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1997-03-31
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B4F
Terminal Participles
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When a participial phrase is used at the end of a sentence,
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it is a terminal participle:
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He went home,
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laughing all the way
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.
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Participial phrases are useful modifiers, but they are often
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used where they don't belong, causing problems in clarity.
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Since they are adjectives, participial phrases must modify
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nouns or pronouns, not phrases or clauses. A terminal
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participle modifies either the noun just before it or the subject
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of the sentence.
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If there is no comma, the participial phrase is right next to the
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word it modifies (first example below). A comma is used to
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show that the participial phrase is removed from the word it
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modifies (second example).
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He ran the course
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zigzagging up the hill
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.
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(modifies course)
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He ran the course,
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singing as he went
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.
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(modifies he)
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Participial phrases cannot be used to modify concepts
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(ideas rather than single nouns). In the first two sentences
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below, the terminal participle was intended to modify the
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concept of running rivers. However, the participial phrase
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really modifies either the noun just before it (as in the first
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example below) or the subject (as in the second example).
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The third example actually states the intended meaning.
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Incorrect
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He was running rivers in a kayak
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adding
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adventure to his life
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.
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(modifies
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kayak
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, not running rivers)
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Not the
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He was running rivers in a kayak,
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adding
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Intended
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adventure to his life
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.
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(modifies
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he
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, not
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meaning
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running rivers)
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Correct
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Running rivers in a kayak added adventure
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to his life.
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