The participle

PARTICIPLE I AS AN ADVERBIAL MODIFIER

№	Adverbial Modifier	Questions	Conjunctions/ particles	Examples
1	Of time	When?	conjunctions: while when	While waiting for the water to boil, Kate warmed her hands over the kettle. Mind your English when speaking to the professor. When laughing she half closed her eyes and a dimple danced on her cheek. That being understood, the conference was over. We strolled back to the camp, it being then about twenty minutes to six. (old fashioned)
2	Of reason (cause)	Why? For what reason?		Being extremely tired, Isabelle ignored all the questions and went to bed. Still hoping to catch the train, Boris took a taxi to the station. Having made her mind on this question, she was difficult to persuade of the opposite.
3	Of manner and attendant circumstances	How? In what manner?		Jeanie sat silently looking down at her hands. The children burst into the room jumping excitedly. The postman came into the house carrying a big parcel.
4	Of comparison	No identifying questions	Conjunctions: as if as though	John said it as if thinking aloud. As if obeying me he turned and looked into my eyes.
5	Of condition	In what case? On what condition?		She ought to be there and her absence might be resented, but being there, she wouldn’t know what to say. (= even if she was there)
6	Of concession	No identifying questions	Conjunction: though	Somebody was waiting: a man, who, though moving irregularly, was making quite a speed in my direction.

Notes:

1. 
   All four forms of Participle I can be used in this function.
   
2. 
   Adverbial modifier of time.
   

• 
  In this function mostly Non-Perfect Active participle is used with conjunctions while and when, e.g.
  

While watching TV Moira ate all the chocolates.
When reciting poems the boy always looked at the ceiling.

• 
  Though usually Perfect Participle denotes the priority, Non-Perfect Participle can also show it with certain groups of verbs if there is no big lapse of time. Compare:
  

Verbs of motion: to come, to enter, to arrive, to turn, to leave
Arriving at the station, Philip found his train gone.
Having arrived at the station three hours before the train, Philip had much time to kill.
Verbs of sense perception: to see, to hear to find
Hearing the news, I phoned the professor immediately, e.g.

5. 
   Having heard from him only once in three years, I stared to forget him.
   

• 
  Passive and Perfect participles usually show priority, e.g.
  

Being left alone, the child burst out crying.
Having closed the door, Mary leaned on it and closed her tired eyes.

• 
  !!! The participle of the verb ‘to be’ is never used as an adverbial modifier of time. Instead an adverbial clause of time is used, e.g.
  

Будучи в Лондоне, он забыл зайти в издательство. = When he was in London, he forgot to call at the publishing house.

3. 
   Adverbial modifier of reason (cause)
   

The most frequently used participles are of the verbs ‘to be’ and ‘to have’ and of the verbs denoting mental perceptions and emotions,
being having knowing realizing remembering