An attribute

The boys playing football made a lot of noise.

The question being discussed now is of no interest to me.

Note 1. Participle I perfect is never used in the function of an attribute. To translate the Russian perfective participle an attributive clause must be used:

Я не знаю человека, принесшего записку.

I don't know the man who has brought the message.

Note 2. Some participles I used attributively and predicatively have practically turned into adjectives. They can be modified by the adverbs too, very, extremely, etc.:

This story is too boring to listen to.

R.A.Close gives a list of such participles: amazing, amusing, astonishing, charming, comforting, disturbing, embarrassing, exciting, frightening, lasting, pleasing, shocking, and some others.

An adverbial modifier of

Time

Reaching the bank he lay down on the warm sand.

Cause

Finding nobody in he went away.

Note. Participle I of the verb to be is always an adverbial modifier of cause:

Being a clever boy, he understood everything.

To express a temporal meaning when + noun or a clause must be used: When a boy, When he was a boy…

Comparison

He stopped as if not knowing how to continue his speech.

Concession

Though understanding nothing, he pretended to be listening carefully.

Manner or attendant circumstances

He entered the room carrying a big bouquet of roses.

Note. In the negative form if the action is not logically expected not + participle is used:

He sat thoughtfully in the arm-chair, not noticing anything around.

If the action is logically expected without + gerund is used:

He passed us without greeting.

An adverbial modifier of subsequent events

They went to the river, returning late at night.

Date: 2015-04-20; view: 1293