LoginPerfect Participles
What Are Perfect Participles?
Perfect participles, also known as present perfect participles, are a type of verb form that is used to indicate that an action was completed before another action began. Perfect participles are often used to create participle clauses that function as adverbs or adjectives in a sentence.
Perfect Participle: Form
To make a perfect participle, we use the present participle form of the verb 'have' followed by the past participle of the main verb. So, the perfect participle is made of present and past participles. For example:
Having studied all night, he is exhausted.
Having read the book, she spoiled the whole story.
Perfect Participles: Use
Perfect participles are used to indicate that one action or event happened before another. They can function as adverbs or adjectives in a sentence. Take a look at some examples:
Having ignored him, she felt awful.
perfect participle as adverb
Having seen the weather forecast, we decided not to leave home.
perfect participle as adverb
The girl having cooked tonight's dinner is a chef in a famous restaurant.
perfect participle as adjective
The class having been cleaned recently is mine.
perfect participle as adjective
Passive Perfect Participles
A passive perfect participle is formed by using the structure "having been + past participle". This structure is used to emphasize that an action was completed in the past and that the subject of the main clause was the recipient of that action. Here are some examples:
Having been caught, the thief admitted his crime.
passive perfect participle as adverb
The book, having been written by a famous author, became a bestseller.
passive perfect participle as adjective
Tip!
The perfect participle clauses can also be used instead of a subordinate clause. Check out the examples:
Having been killed in his own building, the neighbors were the very first witnesses.
Since he had been killed in his own building, the neighbors were the very first witnesses.
Having finished the work, she left the office.
After she finished the work, she left the office.
Negative Perfect Participles
To form a negative perfect participle, simply add the word 'not' before the perfect participle. Check out the following examples:
My sister left the country, not having said goodbye.
Not having paid the loan, he ditched his landlord.
Perfect Participles VS. Present Participles
In addition to differences in their structure and formation, perfect participles and present participles also are used in different contexts.
Perfect participles are used to indicate that an action was completed before the action of the main clause.
However, if one action occurred at the same time or nearly the same time as the second action, we typically use present participles instead of perfect participles. For example:
Having sat down, he turned on the TV. → Sitting down, he turned on the TV.
Sleeping well the other day, she could stay up till late at night. → Having slept well the other day, she could stay up till late at night.
Review
Perfect participle is a combination of the present participle form of the verb 'have' and the past participle form of the 'main verb'. The structure is as follows:
having + past participle
Quiz:
Which sentence uses a perfect participle correctly?
Sitting on the chair, he enjoyed the view.
Having finished her homework, she went out to play.
She is having been late for the meeting.
Eaten lunch, they left the restaurant.
Arrange the words to form a grammatically correct sentence using a perfect participle.
Which option correctly rewrites the sentence "Because he had missed the train, he took a taxi." using a perfect participle clause?
Because he missed the train, he having taken a taxi.
Missed the train, he took a taxi.
Having been missed the train, he took a taxi.
Having missed the train, he took a taxi.
Fill the blanks with the correct (declarative/negative/passive) perfect participle form.
(finish) her homework, Sarah went to the movies.
(write) by a renowned poet, the letter was framed and displayed.
(not attend) the meeting, James missed the important updates.
The scientist
(discover) the new element, won a Nobel Prize.
(accuse) of theft, the employee resigned to avoid scandal.
(not review) the instructions, Mark assembled the furniture incorrectly.
Which of the following statements correctly describes the difference between perfect participles and present participles?
Perfect participles show simultaneous actions, while present participles indicate completed actions.
Present participles show completed actions, while perfect participles describe simultaneous actions.
Perfect participles indicate a sequence of actions, while present participles describe simultaneous actions.
Present participles describe completed actions, while perfect participles show ongoing actions.
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