PARTICIPLE AS ADVERBIAL MODIFIER

[Kobrina]

§133. All four forms of participle I can function as adverbial modifiers of different semantic types (time, reason, manner, attendant circumstances and sometimes condition, concession, comparison).

In some cases, however, the functional meaning is not so obvious. For example, there may be a combination of causal and temporal meaning as in (Seeing her, he stopped (he stopped because he saw her, or when he saw her)); or of causal and conditional meaning (Living alone, one becomes self-centred (as one lives alone, or if one lives alone)).

PARTICIPLE I AS ADVERBIAL MODIFIER OF TIME

[Kobrina]

Participle I as adverbial modifier of time may denote a simultaneous or a prior action. Here it corresponds to the Russian adverbial participle (деепричастие).

Non-perfect participle I active, when used as an adverbial modifier of time, usually conveys some specific action or state. Most often it is a participle of the verbs of motion (come, walk, go), position in space (sit, lie, stand).

Walking along the track, towards Buckmaster's Bowen burst into song.

Lying in the hospital with his rotting wound, he dictated his farewell letter to his brother.

The notion of time is expressed by the conjunctions when and while.

He felt horrible while saying this.

Don't forget articles when speaking English.

Participle I passive in this function usually denotes priority.

Being left alone, Paulina and I kept silence for some time.

Perfect participle I as adverbial modifier of time, always denotes a prior action:

They wrote because they had to, and having written, thought only of what they were going to write next.

PARTICIPLE I AS ADVERBIAL MODIFIER OF REASON

[Kobrina]

§133. Participle I as adverbialmodifierofreasoncan be expressed by all the four forms. The most frequently used non-perfect participles I are those of verbs denoting mental perception and emotions, for example, knowing, realizing, remembering, expecting, hoping, fearing; also the participles being and having.

Hoping to catch the train, we took a taxi.

Being hungry, I ate.

Having decided on this course of action some time ago, I was unable to stay at home.

Another characteristic feature of participles functioning as adverbials of reason consists in their combinability with negation (no matter what it is expressed by).

I turned back, not knowing where to go.

PRACTICE

ADVERBIAL MODIFIER OF TIME

Exercise 1. Replace the adverbial clauses of time by the Participle. [Drozdova p.335ex7]

MODEL: When you speak English, pay attention to the intonation.

Speaking English, pay attention to the intonation.

1. Be careful when you cross a street. 2. When you leave the room, don't forget to switch off the light. 3. When you begin to work with the dictionary, don't forget my instructions. 4. When they were travelling in Central Africa, the explorers met many wild animals. 5. When you copy English texts, pay attention to the articles. 6. You must have much practice when you are learning to speak a foreign language.

Exercise 2. Replace the adverbial clauses of time by the appropriate form of the Participle.[Drozdova p.335ex8]

1.When I entered the room, I felt some change in the atmosphere at once. 2. When we had finally reached the river, we decided to stay there and wait for the others. 3. When she had cut the bread, she started to make the coffee. 4. When she opened the parcel, she saw a large box of pencils. 5. When they had finally opened the safe, they found that most of the papers had gone. 6. When she closed the suitcase, she put it on the bed. 7. When she had closed and locked the suitcase, she rang for the porter to come and take it downstairs.

Exercise 3. Replace the adverbial clauses of time by the appropriate form of the Participle. [Drozdova p.335ex.9]

1. As she had been walking most of the night, she felt tired and sleepy. 2. When I take a child to the circus, I always know I'm going to enjoy myself. 3. As I had never seen anything like that before, I was eager to see the performance. 4. When he had passed the last examination, he began to look round for a job. 5. When he had drunk his second cup oi coffee, he folded the newspaper and rose. 6. Whenever she spoke on the subject, she was liable to get all hot and bothered. 7. When I had finally made up my mind, I told my parents about my new plans. 8. As she had spent most of her housekeeping money, she reluctantly decided to go home. 9. As she had not had any lunch, she wanted her tea badly. 10. When I spoke to her I always tried to make my meaning clear. 11. When we were playing chess that evening, we kept watching each other. 12. When she had taken the children to school, she could go and do her weekly shopping.

Exercise 4. Join the pairs of sentences, using Participle I as an adverbial modifier of time where possible.[Simkhovich p228 ex21]

MODEL: Sue was doing her homework. She was interrupted several times.

While doing her homework, Sue was interrupted several times.

1. He was taken ill. He was travelling by air from New York to London.

2. He did his homework. Then he went to the skating-rink.

3. They found the money. Then they began quarrelling about how to use it.

4. He was reading a book. He came across an old and valuable map.

5. She looked out of the window. She saw the neighbour's children planting a tree.

6. He seized a sheet of paper and a pen. He began to write something.

7. We visited the museum. Then we decided to have lunch in the park.

8. She entered the room suddenly. She found them smoking.

9. I turned on the light. I was astonished at what I saw.

10. He entered the room. He took off the hat.

11. John was doing his English. He was interrupted several times.

12. He often writes letters. He dislikes to be bothered.

13. He climbed the hill. Then he sat down to have a rest.

14. He was a schoolboy. He used to play chess with his father.

15. She finished the painting. Then she gave a sigh of relief.

Date: 2015-12-18; view: 3283