Collins Cobuild

Unit 94
Participle clauses
Main points
Nouns are followed by ‘-ing’ clauses that say what a person or thing
is doing.
Nouns are followed by ‘-ed’ clauses that show that a person or thing
has been affected or caused by an action.
1
You can often give more information about a noun, or an indefinite
pronoun  such  as  ‘someone’  or  ‘something’,  by  adding  a  clause
beginning with an ‘-ing’ form, an ‘-ed’ form, or a ‘to’-infinitive.
He gestured towards the box lying on the table.
I think the idea suggested by Tim is the best one. She wanted someone
to talk to.
2
 You  use  an  ‘-ing’  clause  after  a  noun  to  say  what  someone  or
something is doing or was doing at a particular time.
The young girl sitting opposite him was his daughter.
Most of the people strolling in the park were teenagers.
3
You can also use an ‘-ing’ clause after a noun to say what a person or
thing does generally, rather than at a particular time.
Problems facing parents should be discussed.

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The men working there were not very friendly.
4
You often use an ‘-ing’ clause after a noun which is the object of a verb
of perception, such as ‘see’, ‘hear’, or ‘feel’.
See also Unit 72.
Suddenly we saw Amy walking down the path.
He heard a distant voice shouting.
I could feel something touching my face and neck, something ice-cold.
5
 You  use  an  ‘-ed’  clause  after  a  noun  to  show  that  someone  or
something has been affected or caused by an action.
He was the new minister appointed by the President.
The man injured in the accident was taken to hospital.
Remember that not all verbs have regular ‘-ed’ forms.
A story written by a young girl won the competition.
She was wearing a dress bought in Paris.

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