The Participle
English verb has two types of participle : the indefinite participle and the past participle.
The indefinite participle represents a non-finite form of the verb which denotes a continuous action or state , thus corresponding to the Romanian “gerunziu”.
Going – mergand , coming – venind
The participle in –ing has two tenses , indefinite and perfect , and it may have voice :
Active Voice
Indefinite Participle Perfect Participle
calling , taking having called , having taken
Passive Voice
Indefinite Participle Perfect Participle
being called , being taken having been called
The indefinite participle and the perfect participle do not have noun characteristics , but exclusively verbal functions.
1. Present Participle
The traditional name Present Participle is open to the objection that the verbal it denotes does not necessarily refer to the Present , just as a “past” participle does not refer to the past. The alternatives “imperfect” and “perfect” participle are prompted by the consideration that a form like “going” usually expresses an incomplete action , a form like “gone” a completed one.
Participles in –ing do not always express incomplete actions , just as those in –ed (or the corresponding irregular forms) do not always express completion.
The verbal function of an indefinite is particularly obvious when it is used as part of the forms of the continuous aspect tenses.
He was writing.
I shall be reading.
I am eating at the moment.
The adjectival and verbal characters of the present participle can be seen from the fact they can be found as follows :
a) Adjectival character can be found :
1. attributively : He has a captivating manner.
(Stie sa atraga atentia)
2. predicatively: He was sinking.(Se scufunda)
3. substantivally : The dying were kept in a small room.
(Cei care erau pe moarte erau tinuti intr-o camaruta)
4. adverbially , both with and without the adverbial suffix
boiling hot – care fierbe
b) The verbal character of the present participle can be seen when this form is combined with the same sentence members as the corresponding finite verbal expressions :
1. adverb : The landscape was continually changing.
(Peisajul se schimba mereu)
2. indirect object : Was he speaking to you ? (Vorbea el cu tine?)
3. predicative complement :
The great majority , being shy , were left behind.
(Majoritatea oamenilor , fiind timizi ,au fost lasati in urma)
4. subject : Being cold , he put on his coat.
(Fiind frig , el si-a pus haina pe el)
5. prepositional object :
They were laughing and talking with each other.
Alice Badescu in “Gramatica limbii engleze”[4] speaks about the adjectives which derive from present participles which are considered in dictionnaries and present grammars simple adjectives. So they have the character of ordinary adjectives.
a. they have degrees of comparison if it is the case :
amusing interesting
flaming satisfying
He is more amusing than I can tell.
(Nu pot spune cat e de amuzant)
He is the most interesting person I have ever met.
(El este cea mai interesanta persoana pe care am cunoscut-o )
b. they can be used to form adverbs by adding the suffix –ly :
He answered laughingly.
(A raspuns razand)
c. they can be used attributively or they can be a part of a participial construction
greying hair
a balding man (un barbat care cheleste)
a flying visit (o vizita grabita)
The girl smiling (who is smiling) so happily is my daughter.
(Fata care zambeste este fata mea)
There is someone ringing (who is ringing) the bell.
(E cineva care suna la usa)
The participial constructions “smiling so happily” , “ringing the bell” are attributes of the subjects “girl” and “someone” .
d. they can be part of a predicate
They are waiting in patience.
(Ei asteapta in liniste)
Participles differ from ordinary adjectives in much the same way as gerunds from ordinary nouns. They are called verbal adjectives because they are formed from verbs and have functions, characteristics of both adjectives and verbs.
Hearing a scream , he dressed quickly.
(Scream is the object of the participle hearing)
e. as an adverb , the present participle has the function of adverbial modifier or it can precede an adjective
She lay down reading. (of manner)
(Statea intinsa citind)
When going to the club , he met his son.
(Cand s-a dus la club , si-a intalnit fiul)
When supposing her to be in her right , she should not have used
that tone.(of concession)
(Desi era indreptatita ,ea era n-ar fi trebuit sa vorbeasca pe acel ton)
The milk was boiling hot.(precedes an adjective)
One should mention the fact that when the participle is related to a noun , the common mistake should be avoided regarding the misrelated participle.
Standing in the middle of the crowd , the sense of frustration and
anger could be plainly felt.
(Stand in mijlocul multimii , sentimental de frustrare si furie se
putea simti din plin)
Here , the participle is related to “sense” , which , clearly , could not be standing in the middle of the crowd. What is intended to be said :
Standing in the middle of the crowd , I could plainly feel the
sense of frustration and anger.
In the case of a few verbs , however , an unrelated participle is permissible.
a. when the subject of the participle is felt to be “one”
Judging from recent events , the Government appears to be
gaining in popularity. (If one judges…..)
(Judecand evenimentele recente , Guvernul pare sa castige
popularitate)
b. in certain stereotyped phrases :
Strictly
speaking, the Isle of Man is not part of the
(Strict vorbind , Insula Barbatului nu face parte din Regatul Unit
al Marii Britanii)
c. when the participle has the force of a preposition
Regarding his lack of education , he seems to care a lot about
this problem.(with regard to)
(In ceea ce priveste lipsa lui de educatie , pare sa se intereseze de problema)
Syntactic Functions of the Indefinite Participle
The indefinite participle may be used :
1. as part of an attribute
The boy playing on the violin is his step-brother.
(Baiatul care canta la voara este fratele lui vitreg)
2. as an adverbial modifier or part of an adverbial modifier of time
Drawing near , he realized the difference.
(Cand se apropie , isi dadu seama de deosebire)
3. as an adverbial modifier or as part of an adverbial modifier of cause
Being a fast runner the second participant in the contest won the
race.
(Pentru ca era un alergator rapid , al doilea participant a castigat
cursa)
4. as an adverbial modifier or part of an adverbial modifier of attendant circumstances
She turned away lingering , not without tears on her face.
(S-a intors zabovind fara lacrimi pe obraz)
5. as part of an adverbial manner of comparison
They left as if regretting something.
(Ei au plecat de parca regretau ceva)
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