Which of the following options best replaces
the word in italics in the given statement?
An old man who was crossing the road was
knocked away by a bicycle.
Answers
Answer:
Going on the road, the boy met with an accident.
The word ‘going’ qualifies the noun ‘boy’ as an adjective does. It is formed from the word ‘go’. The word ‘going’ therefore has something of an adjective and something of a verb too. Such words are called Participle. It may be called a verbal Adjective.
Def. A participle is a form of verb which takes the nature of both—a verb and an adjective. .
2. Study the following sentences with participles :
We met a boy carrying books.
Knocking at the gate, he was crying bitterly.
Thinking about the problem, he sat down.
He fell down fighting.
The participles used in the above sentences end with-ing. They are called present participles. Please note that present participles represent an action in progress or we may say the action which is incomplete and going on.
3. However, a participle can represent an action which has been completed. In such cases the third, form of the verb is used. Such participles are called Past Participle.
Study the following sentences :
Blinded by dust, the man stopped on the road.
Deceived by friends, he felt very sad.
Time wasted is the time lost.
Tired by walking, he called a cab.
I saw a plant laden with flowers.
Besides the Present Participle and the Past Participle, we have Perfect Participle too. It represents an action completed at some past time.
Use of Participle
4. You can easily see that the ‘continuous tense’ is formed from the ‘present partici¬ple’ with the verb ‘be’.
I am reading. I was reading. I shall be reading.
Similarly, the Perfect Tense is formed with Past Participle with the verb ‘have’.
I have read. I had read. I shall have read.
5. We have seen that the participles serve the purpose of an adjective. They may be used before or after the noun they qualify :
(i) Before the noun ; (attributively)
The moving wheel moves on.
The tired man needs rest.
The finished picture was a beauty.
(ii) After the noun. (Predicatively)
He seems worried.
He kept me waiting.
(iii) Absolutely with a noun or pronoun before it.
It being fine, I went out.
The teacher having arrived, the boys became quiet.
Weather permitting, the match will start.
God willing. I shall be rich.
Note: It should be noted that in the above sentences, (iii) the participle forms a phrase independent of the rest of the sentence. In the above sentences these phrases are—It being fine. The teacher having arrived : Weather permitting and God willing. These phrases are called Absolute Phrases and the noun or pronoun used in these phrases are called Nominative Absolute.
Errors In The Use of Participles
6. The participles must refer to a ‘subject’. Without it the sentence is incorrect, e.g..
Walking on the road, a truck hit him.
This sentence is wrong, because, we are not told who it was that was walking. As it is, it means that the truck was walking.
7. In some cases, the usage permits use of participle without a proper subject of reference. Taking everything into consideration. I decided to move on.
Frankly speaking. I want to go now.
8. Sometimes, the participle is understood. Pistol in hand, he rushed towards the door.
Here ‘being’ is understood between ‘pistol’ and ‘in’.
Exercise 1
(Solved)
Rewrite the following sentences using suitable form of the participle of the verbs given in brackets :
1. Everybody worships the ……….. (rise) sun.
2. The sun ……….. (rise), the birds began to chirp.
3. ……….. (Place) the books on the table, he ran away.
4. A ………. (break) glass cannot hold water.
5. .
make me as brain list
struck
Explanation:
- In the English language, a single word has many meanings to it. They are called synonyms. A synonym is a kind of a word or a phrase that is similar to another word or phrase.
For example -
- hit means = blow, beat, whack, knock, stroke, punch, slap, slam, crash, strike etc.,
- likewise, go means = proceed, advance, continue, march.
- gossip means = rumours, tales, buzz.
- and problems means = issues, concerns, controversies, disputes, cases, affairs.