Participles are verb forms that are used as adjectives or to tell more about the sentence as a whole.
Present Participle: running, living, going, seeing, working, etc.
Perfect Participle: having run, having lived, having seen, etc.
Examples:
Ben WAS SITTING on the train. He had a fantastic idea. SITTING on the train, Ben had a fantastic idea. This tells you what the subject was doing at the time something happened. It is as if the first few words were omitted in the sentence:. While he was SITTING on the train, Ben had a fantastic idea. or While SITTING on the train, Ben had a fantastic idea.
It is used for explanations: KNOWING he had a gun in his pocket, I moved very slowly.
Negatives are frequent:
NOT KNOWING Jane was on holiday, I kept trying to call her.
If the explanation precedes the event the perfect formis used:
HAVING READ the newspaper, Ed knew about the merger.
NOT HAVING had time to study them, we couldn't recommend the plans.
The subject of the sentence and the subject of the participle are generally the same, and the participle goes next to the noun it modifies.
Avoid sentences like these: *Walking down the street, a car almost hit me.*( I was walking, not the car!) *Having arrived late, there was no food left.* ( The food didn't arrive late!)
In this exercise there are examples where the neither the present participle nor the past is correct: It is uo to you to decide...
Look out for examples like:
HAVING HEARD his explanation for his presence in the office at such a late hour, the police allowed him to leave. and When THEY HAD HEARD his explanation for his presence in the office at such a late hour, the police allowed him to leave.
After "when" the perfect participle form cannot be used.
Sometimes a comma makes all the difference:
Smith, having finished his work, went home. Smith finished his work and went home. (Note "and")
The last page of her novel was at last complete. _______________________ Karen turned off the computer.
Finished her work
Having finished her work
Finishing her work
Have finished her work
______________ the book twice, I don't really want to see the movie.
I read
I have been reading
Reading
Having read
Harry isn't sure he'll like his job, _________________ for a large corporation before.
not working
never working
never work
never having worked
______________ the book twice and I don't really want to see the movie.
I read
I have read
Reading
Having read
When _______________ everything he could, the surgeon left the operating theatre.
he had done
doing
having done
he did
_______________ everything he could, the surgeon left the operating theatre.
He has done
Doing
Having done
He did
Once _____________ a date for the conference, we were able to go ahead with planning.
we were setting
having set
we had set
setting
________________ to Europe before, Diana was really looking forward to the trip.
Not being
Not having been
She never wentas
Not
___________ in accounts payable for many years, Henry was able to take over in accounts receivable easily.
Working
Having worked
He worked
He had worked
_____________ a date for the conference, we were able to go ahead with planning.
Setting
Having set
Set
Have set
____________ Mr Burke before and I wasn't sure what to expect.
I didn't meet
Not meeting
Not having met
I hadn't met
Not ____________ Mr Burke before, I wasn't sure what to expect.
I didn't meet
Not meeting
Not having met
I haven't met
______________ of his own experience in the war, Smith brought tears to the eyes of his audience.
Having spoken
He spoke
Speaking
He was speaking
__________ it was time for a coffee break the maintenance crew left the broken-down machine and went to the canteen
They decided
Having decided
Deciding
They have
We didn't know about the accident, because ________________ the newspaper.
we hadn't read
not reading
not having read
we didn't read
We didn't know about the accident, ________________ the newspaper.
we haven't read
not reading
not having read
we didn't read
_______________ for the company for thirty years, Jensen is eligible for retirement.
Worked
Working
Having worked
Work
_______________ dinner, Mrs Crawford sat down to watch the evening news.
Prepared
Having prepared
Prepare
Preparing
_____________ the broken-down machine, the maintenance crew took a coffee break.
Fixed
Fix
Having fixed
Fixing
_____________ the contract, everyone stood up and shook hands.
Signed
Signing
Having signed
Sign
Bill knew what clothes to pack for Alaska, _____________ there several times before.
has travelled
having travelled
travelling
travelled
_________________ it would attract workers, Carol wanted to improve the company's benefits plan.