk to the village square was a pleasant one, with side streets shaded by towering trees, but Jaime was unaware of his surroundings.
2. a complex adverbial modifier of attending circumstances, e.g.: The officer sat with his long fine hands lying on the table perfectly still. The daughter sat quite silent and still, with her eyes fixed on the ground.
The meaning of attending circumstances may be combined:
a) with manner, e.g.: It is unhealthy to sleep with the windows shut.
b)with temporal meaning, e.g.: I won’t speak with him staring at me like that.
c) with causalmeaning, e.g.: I can’t walk with my leg broken.
This construction is rendered into Ukrainian by a coordinate clause or дієприслівниковий зворот.
d)with conditional meaning, e.g.: They could not go ahead, without their plans being approved of by themanagement.
The Prepositional Absolute Construction
- I found him ready, and waiting for me, with his stick in his hand.
It is mostly used in the functions of:
1. a complex attribute, e.g.: It was a radiant day, with the trees and grass exceedingly green after the rain of the night before. A balcony holding thirty-five boxes with a chandelier over each one curved around the entire room.
2. a complex adverbial modifier of attending circumstances, e.g.: It was with an enormous feeling of relief that Lucia watched Rubio return with a wrapped cross under his arm. Sikes, with Oliver’s hand still in his, softly approached the low porch, and raised the latch.
In rendering this construction into Ukrainian a coordinate clause or дієприслівниковий зворот is used.
Exercises:
1. Define the forms of the Participles. Translate the sentences into Ukrainian:
1) When writing letters he doesn’t like to be disturbed. 2) Being written in pencil, the letter was difficult to make out. 3) Having written some letters he went to post them. 4) Having been written long ago the manuscript was illegible. 5) Having corrected the exercises, the teacher explained the most typical mistakes. 6) Having been corrected by the teacher, the exercises were returned to the students. 7) Having been well prepared for the examination, the student could answer all the questions asked by the examiners. 8) Having arranged everything, he went home by the 10.30 train. 9) Being told of arrival, I went to see him. 10) I had my hair cut yesterday.
2. Choose the correct form of the Participle:
1) Books (publishing, published) for children are usually very well illustrated. 2) A person (brought, bringing) good news is always welcome. 3) Students (taking, taken) exams next week should come to the dean's office. 4) She showed the travellers into the room (reserving, reserved) for them. 5) When James noticed the (burnt, burning) building he notified the fire department immediately. 6) The (smiling, smiled) Mona Liza is on display in the Louvre in Paris. 7) Our representative presented the (approved, approving) plan to the public. 8) Mrs. Harris's (approving, approved) smile let us know that our speeches were well done. 9) We were going to see the film, but our friends told us it was a (boring, bored) movie. 10) As we entered the (crowding, crowded) room, I noticed my cousins. 11) The contract (concluding, concluded) by them is useful for both sides.
3. Transform the sentences using participle phrases instead of the subordinate clauses:
A. Model: The boys who live in this house formed a football team. — The boys living in this house formed a football team.
1) Many students who learn English are members of our English club.
2) The man who sells newspapers showed me the way to the post-office.
3) The woman who teaches English at our school studied in Kiev.
B. Model: When we arrived in London, we went sightseeing. — Arriving in London, we went sightseeing.
1) When she heard her name, she turned round.
2) When he came home, he switched on the TV set.
3) As I went out of the shop, I met my schoolmate.
C. Model: When I read this story, I came across many new words. — When reading this story, I came across many new words.
1) When the students discussed this novel, they expressed their thoughts in good literary language.
2) When Jane cooked dinner, she forgot to salt it.
3) When Paul studied at the University, he published several scientific articles.
D. Model: When she finished her work, she went home. — Having finished her work, she went home.
1) As I had lost mу key, I couldn't get in.
2) As we had booked tickets beforehand, we went to the theatre half an hour before the performance began.
3) After they received the telegram, they packed and left for Glasgow.
E. Model: We live in the city which was founded 1,500 years ago. — We live in the city founded 1,500 years ago.
1) We live in a house which was built last year.
2) She received a telegram which was sent yesterday.
3) I've got a TV set which was made in Japan.