A participle phrase will begin with a present or past participle. If the participle is
present, it will dependably end in ing. Likewise, a regular past participle will end
in a consistent ed. Irregular past participles, unfortunately, conclude in all kinds
of ways [Check a dictionary for help].
Since all phrases require two or more words, a participle phrase will often include
objects and/or modifiers that complete the thought. The pattern looks like this:
P A R T I C I P L E + O B J E C T ( S ) A N D / O R M O D I F I E R ( S )
Here are some examples:
Flexing his muscles in front of the bathroom mirror
Ripped from a spiral-ring notebook
Driven crazy by Grandma's endless questions
Participle phrases always function as adjectives, adding description to the
sentence. Read these examples:
The stock clerk lining up cartons of orange juice made
sure the expiration date faced the back of the cooler.
Lining up cartons of orange juice modifies the noun clerk.
Elijah likes his eggs smothered in cheese sauce.
Smothered in cheese sauce modifies the noun eggs.
Shrunk in the dryer, the jeans hung above John's ankles.
Shrunk in the dryer modifies the noun jeans.
Ger und Phr as es
A gerund phrase will begin with a gerund, an ing word, and will often include
other modifiers and/or objects. The pattern looks like this:
G E R U N D + O B J E C T ( S ) A N D / O R M O D I F I E R ( S )